Aquacycl’s 2023 Year in Review

Whew, what a year!  

With 700 tons of CO2 mitigated, 310,000 kWh of energy saved, and 755,200 gallons of wastewater treated, we certainly made a splash this year.  

Let’s take a moment to reflect on the milestones, challenges, and growth that defined 2023 for Aquacycl.  

Wastewater Galore 

This year was bustling with activity, boasting two new installations, two new signed contracts, two new operational sites, a successful 6-month pilot, and a fulfilling impact project. We surely were kept busy this year building new systems, performing site visits and maintenance, and expanding our customer-base.  

Both new installations came in the first quarter of the year, with one system in Aspen, Colorado, and one in Bend, Oregon. Aspen Distillers came to us in 2022 with the goal of becoming the most sustainable distillery in the nation, and we were happy to help by installing a wastewater reuse system to be used to irrigate their land. 10 Barrel in Oregon received the second system as a part of a pilot program with AB InBev. Now fully completed, we’re excited to share the successful results this coming year! 

Our PepsiCo installations continue to shine, with systems in Las Vegas and Fresno delivering outstanding results. The PepsiCo Fresno system, which hit its two-year mark this year, continues to achieve significant cost, greenhouse gas, and energy savings for PepsiCo.  

2023 also brought a few trips down to San Quintin, Mexico for our VIIDAI program volunteer project. This project ensures local students gain access to clean water, with ongoing adjustments resulting in water that not only meets drinking standards but tastes great too! 

We capped off 2023 with a bang, signing two new contracts in the US. One with a major bottler, whose BETT system is ready to roll out in January, and another with a sanitary services company that is anticipated to deliver in Q1 2024.  

Global Impact 

We took the world by storm this year, making it our prerogative to present Aquacycl on a global stage.  

In the first quarter alone, we traveled to 5 different countries, attending nine different events and conferences, and picking up several awards and recognitions along the way.  

Throughout the year, we attended CLFP, StocExpo, FBEC, UN Water Conference, WEX Global, SIWI, WEFTEC, Aquatech, TED Countdown Summit, just to name a few! 

We picked up awards for Environmental Performance, Top Start-Up Pitch, Innovation in Decarbonizing, but the greatest recognition of all was being recognized as a finalist for The Earthshot Prize.   

As the most prestigious environmental award, words cannot describe how incredible of an experience this was for us. Not only was Aquacycl presented on a global stage greater than what I outlined above, but the immense knowledge and opportunity gained from this community the Earthshot brought is immeasurable.  

This award is incredible, you’ll want to follow all the finalists chosen, they are doing big things, and although we didn’t win, we cannot wait to see what The Earthshot will bring in 2024. 

Crossing the Pond 

Who had it in their BINGO card that Aquacycl would go international 2023?  

Probably our most proud accomplishment this year was opening the doors of our European office in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.  

We recognized that Europe was going to be an important growth area for us, the EU approach to circularity and environmental regulations make Aquacycl a great solution for applications across the pond. Thanks to our connection with the Water Alliance, we found our home at the Water Campus.  

With much planning, learning, and a few trips to beautiful Leeuwarden, we officially opened our doors in November and are already running wastewater samples at our test center.  

Let’s see where 2024 takes us, in Europe and beyond. 

The Year of Growth 

We could say 2023 was a year of growth for Aquacycl. 

This year, we went through much process, product and company growth as we phased from start-up to scale-up. We underwent an entire office renovation in San Diego, started up an electrochemistry laboratory for anode optimization, rebranded the service team to System Operations Specialists, tested countless new wastewater samples, and implemented new software to increase efficiency company-wide.  

And the growth doesn’t end there!  

Nearly doubling our employees this year, hiring across all teams, even in the C-level, to accommodate the needs of our expanding business, the Aquacycl team just keeps on growing. New positions, like People and Culture Manager and Revenue Operations Specialist, were formed and teams expanded in Systems Operations, Manufacturing, Sales, Research and Development, and Marketing (hi, that’s me!), all to support the incredible growth Aquacycl experienced this year.  

There’s no sign on stopping this coming year, we foresee 2024 bringing on even more as we roll out our pricing and sizing calculator, continue to bring down the cost of our systems, and seek to provide our customers the best wastewater treatment services possible. 

Looking Ahead  

As we conclude a year marked by achievements, growth, and global impact, Aquacycl remains committed to pushing the boundaries of sustainability.  

With new installations on the horizon, expanded partnerships, and a growing team, we eagerly anticipate the challenges and opportunities that 2024 will bring. We are grateful for all the connections, partners, and customers that made this year so impactful. 

Thank you for being a part of our journey toward a more sustainable future. Here’s to another year of innovation and positive impact!