What Aquafix does

Aquafix Inc. is a privately held wastewater treatment biotechnology company founded in 2000 and headquartered at UW Madison Research Park in Madison, Wisconsin. The company develops and sells biological products — bacterial additives, enzyme blends, biocatalysts, nutrient supplements, and specialized treatments — that address core wastewater challenges including ammonia control, fats/oils/grease management, foaming, sludge accumulation, odor, midge flies, and anaerobic digester optimization for both municipal treatment plants and industrial facilities (food processing, dairy, meat, tanneries, soap manufacturing). Its technology backbone is an in-house biological laboratory that supports proprietary formulation development, third-party validated research, and a fee-based laboratory testing service line covering microscopic analysis, filament identification, biochemical methane potential studies, and micronutrient analysis.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining consultative direct sales via Technical Sales Consultants who work plant-by-plant with municipal and industrial operators, and a direct e-commerce storefront at teamaquix.com with Net 30 credit terms. Pricing spans roughly $160 to $19,570 per product order and $400 to $1,500+ for lab services. Aquafix supplements revenue with a Research Partnership Program that provides free or discounted treatments in exchange for field performance data, generating a continuous feedback loop that informs formulation improvements. The company maintains extensive educational content (webinars, microorganism database, research papers, F:M calculator) and a community initiative (Women of Wastewater) to engage its technical buyer audience of wastewater operators.

Commercially, Aquafix is founder-led by Kevin Ripp (President and Director of Science and Innovation, with the company since inception) and operates without institutional venture or private equity backing, suggesting a bootstrapped, cash-funded growth model. It serves a fragmented customer base of small-to-mid-sized municipal wastewater facilities across the U.S. with select industrial accounts, and has begun testing international demand through a dedicated international contact channel. Revenue is split across consumable biological products, specialized one-off treatments, and laboratory services, with margins likely supported by proprietary formulations validated through published case studies.

Name

Aquafix

Legal name

AQUAFIX, Inc.

Website

https://teamaquafix.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aquafix Inc. develops and sells biological wastewater treatment products (enzymes, bacterial additives, biocatalysts) and laboratory testing services for municipal and industrial wastewater facilities in the United States, operating from its UW Madison Research Park laboratory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wastewater Treatment Products

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Wastewater Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Sampling, Testing & Laboratory Analysis (Legionella/Microbiology) (BPABAJAB)

Keywords

• Wastewater treatment products
• Biological wastewater solutions
• Anaerobic digestion products
• Wastewater laboratory services
• Municipal wastewater treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wastewater Treatment Products: Sale of biological treatment products including bacterial additives, enzymes, biocatalysts for various wastewater issues (ammonia, FOG, foaming, sludge reduction, odor control). Products sold in various sizes from small containers to totes.
2. Laboratory Testing Services: Fee-based laboratory analysis services including microscopic test kits, filament identification, microanalysis, and specialized anaerobic testing. Testing fees range from $400 for basic kits to $550 for micronutrient analysis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aquafix develops, manufactures, and sells biological wastewater treatment products including bacterial additives, enzyme blends, biocatalysts, defoamers, and nutrient supplements for municipal and industrial wastewater facilities. The company also operates a biological laboratory providing paid testing services such as microscopic analysis, filament identification, micronutrient analysis, and Biochemical Methane Potential studies. Products address ammonia control, FOG management, foaming, sludge reduction, odor control, midge fly control, floc formation, and anaerobic digestion optimization.

