THU AM News: Water Council rolls out latest cohort of global BREW 2.0 program; UWM expanding Great Lakes research with $2.5M donation

March 13, 2025

— The Water Council has selected 10 startup companies from around the world for its latest BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator program, helping advance technologies for water filtration and treatment, energy generation and more.

The Milwaukee-based organization yesterday rolled out the list of its latest cohort, representing entrepreneurs from six countries. These business leaders — whose companies are either market-ready or in the early stages of going to market — will go through several weeks of virtual training before spending a week in Milwaukee.

To cap off the experience, participants will take part in the BREW Showcase event on June 19, which will feature a combination of short pitch presentations and company exhibits.

Karen Frost, vice president of economic development and innovation for the Water Council, says the BREW 2.0 program has helped many water tech startups through its global program and network who are solving challenges around water.

“We’re thrilled to help these start-up companies grow, connect and develop toward the next step in their journey,” Frost said in a statement.

Participating companies include:

Aquapower, a Brazilian business that aims to install small turbines in water pipes of industrial plants and cities, using the “excess pressure” from these systems to produce electricity.
BIOBOX, a Spanish company developing a method for breaking down nitrates using biological methods. The startup boasts a method that produces no waste with “the lowest operational cost” on the market.
Conatus Ambiental, another Brazilian company. This startup is using AI and connected systems to improve water treatment methods, aiming to reduce chemical consumption and improve water quality using automation.
Desolenator, a startup from the Netherlands with a method for using solar power to remove salt from water. It has applications across food and beverage, technology and energy sectors, according to the Water Council.
Green Steel Environmental, a Colorado business that “upcycles” industrial byproducts to extract nutrients from natural gas and wastewater for use as fertilizer.
Legacy Watercare Innovations, a Canadian startup with a wastewater treatment system that doesn’t use filters or membranes.
An Alabama company called sum., which has a system for making personalized drinks that’s meant for use in fitness studios.
WASE, a U.K. business that aims to “maximize” biogas generation for manufacturers and farmers using wastewater and other materials.
Watergate, another U.K. company with a “smart valve” that uses AI to detect and stop leaks.
Weaver Labs, an Oklahoma-based startup with a patented technology for removing harmful PFAS chemical contaminants.

See more in the release.

— UW-Milwaukee has received a $2.5 million donation from the Kohler Trust for Clean Water to fund research into the Great Lakes.

Funding will go toward studies on water quality and ecosystems led by Harvey Bootsma, the inaugural Kohler Endowed Chair of Great Lakes Science in UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences. The new endowment will support more in-depth research on algae growth and invasive species.

Under the endowment, Dean Rebecca Klaper will allocate faculty and resources to specific topics for three to five years, before shifting to other areas of study, according to the announcement. The university says this will “maximize its efforts” around understanding and solving the Great Lakes’ biggest challenges, including Bootsma’s focus areas as well as chemical and nutrient contamination.

Klaper says the donation will help the university continue to attract “the best” freshwater researchers while training the next generation of these scientists and professionals.

“Quite simply, the potential this gift unlocks is limitless,” she said in a statement.

See the release.

— The latest episode of “WisBusiness: The Show” features Dean Ian Robertson of the UW-Madison College of Engineering, who will be retiring from the position this year but remaining in the materials science department.

He talks about accomplishments and his excitement for incoming Dean Devesh Ranjan, who was recruited from Georgia Tech University.

Robertson notes about 140 of the college’s 210-person faculty were hired within the past decade.

“What impresses me most is these young faculty, the new research they’re bringing and the new energy they bring,” he said, adding “if I were to say what’s my biggest accomplishment, I’d put that first and foremost, is hiring all of those faculty, enabling them to get moving and then sitting back and watching them build their careers.”

The conversation also touches on UW-Madison’s new engineering building, which Robertson says will be “just beautiful when it’s done.” The facility will include “state-of-the art” classrooms and new research spaces that will enable expanded research efforts across various disciplines, he said.

Meanwhile, Robertson says Ranjan will build on the college’s momentum once he takes over.

“I think the place is in really good shape, it’s poised for a new leader and new directions and in all my discussions with Devesh, I think both of us share the common goal of making this one of the best colleges of engineering in the nation,” he said.

This episode also previews upcoming events hosted by the Wisconsin Technology Council, which produces the show.

Watch the show here and find more episodes.

— UW Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield are extending a coverage agreement to allow for more time for ongoing contract negotiations.

In identical press releases yesterday, the organizations said they’re extending UW Health’s participation in Anthem’s provider network through July 1, as an existing agreement was due to expire in mid-April. That means patients in Anthem’s plan will remain in-network for UW Health and affiliated care providers for now while the organizations work to hammer out a deal.

“Anthem and UW Health remain committed to negotiating a new multi-year agreement that ensures Anthem members have access to care at UW Health for years to come,” they said.

The extension comes after UW Health last month said the insurer’s current offer at the time was “neither fair to their members nor our care teams” and was much lower than reimbursement rates offered to other Wisconsin health systems. The health system said Anthem was proposing an increase “well below” the rate of inflation and wanted to be able to change payment terms without renegotiation.

But Anthem in a separate statement last month said UW Health was requesting a 32% price increase over three years for its members, “more than four times the current rate of inflation” in the first year for care at certain UW Health facilities.

See the release and see more coverage on the negotiations.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

Sign up here.

— The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies is hosting a discussion today on renewable energy policy, featuring speakers from Madison-based Alliant Energy and advocacy group Clean Wisconsin.

The discussion will center on regulatory impacts, global supply chains and the future of energy storage technology.

Find more event information and register here.

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