Algaewheel
Algaewheel, commercialized by OneWater Group, is a nature-based wastewater treatment platform using rotating wheels of algae-bacteria biofilm that perform photosynthesis-driven biological aeration, serving municipalities, government parks, and commercial customers across the US, Mexico, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersCary, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Algaewheel does
Algaewheel, developed and commercialized by OneWater Group Ltd. (UK) through its US operating entity OneWater Inc. (Cary, NC), is a nature-based wastewater treatment technology platform built around Rotating Algal Contactors (RAC™). The core Algaewheel® system uses rotating wheels colonized by an algae-bacteria biofilm that performs biological aeration through photosynthesis, eliminating the energy-intensive mechanical blowers used in conventional activated sludge treatment. The product is designed for decentralized municipal and commercial flows between 25,000 and 750,000 gallons per day, with modular greenhouse-enclosed configurations that can serve as standalone facilities, retrofits, or lagoon-mounted systems. Sub-product lines Bacpac (pretreatment) and Maxpac (secondary/tertiary) extend the technology through an exclusive licensing arrangement with Oldcastle Precast (part of CRH).
Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) one-time design, construction, and installation of treatment plants ranging from smaller-scale commercial systems up to ~$11 million municipal projects such as Naples, NY; (2) recurring treatment services and annual sewer fees for municipal customers (~$600-$634 per household per year in Naples); and (3) licensing royalties from OEM partners embedding the technology in decentralized wastewater systems. The company sells through a direct enterprise field-sales motion targeting municipalities and government entities, supplemented by an extensive manufacturer's representative network covering all US states and Mexico, engineering-specifier partnerships, and a Barcelona-based Sustainable Finance group that structures capital for municipal buyers.
The company serves municipalities, government parks and conservation entities, commercial facilities (campgrounds, schools, RV parks), and select industrial customers across the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Spain, Egypt, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. Its primary value proposition centers on up to 90% electricity reduction versus conventional systems, net-zero carbon treatment via algal carbon sequestration, methane emissions abatement, no chemical inputs, 25% less sludge production, and minimal operator requirements. Algaewheel was first approved by the USEPA in 2011, has secured state-level Alternative Technology acceptances in Colorado and Vermont, and has delivered or is developing over 50 projects worldwide.
Algaewheel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Algaewheel
- Legal name
- OneWater Inc.
- Website
- https://algaewheel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Algaewheel, commercialized by OneWater Group, is a nature-based wastewater treatment platform using rotating wheels of algae-bacteria biofilm that perform photosynthesis-driven biological aeration, serving municipalities, government parks, and commercial customers across the US, Mexico, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Algaewheel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wastewater Treatment Systems
- NAICS
- Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)
- SIC
- Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Decentralized/Package Wastewater Systems (Small/Remote) (EUANADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial Wastewater & Effluent Treatment Services (BPALAHAD)
Keywords
Where Algaewheel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cary
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Algaewheel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wastewater Treatment Plant Construction & Installation: Design, construction, and installation of Algaewheel treatment facilities for municipalities, commercial operations, and industrial clients. Projects range from $11 million (Naples, NY) to smaller-scale installations. Revenue from initial capital deployment.
- Wastewater Treatment Services: Ongoing treatment services for communities and facilities. Municipal customers pay annual sewer fees (approximately $600/year per household in Naples, NY). Long-term service relationships with municipal clients.
- Licensing & Technology Deployment: Exclusive technology licensing arrangements with partners like Oldcastle Precast for US market distribution. Partners incorporate Algaewheel technology into their decentralized wastewater treatment systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Naples, NY municipal project cost of approximately $11 million for full sewer system |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual sewer fees for municipal customers |
| Licensing/ royalties | Multi-year contract | Technology licensed to partners for integration into their systems |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Algaewheel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Algaewheel designs, manufactures, and deploys Rotating Algal Contactor (RAC) wastewater treatment systems that use algae-bacteria biofilms on rotating wheels to perform biological aeration via photosynthesis, replacing energy-intensive mechanical aeration. The product line covers municipal, commercial, industrial, and agricultural wastewater applications for flows of 25,000–750,000 GPD, with licensing embedded in Oldcastle Precast's Bacpac and Maxpac systems for US decentralized distribution.
