Chemical Innovation for Water Industries

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CIWI creates…

Water treatment chemicals on-site with fewer resources, less complexity, greater safety and sustainability.

How it works.

We replace traditional metals salts which are essential for every kind of water-treatment.
Our product can be used in drinking water, municipal wastewater, and industrial water treatment.
We’re providing technology in a containerized system that produces these custom made water-treatment agents on site.
It combines iron electrolysis with bipolar membranes and consumes only steel, salt, and electricity.
Through quality control, iron chemistry expertise and operational support we’re providing reliability.
This way, our customers can focus on their core activities.

Benefits

Lower operational costs

Reducing the need for pH control chemicals, lower polymer consumption, and potentially lower water and sludge treatment costs.

Improved performance

CIWI can create a pre-hydrolyzed metal salt equivalent with 10% higher removal efficiency than conventional metal salts.

Higher resilience

Reducing supply chain dependency by 85%, increasing storage capacity by a factor of 8, and reducing transport needs by the same factor, making water treatment more resilient and less dependent on global events.

Better governance

Reducing salt intrusion by up to 50%, improving compliance with discharge standards, and enhancing on-site safety by eliminating the need for strong acid metal salt storage.

Improved sustainability

A 50% reduction in carbon footprint from day one, with the potential to reach 100% in the future, while also reducing resource consumption by up to 85%

Integration Ease

Compact Design

Easy to integrate into existing infrastructure. The system fits within a single container and can be installed wherever metal salts are used.
Adaptable Production

Flexible to adjust to changing needs. A single design enables the production of custom agents by adjusting settings to meet local requirements.
Energy Efficient

Consumes energy equivalent to one or two EV charging stations.
Simple maintanance

Less complex procedures and lower operational burden. Metal plates, the consumables, are easily replaced once or twice a month.

At the forefront of Water-treatment Agents

Pilots

We are currently conducting several pilot projects to evaluate our product. In the most comprehensive pilot, we are collaborating with Brabant Water to test and further refine our product.
Research

At our research lab, we are actively testing and further developing our product. Through this process, we have gained extensive expertise in the field of iron-based chemicals.
Publications and awards

In the last few years our researched has been published en we won awards with our innovative technology. Want to read more about this? Go to our blog!

Learn more

Due to climate change, water scarcity is becoming an increasingly serious issue. This creates an urgent need for more effective and efficient wastewater treatment. Water treatment chemicals are essential to this process. As a result, global demand for these chemicals is expected to double within the next 10 years.

Additionally, water reuse and resource recovery—such as phosphate harvesting—will further drive the need for treatment chemicals, supporting the development of circular water systems. To facilitate these processes in the most effective way, CIWI provides water treatment chemicals directly on-site, contributing to a more efficient and sustainable water treatment process.

Why do we need CIWI now?

Jasper Schakel, CIWI’s co-founder, is a professional in the water sector with experience at Witteveen Bos in the Netherlands and Ghana. In Ghana, he was part of the Dutch government's YEP program. Previously a project engineer, he holds an MBA from IMD. Driven by a passion for innovation and sustainability, Jasper ensures clean water access through his work at CIWI.
Jasper oversees day-to-day management.

Erik Kraaijeveld, CIWI’s co-founder, is an expert in electrochemical water treatment. With a background in designing, testing, and evaluating systems for Dunea, he holds a doctoral degree in engineering from TU Delft. Driven by sustainability and innovation, Erik has a keen entrepreneurial drive that fuels his commitment to advancing water treatment technologies.
Erik leads CIWI's technical development and product design.

Meet the Team

CIWI is led by Jasper Schakel and Erik Kraaijeveld, supported by a growing team of engineers and interns specializing in Electrical & Instrumentation (E&I), mechanical engineering, and chemical engineering.

Jasper Schakel has a background in mechanical and environmental engineering from TU Delft and further honed his expertise with an MBA from IMD Lausanne. Erik Kraaijeveld holds a Doctorate of Engineering in electrochemistry and water treatment, along with a master’s in environmental engineering from TU Delft.

Together, Jasper and Erik bring extensive experience from both engineering consultancy firms, water treatment companies and research institutes. Their deep expertise in electrochemistry, water treatment solutions, and iron chemistry drives CIWI’s mission to innovate in chemical water treatment solutions for a more resilient, effective, and sustainable water treatment.

Values

Supportive & Human-centered

CIWI facilitates and supports in a warm manner. We believe that honesty and integrity are paramount, especially in an industry as vital as water treatment. We are committed to being transparent with our clients, partners, and team members, treating everyone with respect and fairness.

Passion & Care

Our mission is to ensure that everyone has access to clean water and a clean environment. We work precisely and professionally to deliver a good and honest product, and share our passion for clean water with our client.

