What Applied Membranes does

Applied Membranes, Inc. is a privately held US manufacturer and distributor of membrane-based water treatment systems, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Vista, California. The company operates a vertically integrated in-house manufacturing model spanning design through delivery, producing reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF), and microfiltration (MF) membrane elements, as well as complete treatment systems, UV disinfection units (AMI Helios / Aurora series), pumps, housings, instruments, and membrane chemistry consumables. Its product portfolio covers residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal applications, including containerized and trailer-mounted mobile solutions for rapid deployment.

Applied Membranes monetizes primarily through hardware sales across membranes, systems, replacement filters, components, and consumables, supplemented by OEM services, system design and commissioning support, and recurring-revenue options via a Water Treatment as a Service (WTAAS) managed-service model and a Lease-to-Own financing program. Pricing is quote-based and contract-driven rather than publicly listed. Distribution is multi-channel: enterprise field sales for large industrial and municipal projects, inside sales for mid-market buyers, an e-commerce storefront (with a separate residential retail brand, Water Anywhere), and global shipping into 190+ countries with 50,000+ cumulative installations and more than 500 billion gallons of water treated to date.

The customer base is diversified across beverage and bottled water (PepsiCo, Niagara Water, multiple breweries), agriculture (Cuties, Sun Pacific), pharmaceutical (Chiron, Schering-Plough), healthcare (Cedars Sinai), food processing (Bumblebee Tuna, Dannon), automotive (GM, Volkswagen), energy (SDGE), hospitality (Sheraton, Fiesta Americana), and municipal/government buyers. Notable certifications include ISO 9001:2015, NSF/ANSI, UL, and Electrocoat. A recent partnership with NX Filtration (announced 2026-02-13) extends AMI's pharmaceutical wastewater reuse capabilities through hollow-fiber nanofiltration membranes, and founder Gulshan Dhawan continues to lead the company as CEO.

Name

Applied Membranes

Legal name

Applied Membranes, Inc.

Website

https://appliedmembranes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Applied Membranes is a Vista, California-based manufacturer and distributor of reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, and microfiltration membrane elements and complete water treatment systems, serving commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential customers across 190+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment Membranes and Systems

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Membranes, Consumables & Chemicals (Elements, Antiscalants, Cleaning) (EUANAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ), Membrane Treatment (UF/NF/RO for Potable) (EUANABAC), Membrane Treatment Chemicals (RO/NF/UF) (IMAEAJAF)

Keywords

• Reverse osmosis membranes
• Water treatment systems
• Membrane filtration components
• Seawater desalination systems
• Industrial water purification

Headquarters

HQ city

Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membrane Sales: Sale of reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, and microfiltration membrane elements for industrial, commercial, and residential water treatment applications.
2. Water Treatment Systems: Manufacture and sale of complete water treatment systems including containerized solutions, seawater desalination systems, commercial/industrial RO, and ultrapure water systems.
3. Replacement Filters & Consumables: Recurring sales of replacement filter kits, carbon filters, sediment filters, membrane cleaning chemicals, and other consumables for existing installations.
4. Components & Parts: Sale of supporting components including pumps (Aquatec, Flojet, Shurflo), membrane housings (PVC, stainless steel, fiberglass), valves, tubing, flow meters, pressure gauges, and controllers.
5. Professional Services: System design services, installation support, commissioning, and technical support for water treatment solutions. OEM services available for custom applications.
6. Water Treatment as a Service (WTAAS): Flexible service model offering water treatment capabilities without upfront capital investment.
7. Lease-to-Own Programs: Financing options allowing customers to lease water treatment equipment with eventual ownership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Applied Membranes, Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF), and microfiltration (MF) membranes, complete water treatment systems, and supporting components such as pumps, housings, chemicals, and UV disinfection units. The company produces its own AMI-branded membrane elements, vertically integrates design and manufacturing in Vista, California, and sells direct to commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential customers across 190+ countries.