Product overview
Algaewheel offers a nature-based wastewater treatment technology platform centered on the Algaewheel® rotating algal contractor (RAC). The core Algaewheel® system uses algae growing on rotating wheels that utilize light, CO2 and nutrients in a symbiotic relationship with bacteria to treat wastewater. The product line includes the Bacpac for commercial pretreatment and the Maxpac for larger secondary/tertiary treatment applications. All products use biological aeration through photosynthesis rather than energy-intensive mechanical aeration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RAC (Rotating Algal Contactor): The core technology component - rotating wheels covered with algal biofilm that provide biological aeration for wastewater treatment.
Products and services
- Algaewheel®
- Bacpac
- Maxpac
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 90% less electricity compared to conventional activated sludge systems
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Algaewheel
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Algaewheel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Algaewheel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Oldcastle Precast (CRH)coreExclusive national agreement with Oldcastle Precast (part of CRH, international building materials company) to sell Algaewheel technology as part of its decentralized wastewater treatment systems in the US. Oldcastle incorporates Algaewheel's 'green' algal growth process into its Bacpac (pretreatment) and Maxpac (secondary/tertiary) systems.
- Coombs-Hopkins CompanycoreDenver-based manufacturer's representative serving as Algaewheel's regional partner in Colorado, facilitating state acceptance of the technology.
- Champlin AssociatescoreEssex Junction, Vermont-based manufacturer's representative for Algaewheel in Vermont and other New England states. Led approval process with Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.
- Commonwealth Engineers, Inc.strategicEngineering firm that worked with Indiana DNR and OneWater Group to install algae-based wastewater treatment systems at Indiana state parks. Led technical design and implementation.
- Fehr Graham Engineering & EnvironmentalstrategicEngineering and environmental consulting firm serving as lead design engineer and project manager for the City of New Albin wastewater treatment facility project.
- Shive-Hattery Architecture & EngineeringstrategicDubuque, Iowa-based engineering firm that specified Algaewheel technology for the Scott County Conservation Board's West Lake Park project. Provided architectural and engineering design services.
- Vessco Inc.coreManufacturer's representative for Algaewheel in Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Facilitated the West Lake Park project in Iowa.
- Gasvoda & AssociatescoreManufacturer's representative for Algaewheel in Northwest Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Northern Illinois.
- G.P. Jager Inc.coreManufacturer's representative for Algaewheel in New York. Facilitated the Village of Naples project.
- Manufacturer's Representative NetworkcoreComprehensive network of regional representatives covering all US states including: Beaver Equipment (AK, OR, WA), Henry P. Thompson (IN, KY, OH), Heritage Water (NC, SC), Hydro-Kinetics (IL, MO), Riordan Materials (PA, NJ, MD, DE), TC Sales (ID, MT, UT), TDH Company (AL, FL, GA, TN), William Reid Ltd (WI).
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Algaewheel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Orenco Systems: Orenco Systems is a leading manufacturer of decentralized wastewater treatment systems using advanced fiberglass tanks and proprietary recirculating media filters. It directly competes with Algaewheel for municipal and small-community wastewater projects, sharing a similar decentralized, small-flow GPD focus and engineering-channel GTM.
- BioMicrobics: BioMicrobics designs and manufactures decentralized and clustered wastewater treatment systems (e.g., MicroFAST, BioBarrier) for residential, commercial, and small municipal applications. Like Algaewheel, it serves the small-flow decentralized market with packaged treatment plants distributed through engineering channels.