Innovation & Vision

CIWI dares to be progressive and does so with confidence. We are dedicated to continuous innovation, looking beyond current challenges to find groundbreaking solutions. Our forward-thinking approach drives us to develop advanced technologies that revolutionize water treatment and create a better future for all.

Blog

Launching CIWI!

We're thrilled to introduce CIWI, Chemical Innovations in Water Industries, a venture committed to transforming the water industry through sustainable chemical solutions. CIWI focuses on the often-overlooked role of chemicals in water treatment, aiming to make processes more sustainable and resilient. With support from IMD and collaborations with Delft University of Technology and YES!Delft, CIWI is redefining the industry by reducing the carbon footprint, ensuring a resilient supply chain, and maintaining cost-effectiveness. Join us in our mission to guarantee access to clean water.
12/20/23
CIWI at YES!Delft's Validation Lab

We're thrilled to share that CIWI has been selected for the prestigious Validation Lab at YES!Delft, Europe's leading tech incubator. This marks a pivotal moment in our mission to revolutionize water treatment with sustainable solutions.
12/21/23
CIWI’s ValidationLab Experience

Last week marked the end of CIWI’s participation in the YES!Delft Validation Lab! Alongside OceanAI, Shapewave Industries BV, Lignitec B.V., SOLR&D, and Aleph Cognito, the CIWI team refined our value proposition and validated our assumptions.
3/29/24
We are part of the YES!Delft Family

We're thrilled to announce that our logo now graces the wall of startups at YES!Delft! It's a small sign, but a big step for our team. We're literally making our mark on the wall, just as we're making our mark in the water treatment industry. Here's to more visibility, innovation, and making even bigger splashes!
4/23/24
CIWI and Brabant Water Join Forces for Innovation in Water Purification

CIWI and Brabant Water are launching a pilot project to explore the feasibility of producing alternatives to iron chloride on-site. This initiative could mark a significant advancement in making our water purification processes more sustainable.
6/28/24
Launching a new website!

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our new website! CIWI, your dedicated startup in the water sector, is continuously evolving, and so is our website and how we tell our story.
7/10/24
Patented Progress: Our Innovation Takes a Big Leap

CIWI, in collaboration with TU Delft, has taken a significant step forward by submitting a patent for our Electrochemical Production of Metal Hydroxide technology—a safer, more sustainable alternative to traditional metal salts.
8/16/24
Breaking ground in the NWO Take-off 1 project

In recent months, CIWI has closely collaborated with TU Delft on a Take-off 1 project granted by the NWO. Additional research was conducted at the Waterlab to validate the business case for CIWI’s patented Electrochemical Metal Hydroxide technology.
8/27/24
CIWI's First Pilot is Up and Running at Brabant Water

We’re pleased to announce that our first pilot device is now operating at Brabant Water’s Zevenbergen process plant! Over the last two months, we’ve been testing CIWI’s technology on a commercial scale for the first time, putting our system and all key components from our suppliers through real-world trials.
10/27/24
A Full House at Our Lunch Lecture: CIWI at De Haagse Hogeschool

Last month, we had the pleasure of presenting CIWI during a lunch lecture at De Haagse Hogeschool, organized in collaboration with Rheon, the student association. In a packed classroom filled with enthusiastic Electrical and Mechatronics Engineering students, we shared how our approach ensures that sustainable water treatment never stops.
Join us and help shape the future of sustainable water treatment!
11/19/24
CIWI Wins the Rabobank Impact Fund

On October 30th, CIWI was awarded €25,000 from Rabobank's Impact Fund at ImpactFest in The Hague. ImpactFest, held at the Fokker Terminal, is Europe’s leading event for impact-driven entrepreneurs and innovators—a fitting place for this milestone in our journey.
11/21/24
From Ghana to the Notary: Celebrating CIWI’s First Anniversary!

Over the past year, we’ve achieved incredible milestones: founding CIWI, opening our office at YES!Delft, collaborating with TU Delft on an NWO project, filing our first patent, and installing our first pilot at Brabant Water. With the support of our partners and the Rabobank Impact Fund, we’ve laid a solid foundation for the future.
12/20/24
We are in the Financial Times!

CIW I, together with IM D, is proud to be one of the winners of the Financial Times Responsible Business Education Award! This recognition is an incredible milestone for us as hardware developers in the water sector, where perseverance and innovation are essential to making a lasting impact. A heartfelt thank you to IMD for getting us started, Delft University of Te chnology for their technological expertise, and Y ES!D elft for believing in our vision. A special thank you to Braban t Water N.V. for providing us with a testing ground to turn our ideas into reality.
1/24/25