Product overview

Applied Membranes is a manufacturer and distributor of water treatment and membrane technology solutions founded in 1983. The company operates a multi-product portfolio organized around core membrane technologies (RO, NF, UF, MF), water treatment systems, and supporting components. The product lineup centers on AMI-branded membrane elements (AMI RO, Seawater RO, Specialty, Compatible, and Private Label membranes), complemented by integrated systems (Home RO & UF, Commercial & Industrial RO, Seawater Desalination, Containerized Solutions, and Mobile Water Solutions), filtration components (Carbon/GAC filters, Sediment filters, Replacement Filter Kits), water chemistry products (Membrane Cleaning Chemicals, Antiscalants, Preservatives), pumps (Aquatec series), UV disinfection systems (AMI Helios/Aurora Series), water quality instruments, and services (OEM, Lease-to-Own, Water Treatment as a Service). The portfolio serves commercial, industrial, and municipal applications across 190+ countries with 50,000+ installations worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AMI RO Membranes High-performance reverse osmosis membrane elements for commercial, industrial, and residential water treatment applications. Used as the core separation element in AMI RO systems.
• AMI Seawater RO Membranes Reverse osmosis membrane elements engineered for seawater desalination with high salt rejection and durability in marine environments.
• AMI Specialty Membranes Customized membrane elements designed for specialized industrial applications that fall outside standard RO/NF/UF/MF product lines.
• AMI Compatible Membranes Membrane elements sized and engineered to be drop-in replacements compatible with other major manufacturers' RO/NF systems.
• AMI Private Label Membranes Private-label membrane products manufactured by AMI and branded for authorized partners, distributors, and OEM customers.
• Home RO & UF Systems Residential reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration water treatment systems designed for home and light commercial point-of-use installation.
• Commercial & Industrial RO Systems Large-scale commercial and industrial reverse osmosis systems engineered for high-volume production water treatment, ultrapure water, and process water applications.
• Seawater Desalination Systems Containerized and modular seawater desalination systems converting seawater to freshwater for coastal facilities, resorts, islands, and marine applications.
• Wall Mount UF Series Wall-mounted ultrafiltration water treatment systems for space-constrained commercial and light industrial settings.
• Containerized Water Treatment Systems Pre-engineered, self-contained water treatment systems packaged inside shipping containers for portability, rapid deployment, and modular scaling.
• Mobile Water Solutions Trailer-mounted mobile water treatment units engineered for rapid deployment, temporary or permanent use, and applications requiring portable water treatment.
• AMI Helios UV Series (Helios, Helios Plus, Helios Ultra, Aurora) AMI-branded ultraviolet (UV) water treatment systems across the Helios, Helios Plus, Helios Ultra, and Aurora series for disinfection of treated water.
• OEM Services Original equipment manufacturing services where AMI builds custom water treatment solutions and membrane products for partner brands and OEMs.
• Water Treatment as a Service (WTAAS) Subscription-based managed service delivering water treatment capabilities to customers without requiring upfront capital investment in equipment.
• Lease-to-Own Program Financing program enabling customers to lease AMI water treatment equipment and acquire ownership over time, lowering the upfront capital barrier.

Quantifiable outcome

• One AMI container replaced 4 old containers with more output, saving space while increasing capacity
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NX FiltrationnotableTechnology or Integration · 13 February 2026Applied Membranes Inc (AMI) in the USA is utilizing NX Filtration's hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes for wastewater treatment at a pharmaceutical company, aiming to reduce freshwater use and wastewater discharge. This partnership integrates NX Filtration's membrane technology into AMI's water treatment solutions for pharmaceutical industry applications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DuPont Water Solutions: DuPont's Water Solutions division (formerly Dow FilmTec) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of RO and NF membrane elements. It directly competes with AMI in industrial and commercial membrane sales globally, with overlapping product portfolios and similar OEM/distributor channels.
• Toray Industries (Membrane Division): Toray manufactures ROMEMBRA reverse osmosis and other membrane elements and is a leading global supplier of RO membranes for seawater desalination and industrial water treatment. It competes directly with AMI across marine, industrial, and potable water applications.
• Koch Membrane Systems: Koch Membrane Systems is a major manufacturer of RO, NF, UF, and MF membranes and systems used in industrial, food, and municipal water treatment. It is a direct competitor across AMI's core product categories and end markets.
• Hydranautics (Nitto Group): Hydranautics, a Nitto Group company, manufactures RO, NF, and UF membrane elements for industrial, municipal, and seawater applications. It is a direct peer to AMI in commercial/industrial RO and large desalination projects.
• AXEON Water Technologies: AXEON is a US-based manufacturer and distributor of RO membranes, housings, and water treatment systems serving a similar mid-market commercial and industrial customer base as AMI. Its product portfolio and channels closely overlap with AMI's.
• Pure Aqua: Pure Aqua manufactures RO systems, seawater desalination units, and water treatment components for industrial and commercial customers worldwide. It is a direct competitor in AMI's commercial/industrial RO and desalination segments.
• CSM (Toray Advanced Materials Korea): CSM manufactures RO and NF membrane elements widely used in industrial and potable water applications. It competes directly with AMI in commercial membrane sales and compatible/replacement membrane categories.

Broad incumbents

• Pentair: Pentair is a large, publicly traded water treatment company offering residential, commercial, and industrial solutions including filtration and RO systems. It overlaps with AMI in components and systems but operates across a much broader portfolio of water products.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Veolia Water Technologies (now part of Veolia Environnement) provides industrial and municipal water treatment systems, chemicals, and services. It competes with AMI on large industrial and municipal projects but operates a much broader portfolio including services and operations.

Emerging players

• NX Filtration: NX Filtration is a Dutch developer of hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes, and is a partner of AMI for pharmaceutical wastewater reuse. While smaller and more focused, its technology overlaps with AMI's specialty membrane offerings, especially in industrial water reuse.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/appliedmembrane
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/appliedmembranes/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/appliedmembranes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/applied-membranes-inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Applied Membranes