- Fluence Corporation: Fluence Corporation delivers decentralized water and wastewater treatment solutions using modular MABR, SUBRE, and NIROBOX packages for small-to-mid communities and industrial clients. Its product breadth and geographic footprint overlap directly with Algaewheel's small-flow, decentralized municipal/industrial focus.
- Premier Tech Water and Environment: Premier Tech offers Ecoflo and other packaged decentralized wastewater treatment systems for residential and small commercial applications in North America and Europe. It competes head-to-head with Algaewheel in the small-flow, decentralized treatment space with strong distribution and installer networks.
Broad incumbents
- Xylem: Xylem is a global water technology leader encompassing brands such as Wedeco, Flygt, and Evoqua, with broad portfolios in municipal and industrial water/wastewater treatment including advanced filtration and biological systems. It is a broad incumbent whose biological aeration and treatment products compete with Algaewheel's RAC technology across the municipal market.
- Veolia Water Technologies: Veolia is a global environmental services giant offering municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, including nature-based and decentralized solutions through its Water Technologies division. It competes with Algaewheel at the multi-national, large-flow end and increasingly in smaller community deployments worldwide.
- Suez Water Technologies & Solutions: Suez delivers water and wastewater treatment solutions, including decentralized and packaged plants, and operates a global services network. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Algaewheel in decentralized municipal projects, with much larger scale and geographic reach.
- Kubota Membrane USA: Kubota Membrane USA supplies submerged membrane filtration systems widely deployed in small municipal and decentralized wastewater treatment plants across the US. It is a direct substitute for Algaewheel's biological treatment on the same municipal RFPs, despite using a different core technology (membranes vs. rotating algal biofilm).
Emerging players
- Aqua-Aerobic Systems: Aqua-Aerobic Systems designs activated sludge and biological treatment equipment for municipal and industrial wastewater applications, including small-flow configurations. It is comparable to Algaewheel as a niche small/mid municipal player with a focus on biological treatment, albeit with conventional rather than algae-based technology.
- Clearford Water Systems: Clearford Water Systems provides decentralized and small-community wastewater infrastructure using packaged MBR and collection systems across North America. It targets the same small-flow municipal and septic-to-sewer conversion market as Algaewheel and offers a comparable recurring-service revenue model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Algaewheel social profiles
Digital presenceAlgaewheel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Algaewheel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Algaewheel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Algaewheel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Algaewheel
What does Algaewheel do?
Algaewheel designs, manufactures, and deploys Rotating Algal Contactor (RAC) wastewater treatment systems that use algae-bacteria biofilms on rotating wheels to perform biological aeration via photosynthesis, replacing energy-intensive mechanical aeration. The product line covers municipal, commercial, industrial, and agricultural wastewater applications for flows of 25,000–750,000 GPD, with licensing embedded in Oldcastle Precast's Bacpac and Maxpac systems for US decentralized distribution.
Is Algaewheel a public or private company?
Algaewheel is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Algaewheel founded?
Algaewheel was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Algaewheel based?
Algaewheel is headquartered in Cary, United States, in the North America region.
How does Algaewheel make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Wastewater Treatment Plant Construction & Installation is the primary driver. The others are wastewater Treatment Services and licensing & Technology Deployment.
Who are Algaewheel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Orenco Systems, BioMicrobics, Fluence Corporation and Premier Tech Water and Environment. Broad incumbents are Xylem, Veolia Water Technologies, Suez Water Technologies & Solutions and Kubota Membrane USA. Emerging players are Aqua-Aerobic Systems and Clearford Water Systems.
Does Algaewheel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Algaewheel.
What industry is Algaewheel in?
Algaewheel's product category is Wastewater Treatment Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUANADAE, Decentralized/Package Wastewater Systems (Small/Remote), with a secondary code of BPALAHAD, Industrial Wastewater & Effluent Treatment Services. Its NAICS code is 22132 and its SIC code is 4950.