What Bluewater Labs does

Bluewater Labs, LLC is a Minnesota-based, privately held manufacturer of automated screen cleaning machines for the screen printing industry, founded in 2023. Its portfolio consists of four mechanical product lines: the Reclaim Series (R-2536C, R-2536S, R-2536L) inline reclaim machines that clean screens from start to finish; the Developer Series (D-2536S, D-2536L) inline developing machines with a dual-chamber water-recirculation architecture and optional dryer upgrade; the HP-1 high-pressure cleaning system that replaces handheld pressure washers; and the IR-2 enclosed ink-removal system for cleaning squeegees, flood bars, and screens. The company's stated technical differentiators are being the first all-in-one automated reclaim solution in the industry, the lowest chemical consumption machines in the industry, and proprietary enclosed-chamber and dual-chamber designs that contain overspray, reduce noise, and automate previously manual reclaiming workflows.

Bluewater generates revenue primarily through direct hardware sales of these capital machines, with pricing on a custom-quote basis that varies by model and configuration (infeed/outfeed length, recirculation tanks, dryers, and other upgrades). A secondary revenue stream is professional services covering installation, maintenance, staff training, and warranty support (24-month hardware warranty with on-site repairs within 30 days of delivery). Payment terms are net 30 days from invoice with approved credit, and the company accepts check, money order, wire, or SWIFT transfer in USD only. Distribution is direct-to-customer via a Request-a-Quote sales motion, with F.O.B. shipping for U.S. domestic orders and Ex Works (INCOTERMS 2010) for international shipments.

The company's target customers are small-to-medium screen printing operations seeking to automate labor-intensive manual reclaiming, high-pressure washing, and ink-removal processes. Bluewater claims up to 50% labor reduction (IR-2) and doubling of efficiency versus manual reclaim, and markets itself as a vertical specialist 'tailored for printers by screen cleaning experts.' Channels include a quote-driven website, an Instagram presence (@bluewater-labs) for install updates, and downloadable spec sheets and machine layout PDFs for technical buyer evaluation. The company has no disclosed patents, no named customers, no management-team bios, and no funding history, and operates with 1-10 employees.

Name

Bluewater Labs

Legal name

Bluewater Labs, LLC

Website

https://bluewater-labs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bluewater Labs, LLC is a Minnesota-based manufacturer founded in 2023 that builds automated screen cleaning machines (Reclaim, Developer, HP-1, IR-2 series) for small-to-medium screen printing shops, sold direct via custom quotes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Primary revenue from sale of industrial screen cleaning machines including Reclaim Series (R-2536C, R-2536S, R-2536L), Developer Series (D-2536S, D-2536L), High Pressure Cleaning (HP-1), and Ink Removal (IR-2) systems. Products are sold with installation and customization services.
2. Service and Support: Technical service covering installation, service & maintenance, and machine training for customer staff. Warranty support includes 24-month hardware warranty with on-site repairs for failures within 30 days of delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Bluewater Labs manufactures and sells automated industrial screen cleaning machines for screen printing operations. The product portfolio includes the Reclaim Series (R-2536C, R-2536S, R-2536L) for fully automated inline screen reclaiming, the Developer Series (D-2536S, D-2536L) for inline screen development with low-pressure emulsion removal, the HP-1 High-Pressure Cleaning System for eliminating handheld pressure washers, and the IR-2 Ink Removal System for automated squeegee, flood bar, and screen cleaning. Machines are sold directly to screen printing shops with installation, maintenance, and training services.

