What Heron Innovators does

Heron Innovators, Inc., founded in 1998 and headquartered in Roseville, California, manufactures Suspended Air Flotation (SAF) water and wastewater treatment systems based on proprietary Colloidal Gas Aphron (CGA) technology originally invented by Dr. Felix Sebba in 1975. The company is the exclusive commercializer of CGA for wastewater applications and holds the underlying patent, distinguishing its offering from conventional dissolved air flotation (DAF), induced air flotation, and other microbubble systems. Core products include SAF systems spanning the CF25 through CF2000 ClearFloater tank line, SAF Generators (F8 through F1000), and the ClearMixer influent mixing component; the portfolio targets municipal wastewater treatment (WAS thickening, algae removal, drinking water) and industrial food-processing customers (dairy, fruit, protein, poultry, beverage), with documented installations across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The company's business model rests on custom-engineered, quote-based capital equipment sales complemented by a trailer-mounted pilot testing lease program (40–300 gpm) that de-risks customer adoption, ongoing service contracts, and recurring revenue from proprietary surfactant (Floc Aid A01W) consumed in operation. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, with direct sales engineers engaging municipal operators and food-processing plant managers from initial scoping through installation, supported by trade-show participation (ACE26, IPPE, Pack Expo, Cheese Expo, Residuals/Biosolids Conference), technical white papers, peer-reviewed publications, and case studies. The Komline-Heron channel partnership places the technology inside Komline's broader water-treatment OEM portfolio for joint sales coverage.

Performance data from disclosed case studies underpins the value proposition: 90% energy reduction versus DAF (4.9 vs 49.9 kWh/d), up to 10x higher solids loading capacity (40 lb/ft²·h vs 1–4 lb/ft²·h for typical DAF), 80% reduction in operational time, and 50–60% lower polymer usage, with documented annual O&M savings of $241,157 at Simmons Foods alone. The company is privately held, founder-led (John Barsotti, Founder & President), and operates with an 11–50 employee footprint consistent with a specialty industrial OEM.

Name

Heron Innovators

Legal name

Heron Innovators, Inc.

Website

https://heroninnovators.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heron Innovators manufactures proprietary Suspended Air Flotation (SAF) water and wastewater treatment systems using patented Colloidal Gas Aphron technology, serving municipal wastewater authorities and industrial food-processing customers across North America with custom-engineered capital equipment, pilot leasing, and consumable surfactant supply.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Roseville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SAF® Systems Sales: Sale of Suspended Air® Flotation systems including SAF® generators, ClearFloater™ tanks, and ClearMixer™ components. Systems are custom-engineered and available in various models (CF25 through CF2000) with skid-mounted options.
2. Pilot Testing Services: Trailer-mounted SAF® systems are available for customer lease to conduct pilot testing before purchase commitment. This helps customers verify projected performance results.
3. Customer Support & Service: Includes initial planning with plant operators, bench-scale testing, on-site training, periodic site visits, and full documentation in Operations and Maintenance Manuals.
4. Surfactant/Chemical Supply: Proprietary surfactant solutions (Floc Aid A01W) required for SAF® operation are supplied by Heron. Austin pilot study indicated annual surfactant costs of approximately $125,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Heron Innovators, Inc. manufactures and sells Suspended Air® Flotation (SAF®) systems for water and wastewater treatment based on its proprietary "Flotation Without Dissolved Air™" Colloidal Gas Aphron (CGA) technology. The product line spans multiple system sizes (CF25 through CF2000 ClearFloater™ models, F8 through F1000 SAF® Generators) plus skid-mounted and custom-engineered configurations for municipal and industrial customers. The company complements equipment sales with leased trailer-mounted pilot testing, DAF-to-SAF® conversion services, and ongoing customer support including bench testing, on-site training, and Operations & Maintenance manuals.

Product overview

Heron Innovators is a manufacturer of Suspended Air® Flotation (SAF®) water treatment systems based on proprietary 'Flotation Without Dissolved Air™' technology. The product portfolio centers on SAF® systems available in multiple models (CF50 through CF1000, plus custom configurations) and ClearFloater™ flotation tanks (CF25 through CF2000). Key components include SAF® Generators/Froth Generators (F8 to F1000 models) and ClearMixer™ influent mixing systems. The company also offers pilot testing services via trailer-mounted systems for on-site demonstration before purchase. SAF® technology competes with conventional dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems, offering advantages including atmospheric-pressure microbubble generation, higher solids loading rates, lower energy consumption, and the ability to retrofit existing DAF tanks. Applications span municipal wastewater treatment, industrial food processing, water reuse, biosolids thickening, and algae removal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAF® (Suspended Air® Flotation): Proprietary flotation technology that generates stable microbubbles at atmospheric pressure to separate suspended solids from water and wastewater without dissolved air saturation systems.
• ClearMixer™
• ClearFloater™
• Flotation Without Dissolved Air™

