Tapping into innovation: Facilitating the growth of Arizona’s emerging water technology ecosystem
When Alireza Farsad came to Arizona State University to study environmental engineering, he wasn’t planning to start a company. But his research led him down an unexpected path into the middle of Arizona’s growing water technology scene.
In 2025, Farsad founded AmorpH2O, a startup that turns cutting-edge materials science into practical filtration technology capable of removing arsenic, lead and other toxic metals from drinking water. As a sign of early success, the company recently won top honors at the Falling Walls Lab Arizona Pitch, secured early investment through the Skysong Innovations Startup Challenge and is now preparing to compete on a global stage in Germany.
Farsad is the first Entrepreneurial Postdoctoral Fellow with ASU’s Global Center for Water Technology (GCWT), a pillar of the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative (AWII), a statewide project led by the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory in collaboration with the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.
As one of the presenters at the second annual Water Tech Showcase, held on November 3 at Skysong, Farsad was in good company. The event was designed to highlight new ideas, encourage startups and create community and collaborations that can help to shape the state’s water future. The day was organized by ASU, including GCWT and AWII, the NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest and the Plug and Play Tech Center.
Participants agreed that the day reflected the focus on collaboration that is essential if Arizona is to become a true hub for water technology development and the economic growth that comes with it.
Growing the water tech start-up ecosystem in Arizona
Across the western U.S. and around the world, water scarcity has long been a story of limits. But in Arizona, it’s increasingly becoming a story of possibility, one where researchers, entrepreneurs and investors are converging to transform one of the region’s greatest challenges into an engine for growth.
From wastewater reuse to atmospheric harvesting, researchers and entrepreneurs are transforming water challenges into economic opportunities.
“Why not have the same kind of ecosystem here that we see in places like Israel?” asked Paul Westerhoff, ASU Regents Professor and founding director of the GCWT, opening the event. “We have the research strength, the entrepreneurial drive and a clear need. All the pieces are here and it’s time to connect them.”
Keynote speaker Manu Lall, who recently joined ASU from Columbia University as director of the ASU Water Institute agreed that Arizona is uniquely positioned to lead. “I came to Arizona because it is ripe for innovation in every way,” said Lall.
Katie Pettinger, Chief Innovation Officer for the NSF Futures Engine, echoed that vision, emphasizing the project’s focus on place-based innovation in Arizona, Utah and Nevada “where the challenges of water, energy and growth intersect most sharply.”
The southwestern U.S. has become a proving ground for water innovation where sectors like semiconductor manufacturing are driving water management innovation. According to the Arizona Commerce Authority, in Arizona alone, over 60 semiconductor industry projects have been announced since 2022, representing more than $205 billion in investment.
Shyaam Ramkumar of Plug and Play shared data showing that venture capital investment in water technologies has grown from just a few hundred million dollars in 2017 to over $1.6 billion by 2022, signaling strong investor confidence in the sector.
That shift is one that Adam Gushgari, who supports researchers in commercializing promising water technologies with the Global Center for Water Technology, understands deeply. In his own remarks, Gushgari, who also works with Eurofins, an analytical testing company, noted that much of the work of water tech start-ups still happens in silos. “We need a more integrated approach,” he said.
Panelists from major firms echoed the need for collaboration and modernization. For example, Veolia’s Aaditya Raman spoke about how new AI and data systems can extend the life of filtration membranes by nearly a decade, saving both water and energy.
Doug Rice of Black & Veatch warned of a “silver tsunami” of retiring water operators, and said that AI can help detect subtle changes—such as fluctuations in dissolved oxygen—that may signal a problem before it becomes critical. EPCOR’s John Cassano and APS’s Brad Berles described how utilities are seeking ways to test new technologies at scale and improve efficiency.
When audience members raised questions about workforce development, Gushgari urged stronger ties between academia and industry, including community colleges, while Raman highlighted the role of internships in building the next generation of skilled workers.
The showcase’s startup presentations showed how that next generation is already at work. In addition to Farsad’s AmorphH2O, presenters from a wide variety of new start-ups discussed their goals.
Polygone Systems, based in New Jersey, is tackling microplastics in waterways. WAVR Technologies from Las Vegas is developing atmospheric water harvesting devices inspired by the Australian tree frog’s skin.
Purity ReSource, founded in Arizona, focuses on making semiconductor manufacturing more sustainable. Thermaspire Technologies, out of Vancouver, offers zero-waste cooling systems for data centers using recycled wastewater.
Watergenics, based in Germany, provides real-time water quality monitoring. OxbyEl deploys electrochemical technology to destroy PFAS, and Harmony Desalting is advancing new methods for treating brackish groundwater.
Building a pipeline for innovation
Behind these stories are efforts to make the process of innovation itself more navigable. Gushgari and colleagues are developing a formalized commercialization pipeline for researchers—essentially a roadmap for turning academic breakthroughs into viable companies.
Gushgari explained that many researchers are new to the business world and start by asking basic questions: What’s the difference between a C-Corp and an LLC? What are valuations and tax implications?
“The market is hot,” Gushgari said, noting that the impacts of climate change, the challenges of the Colorado River and the growing needs of industries such as data centers, semiconductors and agriculture are starting to shift perceptions of water as a staid field for investment. “We’re living in a dynamic time,” he said. “We can’t rest on our laurels.”
During a fireside chat on the challenges of scaling water innovation, Jennifer Zach, Chief Marketing Officer for MentorAPM, captured the spirit of collaboration that defined the event. “Startups are lonely, so community and connection are everything,” she said.
Speakers agreed that successful innovation requires not only great science, but also the business, sales and operational expertise to carry good ideas into the real world.
Connecting the pieces of Arizona’s water future
The spirit of connection—between disciplines, sectors and people—is something Westerhoff has modeled for years. Many participants pointed to him as the catalyst who brought the right people together to make the event possible.
“Paul is one of those people everyone in environmental engineering knows,” said Heather Tugaoen of Watergenics who also earned her doctorate with Westerhoff. “When people see that you worked with him, they trust you immediately. It’s a testament to how well-respected he is.”
For Tugaoen, the showcase was also a homecoming. “I think water is finally coming to the surface of everyday conversation,” she said. “Arizona is the place to innovate, the place where it makes sense to do it right. We need water, we need a thriving economy and we have the brain trust to execute.”
As the event wrapped up, the vision was clear: Arizona is positioning itself not just as a user of water technologies, but as a creator of them. With its universities, partnerships and growing investor interest, the state has the ingredients for a thriving water innovation ecosystem.
“It’s really about growth. Patents, startups, corporate investment; all of it supports jobs and community resilience,” said Gushgari. “The water market has been undervalued and underfunded for decades. But that is changing — and Arizona can lead the way.”