Product overview

Bluewater Labs manufactures automated screen cleaning machines for the screen printing industry. The product portfolio consists of four distinct machine lines: the Reclaim Series (R-2536C, R-2536S, R-2536L) for full automated screen reclamation from start to finish; the Developer Series (D-2536S, D-2536L) for automating screen development with low-pressure emulsion removal; the HP-1 High-Pressure Cleaning System for eliminating manual pressure washers; and the IR-2 Ink Removal System for automated cleaning of squeegees, flood bars, and screens. All machines are designed for screen printing operations to reduce labor, minimize chemical exposure, and increase throughput consistency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reclaim Series: Inline reclaim machines for automated screen cleaning from start to finish.
• Developer Series
• HP-1
• IR-2

Products and services

• R-2536C Reclaim Machine Compact inline reclaim machine in the Reclaim Series that automates screen cleaning from start to finish, with a body length of 71.0 inches and a throughput of 13 screens per hour. Designed for small to medium-sized screen printing operations needing to replace manual reclaiming.
• R-2536S Reclaim Machine Mid-size inline reclaim machine in the Reclaim Series with a body length of 120.0 inches, featuring optional infeed soak tank and outfeed booth upgrades. Built for screen printing shops needing a higher-capacity automated reclaim solution.
• R-2536L Reclaim Machine Large inline reclaim machine in the Reclaim Series with a body length of 240.0 inches, designed for high-volume screen cleaning operations. Automates the full screen reclaim workflow from start to finish.
• D-2536S Developer Series Compact inline developing machine that automates screen development by removing unexposed emulsion at low pressure. Features quick start and auto-stop functionality and processes 25 screens per hour.
• D-2536L Developer Series Large inline developing machine with a body length of 156.0 inches, capable of processing 75 screens per hour. Features dual-chamber design with water recirculation and high-pressure fresh water rinse, plus an optional dryer upgrade.
• HP-1 High-Pressure Cleaning System High-pressure washer machine designed to replace handheld pressure washers and eliminate overspray when cleaning screens. Uses a dip tank to pre-soften ink and emulsion and processes 15-20 screens per hour in 90-second cycles, doubling the efficiency of manual reclaim.
• IR-2 Ink Removal System Automated ink removal cleaning system that streamlines cleaning of squeegees, flood bars, and screens. Enclosed polypropylene box design contains overspray, mess, and atomized chemicals while reducing screen room noise. Processes 7 cycles per hour with 16 tools per cycle and reduces labor by up to 50%.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces labor by up to 50%
• +6 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Anatol Equipment Manufacturing: U.S. manufacturer of screen printing presses, dryers, and pre-press equipment targeting the same SMB-to-mid-market screen print shop customers as Bluewater.
• Vastex International: Manufacturer of screen printing presses, dryers, exposure units, and washout/reclaim equipment, directly overlapping Bluewater's reclaim and developer use cases.
• ROQ (Rajasthan Art Industries): Global screen printing equipment manufacturer offering presses and pre-press/finishing equipment, including washout and reclaim systems comparable to Bluewater's portfolio.
• M&R Companies: One of the largest U.S. manufacturers of screen printing equipment, including automatic presses and pre-press/reclaim systems. Most direct competitor to Bluewater's screen-room automation product line.
• Douthitt Corporation: Manufacturer of screen printing exposure and washout equipment, overlapping Bluewater's developer and reclaim categories for commercial screen print operations.
• Brown Manufacturing Group: Manufacturer of screen printing equipment and accessories, including washout and reclaim systems serving the apparel and graphics screen printing segments.
• A.W.T. World Trade: U.S.-based manufacturer of screen printing equipment, including exposure units, dryers, and reclaim/washout systems serving the same screen print shop customer base as Bluewater.

Broad incumbents

• Kärcher (Alfred Kärcher SE): Global leader in industrial and commercial cleaning equipment, including high-pressure washers comparable in concept to Bluewater's HP-1. Operates broadly across many cleaning segments, not specialized to screen printing.
• Nilfisk: Global industrial cleaning equipment manufacturer with high-pressure washer systems applicable to screen cleaning workflows; serves many industries beyond screen printing.

Others

• Easiway Products: Manufacturer of screen printing chemicals including ink removers and reclaim chemicals; Bluewater's documented chemical partner (Easiway 401N) and adjacent supplier in the same screen cleaning workflow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bluewater_labs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bluewater-labs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Bluewater Labs