Gradiant
Gradiant is a global industrial water treatment provider, founded in 2013 as an MIT spinout, that designs, builds, and operates proprietary desalination, wastewater, lithium extraction, PFAS destruction, and AI-optimized water systems for heavy-industry customers across semiconductors, mining, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, energy, and data centers in 92 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersWoburn, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gradiant does
Gradiant Corporation is a privately-held industrial water treatment company founded in 2013 as a spinout from MIT and headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts. The company designs, builds, and operates advanced water and wastewater treatment systems for heavy industrial customers across semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, mining, food and beverage, refining and chemicals, energy, textiles, automotive, and government sectors. Its operations span 92 countries through 25 offices and include 2,500+ installed facilities, 3,000+ treatment plants built, and 42 owned-and-operated assets, employing roughly 1,200 people including 475 engineers and scientists.
The core product is a proprietary water treatment technology stack combining membrane-based processes, electrochemical treatment, and AI-enabled optimization. Flagship technologies include Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) for high-salinity desalination, RO Infinity Counterflow Reverse Osmosis for minimum liquid discharge, Selective Contaminant Extraction for resource recovery, Free Radical Oxidation for refractory organics, ForeverGone for PFAS destruction (TIME Best Inventions 2024), alkaLi EC2 for direct lithium extraction (97% recovery rate), ProtiumSource for green hydrogen feedwater, CURE Chemicals for custom-formulated treatment chemicals, HyperSolved for AI data center cooling water, and SmartOps AI for plant optimization. The company holds 302 patents approved and pending and has been recognized with awards from TIME, Edison Awards, Forbes, and the International Desalination Association.
Gradiant generates revenue through three primary contract models: one-time Design-Build project contracts for turnkey systems, recurring Design-Build-Operate-Maintain (DBO) services, and Design-Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (DBOOM) arrangements where Gradiant owns the facility and supplies treated water on a long-term basis. Additional recurring revenue comes from CURE Chemicals sales and technology licensing, including the alkaLi lithium extraction platform spun out as a core operating subsidiary. Pricing is project-specific and quote-based, with multi-year contract terms. The company sells exclusively through direct enterprise field sales augmented by strategic alliances with SLB, Rio Tinto, Flowserve, GF Piping Systems, and Archroma, and reports that new orders exceeded $500M in H1 2024 with revenue described as doubling annually. The company achieved unicorn status in 2024 and a $2B post-money valuation in its May 2026 Series E led by Safar Partners and Hostplus.
Gradiant firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gradiant
- Legal name
- Gradiant Corporation
- Website
- https://gradiant.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Gradiant is a global industrial water treatment provider, founded in 2013 as an MIT spinout, that designs, builds, and operates proprietary desalination, wastewater, lithium extraction, PFAS destruction, and AI-optimized water systems for heavy-industry customers across semiconductors, mining, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, energy, and data centers in 92 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gradiant industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Water Treatment
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Desalination Plant EPC, O&M & Performance Optimization (EUANAFAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAN), Industrial Decarbonization EPC, Integration & O&M Services (Design/Build/Operate) (EUABAJAM)
Keywords
Where Gradiant is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Woburn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Gradiant business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Design-Build Project Contracts: Turnkey end-to-end water treatment system design and construction contracts for industrial clients. Gradiant designs, builds, and commissions complete treatment facilities to customer specifications.
- Design-Build-Operate-Maintain (DBO): Contracts where Gradiant operates and maintains water treatment facilities long-term, delivering treated water consistently to customer quality and quantity requirements. Provides recurring revenue visibility for customers.
- Design-Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (DBOOM): Ownership-based contracts where Gradiant owns facilities, eliminating customer capital investment while providing long-term operational revenue.
- CURE Chemicals: Custom chemical formulations for water treatment applications sold to industrial customers. Includes corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, biocides, and process chemicals.
- Technology Licensing and Spinoffs: Licensing of proprietary technologies including the alkaLi direct lithium extraction platform spun out for critical minerals recovery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Gradiant product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gradiant designs, builds, and often operates and maintains end-to-end industrial water and wastewater treatment systems for sectors including semiconductors, data centers, pharmaceuticals, mining, food & beverage, energy, and chemicals. It combines proprietary treatment technologies (CGE, CFRO, SCE, FRO, ForeverGone, alkaLi, ProtiumSource, HyperSolved), custom-formulated CURE Chemicals, and the SmartOps AI optimization platform, delivered through DB, DBO, and DBOOM contract models in 92 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HyperSolved: AI data center cooling water solution managing entire cooling water lifecycle
- ForeverGone
- alkaLi
- ProtiumSource
- CURE Chemicals
- SmartOps AI
- RO Infinity
- Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE)
- Bio Infinity
- Selective Contaminant Extraction (SCE)
- Free Radical Oxidation (FRO)
- H+E
Products and services
- HyperSolved Comprehensive cooling water management solution for AI data centers managing the entire water lifecycle from sourcing through discharge; deployed with hyperscale operators.
- ForeverGone PFAS Destruction All-in-one solution for permanent elimination of PFAS 'forever chemicals' from municipal and industrial water using micro-foam fractionation and electro-oxidation; deployed at Munich International Airport in September 2025.
- alkaLi Direct Lithium Extraction Direct lithium extraction technology achieving 97% lithium recovery rates from oilfield produced water and salars, producing battery-grade lithium carbonate; supports Gradiant's wholly-owned alkaLi subsidiary.
- ProtiumSource Electrolyzer-ready water solution for green hydrogen producers; feedwater-agnostic with zero discharge and renewable energy operation.
