Brief: Nanobubble startup Moleaer raises $40m to make water more impactful for agri and aquaculture

• US startup Moleaer has closed a $40 million Series C round for its nanobubble technology that treats and enriches water systems for a variety of industries, including agriculture and aquaculture.
• Apollo led the round, joined by Husqvarna Group as well as existing investors.
• The round brings Moleaer’s total funding to date to $61 million. Moleaer will use the funds to make its proprietary nanobubble technologies more widely available.

Why it matters:

Nanobubbles are 2,500 times smaller than a grain of salt and formed by injecting gas into liquid. Because of their size, nanobubbles remain stable in the liquid, transferring more oxygen to it and enriching overall water quality and ecosystem health. For example, irrigation water enriched with nanobubbles can improve root health in plants in a vertical farm setting; in aquaculture settings, nanobubbles can improve feed conversion ratios and fish biomass.

The company, founded in 2017, says it has deployed more than 1,500 nanobubble systems and treats more than a combined 500 million gallons of water per day. Its current roster of products includes nanobubble generators with various gas-to-liquid injection capabilities as well as remote monitoring software for equipment and water quality.

Moleaer says it has so far improved plant health at more than 400 farms, increasing crop yields by up to 56% and reducing reliance on both chemical fertilizer and overall water consumption. Its tech has also lowered the cost of oxygen used in salmon farms by more than 30% and improved water infiltration into the soil in conventional farm environments.

The company’s Series C raise comes as many parts around the world face severe water shortages brought on by extreme drought. Governments from California to Iraq have responded to droughts with cuts to irrigation for farming and ranching, and water shortages are badly impacting indigenous populations, too.

Moleaer’s technology that aims to make water more efficient is one way to address some of these issues. “As the world faces a water shortage and an energy crisis, we believe that Moleaer’s nanobubble technology will be an important tool for companies and industries trying to adapt to these new realities while also meeting customer and stakeholder demands,” Apollo partner Wilson Handler said in a statement.