Products and services

• SAF® (Suspended Air® Flotation) System Custom-engineered water and wastewater treatment system that uses proprietary Flotation Without Dissolved Air™ (Colloidal Gas Aphron) technology to generate stable 7–25 micron microbubbles at atmospheric pressure, separating suspended solids without the pressurized saturation vessels used in conventional DAF units. Available in ClearFloater™ configurations from CF25 through CF2000 with skid-mounted and custom options, paired with SAF® Generator (F8 to F1000) and ClearMixer™ components, and intended for municipal WWTPs and industrial food/beverage processors requiring primary/secondary clarification, biosolids thickening, algae removal, or DAF retrofits.
• Pilot Testing Services Leased trailer-mounted SAF® pilot systems configured for flow rates of 40–300 gpm with full pH control, polymer dosing and aging, and a flotation tank, used to demonstrate performance at a customer site before purchase. Sales engineers coordinate bench-scale jar testing and on-site pilot runs to verify projected results.
• SAF® Conversion Services Engineering services to retrofit existing Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) tanks with SAF® technology, enabling customers to expand treatment capacity within their existing tank footprint without building new infrastructure. Documented conversions include Warminster (PA), Sauk Centre (MN), Simmons Foods (AR), and Fieldale Farms (GA).

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% energy reduction compared to DAF (4.9 vs 49.9 kWh/d for same WAS processing)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KomlinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHeron Innovators is part of Komline's comprehensive water and wastewater treatment equipment portfolio. The Komline-Heron team participates together in industry events (e.g., ACE26) and offers combined end-to-end treatment solutions. Komline provides reverse osmosis, decanter, paddle dryer, and screw press products that complement Heron's SAF® flotation systems.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aqua-Aerobic Systems: Aqua-Aerobic Systems is a US manufacturer of aeration, clarification, and flotation equipment for municipal and industrial water treatment. It is the closest direct competitor to Heron's SAF flotation systems, offering conventional DAF and other flotation technologies into the same municipal and food-processing customer base.
• KWI International (Kusters Water): KWI International manufactures dissolved air flotation (DAF) and other physical-chemical treatment equipment for industrial and municipal wastewater. It competes head-to-head with Heron's SAF in the same flotation equipment category, serving similar food, beverage, and municipal customers globally.
• WesTech Engineering (Veolia): WesTech designs and builds DAF clarification and other water treatment process equipment for municipal and industrial applications, and now operates within Veolia's Water Technologies division. It is a direct DAF competitor to Heron's SAF systems, often evaluated on the same municipal bid lists.
• Beckart Environmental: Beckart Environmental is a US manufacturer of DAF systems and dissolved gas flotation equipment for industrial wastewater. It competes with Heron for the same industrial food, metal-finishing, and wastewater customers, offering traditional pressurized DAF as the incumbent alternative to SAF.
• Smith & Loveless: Smith & Loveless manufactures packaged wastewater treatment systems, including DAF-based pretreatment, lift stations, and biological treatment for municipal and industrial clients. It is a direct peer in the industrial/municipal water and wastewater equipment market that competes for similar project scopes as Heron's flotation systems.
• Tonka Water (U.S. Filter): Tonka Water, part of U.S. Filter/Degrémont, manufactures DAF clarification and filtration equipment for potable water and wastewater treatment plants. It directly competes with Heron's SAF in municipal drinking water and industrial water treatment applications across North America.
• DAF Corporation (DAFCO): DAFCO designs and manufactures dissolved air flotation equipment for industrial wastewater and process water applications. It offers traditional DAF systems in direct competition with Heron's atmospheric-pressure SAF, particularly in food processing and similar industrial segments.
• Meurer Industries: Meurer Industries manufactures DAF and other physical separation equipment for industrial water and wastewater treatment. It is a direct competitor to Heron's flotation solutions, addressing similar customer needs in industrial pretreatment and clarification.

Broad incumbents

• Xylem: Xylem is a global water technology major with broad product lines in treatment, transport, and testing — including Wedeco DAF and Evoqua-derived flotation/treatment offerings absorbed through its acquisitions. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Heron at the portfolio level in municipal and industrial tenders, often bundling flotation with broader capex packages.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Veolia Water Technologies provides end-to-end water and wastewater treatment systems, chemicals, and services globally, with DAF/clarification products inside its WesTech and Degrémont legacy lines. It is a broad incumbent competing in the same municipal and industrial treatment tenders as Heron's SAF, typically with much larger installed-base reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Heron Innovators