- CURE Chemicals Custom-formulated chemical solutions including corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, process chemicals, biocides, antiscalants, and coagulants/flocculants for site-wide water treatment applications.
- SmartOps AI
Quantifiable outcome
- 6.5 billion liters of fresh water withdrawals reduced daily
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Gradiant
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Gradiant technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature10 records
Gradiant partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FlowservecoreStrategic partnership to develop water and wastewater treatment solutions combining Flowserve's flow control products with Gradiant's treatment technology. Aims to expand offerings in new geographies and technologies supporting sustainability goals globally.
- ArchromacorePartnership to advance water circularity with innovative ZLD technology in Thailand. Gradiant deployed ZLD solution for Archroma's textile dye manufacturing facility achieving 94% water recovery.
- GF Piping SystemscorePartnership to drive innovation and sustainability in industrial water treatment by combining GF Piping Systems' piping solutions with Gradiant's water treatment technologies for new solutions globally.
- SLB (Schlumberger)coreAlliance formed in May 2023 for lithium extraction and production using Gradiant's alkaLi technology. SLB provides operational expertise and market access for direct lithium extraction projects.
- Rio TintocoreAlliance formed in May 2023 for mining water solutions and critical minerals recovery. Strategic partnership targeting sustainable mining operations globally.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Gradiant competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sidem: Sidem is a global desalination EPC contractor specializing in thermal and membrane desalination plants for industrial and municipal clients. Directly competes with Gradiant on seawater desalination projects and EPC delivery in the Middle East and Mediterranean markets.
- Aquatech: Aquatech provides industrial water treatment and desalination solutions, including zero liquid discharge and minimal liquid discharge systems. Directly competes with Gradiant's RO Infinity, MLD/ZLD offerings, and serves overlapping oil & gas, mining, and power generation customers globally.
- IDE Technologies: IDE Technologies is a desalination and water treatment specialist serving industrial and municipal customers. Directly competes with Gradiant's CGE desalination technology and EPC/DBO project delivery model, particularly in Middle East and Asia-Pacific markets where Gradiant operates Innovation Centers.
- Doosan Enerbility (Doosan Heavy Industries): Doosan Enerbility is a major desalination EPC contractor and industrial water treatment provider. Competes with Gradiant on large-scale desalination projects and industrial water treatment contracts, particularly in the Middle East where both companies have established operating footprints.
Broad incumbents
- SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: SUEZ is a global water services incumbent serving industrial and municipal customers with water treatment, desalination, and chemicals. Named alongside Veolia in Archroma customer comparison and as prior employer of Gradiant's COO (Govind Alagappan) and CFO (Ananth Padmanabhan), reflecting direct head-to-head competition for industrial water contracts.
- Pentair: Pentair is a global water treatment and flow control company serving industrial, commercial, and residential customers. Competes with Gradiant in industrial water treatment, particularly in flow control, filtration, and pump systems used across similar semiconductor and food & beverage customer segments.
- Xylem: Xylem is a global water technology leader serving industrial, commercial, and municipal markets following its acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies. Targets similar industrial customers for water treatment, pumps, and process equipment, and competes for digital water management mandates similar to Gradiant's SmartOps AI offering.
- Veolia Water Technologies: Veolia is the world's largest water and wastewater services provider, operating across industrial and municipal segments. Archroma customer quote confirms Veolia as direct competitor that Gradiant displaced on technology, and Gradiant's General Counsel previously served as APAC GC at Veolia Environment, illustrating talent flow and direct competitive overlap.
- Ecolab: Ecolab is a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention serving industrial customers including food & beverage, healthcare, and manufacturing. Overlaps with Gradiant's CURE Chemicals product line and industrial water management offerings, particularly in food & beverage and heavy industry segments.
- Evoqua Water Technologies (now Xylem): Evoqua was an independent industrial water treatment leader acquired by Xylem in 2023. Competed directly with Gradiant across industrial water treatment, chemicals, and service contracts before consolidation. Gradiant's COO and CFO are ex-Evoqua, signaling bidirectional talent flow and overlapping customer accounts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gradiant social profiles
Digital presenceGradiant financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gradiant leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Gradiant subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
Gradiant funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds11 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gradiant M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A7 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gradiant
What does Gradiant do?
Gradiant designs, builds, and often operates and maintains end-to-end industrial water and wastewater treatment systems for sectors including semiconductors, data centers, pharmaceuticals, mining, food & beverage, energy, and chemicals. It combines proprietary treatment technologies (CGE, CFRO, SCE, FRO, ForeverGone, alkaLi, ProtiumSource, HyperSolved), custom-formulated CURE Chemicals, and the SmartOps AI optimization platform, delivered through DB, DBO, and DBOOM contract models in 92 countries.
Is Gradiant a public or private company?
Gradiant is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Gradiant founded?
Gradiant was founded in 2013. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Gradiant based?
Gradiant is headquartered in Woburn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gradiant make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Design-Build Project Contracts are the primary driver. The others are design-Build-Operate-Maintain (DBO), design-Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (DBOOM), CURE Chemicals and technology Licensing and Spinoffs.
Who are Gradiant's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sidem, Aquatech, IDE Technologies and Doosan Enerbility (Doosan Heavy Industries). Broad incumbents are SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions, Pentair, Xylem, Veolia Water Technologies, Ecolab and Evoqua Water Technologies (now Xylem).
Does Gradiant have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gradiant.
What industry is Gradiant in?
Gradiant's product category is Industrial Water Treatment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUANAFAK, Desalination Plant EPC, O&M & Performance Optimization, with a secondary code of IMAEABAN, Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals. Its NAICS code is 221310 and its SIC code is 2890.