Product overview

Aquafix is a wastewater treatment biotechnology company offering a comprehensive portfolio of biological products and laboratory services for municipal and industrial wastewater facilities. The product line centers around three core categories: (1) Biological treatment products including enzyme blends (Qwik-Zyme L, Qwik-Zyme D, Qwik-Zyme P, Ana-Zyme G, Ana-Zyme P), nutrient supplements (Foam Buster, Accelerator 7, SmartBOD), defoamers (DeFoam 3000), and specialized products for ammonia control (Nitrifier Pro, Dynamic Duo, Polar Rx), odor control (DAZZeL ECO PLUS, De-Sulph-A-Nator, OxyFresh), grease management (Bug On A Rope, GreaseZilla, GreaseJett, VitaStim Grease), sludge reduction (Sludge Rx, VitaStim Sludge Reducer), midge fly control (AQUABACxt, Midge Fly Complete), and lagoon-specific treatments (PondZilla Pro, VitaStim Summer Slam, VitaStim Polar, Duckweed Complete, Argos Algaecide, TotalFloc, OxyPaks XL); (2) Laboratory testing services including Microanalysis & Filament Origins testing, Biochemical Methane Potential studies, Anaerobic Micronutrient Analysis, and Microscopic Test Kit programs; and (3) Educational resources including an F:M Calculator and Microorganism Database. The company operates from UW Madison Research Park and provides free technical support alongside product sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dynamic Duo Ammonia removal product formulated for effective nitrification enhancement in wastewater treatment systems. Targeted at municipal and industrial wastewater operators.
• Nitrifier Pro Formulation designed to enhance nitrification by promoting growth and activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria for effluent ammonia reduction in industrial wastewater systems.
• Polar Rx Cold weather ammonia treatment product designed for lagoon systems operating in low temperature conditions where standard nitrifiers slow down.
• Bug On A Rope Lift station grease control product designed to break down fats, oils, and greases in collection systems through biological action.
• VitaStim Grease Enzyme-based grease degradation product formulated for industrial wastewater applications with high FOG loading.
• Qwik-Zyme L Blend of concentrated enzymes formulated to break down fats, oils, and greases (FOG) and long chain fatty acids that drive FOG filament growth and foaming in wastewater treatment systems.
• GreaseZilla Liquid grease removal product designed for high FOG environments including restaurants and food processing facilities.
• DeFoam 3000 Fast-acting, silicone-free defoamer using monomolecular film technology to quickly collapse non-filamentous foam in aerobic and anaerobic wastewater systems.
• Foam Buster Nutrient blend supplement that stimulates floc forming bacteria to outcompete foaming filaments such as Nocardia and Microthrix parvicella.
• OxyFresh Oxygen-based odor control and floc formation product for wastewater treatment applications.
• ReBuild Biological rebuilding product designed to restore and enhance biomass health in activated sludge systems.
• FlocShield Floc formation product designed to improve settling characteristics and protect floc structure in wastewater treatment.
• SmartBOD Food supplement product that provides BOD, nutrients, and promotes floc formation to maintain healthy F:M ratios in activated sludge systems.
• AQUABACxt Biological larvicide containing Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) for effective control of midge flies and redworms in wastewater lagoons.
• DAZZeL ECO PLUS Odor neutralizer product designed to eliminate wastewater odors through biological processes.
• De-Sulph-A-Nator Hydrogen sulfide odor control product specifically designed for sulfide odor reduction in wastewater systems.
• Sludge Rx Accelerated organic sludge breakdown tablet product designed to reduce sludge volume in lagoon and aerobic digester systems.
• Qwik-Zyme D Enzyme blend designed for sludge reduction in aerobic digester and industrial wastewater applications.
• Ana-Zyme P Anaerobic enzyme product designed to assist hydrolysis of complex proteins into free amino acids for meat processing wastewater.
• BioGas1 Biogas enhancement product designed to improve methane production and volatile solids conversion in anaerobic digesters.
• Argos Lagoon Algaecide Algaecide product specifically formulated for lagoon algae control in wastewater treatment ponds.
• Microanalysis & Filament Origins (Microscopic Test Kit) Wastewater laboratory testing service that identifies major and minor filaments, analyzes floc structure, sludge age, and oxygen penetration, with treatment recommendations returned within 24-48 hours. Used by wastewater operators to diagnose and address biological process issues.
• Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) Study Laboratory procedure to measure potential methane yield from anaerobic digester substrates over a 4-week period including TS, VS, and soluble COD prescreening. Used by industrial and municipal anaerobic digester operators.
