EIT InnoEnergy backed Solable kick-starts 2018 with crowdfunding campaign
Funding will support commercialisation of award-winning, innovative long-life water purification technology.
Solable, the cost-effective ecological solutions provider for heating and water backed by EIT InnoEnergy, recently announced a EUR 30 000 Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for its LaVie innovation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
LaVie is a patented technology that transforms tap water into pure mineral water without the need for a filter or add-on products. For the first time, it offers consumers the ability to purify water in a cost-effective and sustainable way – as a replacement to plastic bottled water.
Housed in a glass bottle inside a natural bamboo case, LaVie uses UVA lighting to remove harmful elements such as chlorine, chloramine, pesticides and chemicals to produce high quality drinking water. The technology has a lifespan of more than 10 years – 120 times longer than conventional alternatives.
EIT InnoEnergy France has worked with Solable since its inception in 2015. The funds raised from the crowdfunding campaign, which opens on 24 January, will support LaVie’s commercialisation, manufacture systems and generate wider market awareness. The first 50 backers will scoop a 50 per cent discount on the product and for every LaVie unit purchased, Solable will donate a system to a non-governmental organisation.
Saadi Brahmi, CEO at Solable, said: 'Every year 100 billion plastic bottles are discarded into the environment instead of being recycled. At the same time, consumers are buying filter jugs and replacing filters almost monthly. There is a huge gap in the market. LaVie not only answers the need for cost-effective and sustainable water purification but it will have a wide-reaching impact on reducing the 5-13 million tonnes of plastic that makes its way into our oceans each year.'
Richard Biagioni, CEO of EIT InnoEnergy France, said: '[tweetable]At InnoEnergy, the challenge is big but our goal is simple: to achieve a sustainable energy future for Europe.[/tweetable] That’s why we’re so proud of our partnership with Solable. A household that consumes 1.5 litres of water per day indirectly consumes 500 litres of oil through the production and transportation of that water. Through LaVie, Solable is reducing our energy consumption and minimising the environmental impact of accessing clean water.'
Solable and LaVie have also been recognised with a prestigious CES Innovation Award in the “Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies” category. The annual awards – hosted alongside the CES conference in Las Vegas this week – celebrate outstanding product design and engineering in brand-new consumer technology products.
This is the second consecutive year Solable has been recognised with the award – its product LaDouche, an instantaneous domestic hot water heater powered by waste-water heat energy, won in 2017.
Saadi Brahmi said: 'This second award is a glowing endorsement of the potential for LaVie to revolutionise the way society accesses clean water. [tweetable]We couldn’t have reached this milestone without the support of InnoEnergy[/tweetable] – from investing in our prototype to providing mentoring and business support, their partnership has been invaluable.'
To get involved and learn more about funding LaVie, please visit LaVie's website.
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