• Anaerobic Micronutrient Analysis Testing service that analyzes 20 micronutrients including soluble and insoluble metals fractions to assess digester health and metal bioavailability. Used by anaerobic digester operators to optimize digester performance.
• Anaerobic Operational Change Study Laboratory study service to evaluate impacts of operational changes on anaerobic digester performance. Used by digester operators to test process changes.
• Anaerobic Optimization Study Laboratory study service to optimize anaerobic digester performance through targeted testing. Used by digester operators to maximize biogas and treatment efficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nitrifier Pro achieved 99.96% reduction in effluent ammonia (from 21 mg/l to 0.08 mg/l) in 3 days vs traditional 30-day recovery
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Wisconsin Madison Research ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Aquafix laboratory is located in the UW Madison Research Park. The company leverages university resources including limnology, microbiology, and phycology departments for research and development of wastewater biotechnologies.
• Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST) - UW Stevens PointcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partner conducting studies on product efficacy including Qwik-Zyme P, Ana-Zyme P, Ana-Zyme G, GreaseZilla, and other products. WIST researchers collect and analyze independent data for Aquafix case studies.
• Digester DocminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal consultant (Amy R. Hall and Will Charlton) who conducted independent studies on BioGas1 impact on methane production.
• Wastewater Treatment Facilities (Municipal & Industrial)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch Partnership Program providing free or discounted treatments to qualifying facilities in exchange for data collection and feedback on product performance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EnviroZyme: EnviroZyme is a direct competitor offering bacterial and enzyme-based products for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, overlapping with Aquafix's Nitrifier Pro, Qwik-Zyme, and grease/FOG product lines. Both target the same biological-treatment niche with similar B2B technical sales approaches.
• BioLynceus: BioLynceus develops and sells biological wastewater treatment products (bacterial cultures, enzymes) for municipal and industrial applications, directly competing with Aquafix in nitrification, FOG, and sludge reduction. Comparable product mix, customer base, and biological-only positioning.
• BiOWiSH Technologies: BiOWiSH offers biological water and wastewater treatment solutions using proprietary microbial blends, competing with Aquafix in the biological-alternative-to-chemical segment. Both companies target municipal and industrial customers seeking biological performance with documented efficacy.
• Microbe-Lift: Manufacturer of biological products (bacterial/enzyme blends) for wastewater treatment, ponds, and aquaculture. Direct overlap with Aquafix's biological product positioning and small-to-mid municipal and industrial customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Novonesis (formerly Novozymes): Global enzyme and microbial technology major that supplies enzyme-based products to industrial wastewater and biogas markets. Represents a much larger incumbent with deeper R&D, distribution, and IP — putting ceiling pressure on biological-treatment pricing and scale for niche players like Aquafix.
• Buckman: Specialty chemicals company with a significant water and wastewater treatment division serving pulp/paper, food, and industrial effluent markets. Overlaps with Aquafix's industrial wastewater segment and competes with broader chemistry portfolios that may bundle biological offerings.
• Solenis: Global specialty chemicals provider serving water-intensive industries including pulp/paper, food/beverage, and municipal water. Competes with Aquafix in industrial wastewater treatment through its broader chemistry portfolio and global field-sales network.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Major global water and wastewater treatment company offering chemicals, equipment, and services across municipal and industrial segments. Represents a broad incumbent whose scale, procurement relationships, and municipal RFP presence could displace niche players like Aquafix in larger accounts.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: SUEZ's water-treatment business provides chemicals, equipment, and digital services for industrial and municipal wastewater. As a broad incumbent, it competes on full-stack capabilities and scale that Aquafix cannot match, though it is less specialized in the biological niche.
• Innospec: Specialty chemical company whose Performance Chemicals segment supplies fuel and water-treatment chemistries. Competes with Aquafix in industrial wastewater chemistry, particularly in oil & gas and manufacturing effluent applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AquafixBugman
• Facebookfacebook.com/teamaquafix

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Aquafix