DuPont (Dow) the $47 billion USD global membrane/chemical/materials giant, has exercised an option to acquire all of Oxymem.
The ramifications of DuPont showing this much interest will be interesting, but shows that they see MABR being a globally significant technology worth fully investing in for the future. A $47 billion dollar market cap company does not fully acquire a startup unless it will lead to a minimum $100m+ in revenue, otherwise it just becomes an additional drag on management (R&D, sales/marketing, time, management resources to report performance of the unit). Will also raise the profile of MABR as now our 2 competitors are global multi-billion dollar giants DuPont (Oxymem) and Suez (Zeelung GE Water). It should be noted that both these companies only operate in the retrofit SUBRE space at this time, with Oxymem manufactured in Ireland and Zeelung manufactured in Hungary. Both of these are hollow fibre/fiber MABR strand technologies, as opposed to the spirally wound membranes that Fluence uses. _____________________________
DuPont Exercises Option to Acquire OxyMem
Press Release | December 18, 2019
WILMINGTON, Del., Dec. 18, 2019 – DuPont (NYSE: DD) today announced it has exercised its option to acquire full ownership of OxyMem Limited, a company that develops and produces Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) technology for the treatment and purification of municipal and industrial wastewater. OxyMem has more than 60 employees and one production site located in Athlone, Ireland. The transaction will close before Dec. 31, 2019.
“MABR is a new technology that offers unique and differentiated performance for secondary wastewater treatment over existing technologies." HP Nanda, Global Vice President and General Manager, DuPont Water Solutions
OxyMem was founded in 2013, based on a technology spin-out from the University College Dublin, Ireland. The company is engaged in the development, manufacturing and sales of MABR units using patented technology for hollow fiber, silicone polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes to treat wastewater. DuPont already owns 31 percent of the company and has exercised its option to acquire all outstanding shares of OxyMem for 100 percent ownership.
“MABR is a new technology that offers unique and differentiated performance for secondary wastewater treatment over existing technologies,” said HP Nanda, Global Vice President and General Manager, DuPont Water Solutions. “Wastewater is a fast-growing global market driven by industrial expansion, challenging water conditions and tightening regulations. Together with the MEMCOR MBR product DuPont is acquiring, this additional emerging technology provides more solutions for customers looking to reduce footprint and energy requirements for secondary wastewater treatment and enhances the performance of systems using other traditional water purification, reuse and recovery technologies.”
“OxyMem has benefited from working with DuPont, as an investor, for the last four years. A world-class water business, DuPont helped us refocus our development efforts to advance our Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) technology,” said Wayne Byrne, CEO OxyMem Limited. “With the ownership of DuPont, we look forward to scaling MABR to meet the growing demand for the treatment and purification of municipal and industrial wastewater.”
DuPont is a leader in water purification and separation technology including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and ion exchange resins. The FilmTec™ brand is recognized globally and known for consistent and reliable performance. Each of the acquisitions announced this year supports our strategy to drive growth and innovation through access to new manufacturing capabilities, geographies and technologies.
About DuPont Safety & Construction
DuPont Safety & Construction is a global leader in delivering innovation for life’s essential needs in water, shelter and safety; enabling its customers to win through unique capabilities, global scale and iconic brands including DuPont™ Corian®, Kevlar®, Nomex®, Tyvek®, GreatStuff™, Styrofoam™ and FilmTec™. More on DuPont Water Solutions can be found at https://www.dupont.com/water.
About DuPont
DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, health and wellness, food and worker safety. More information can be found at www.dupont.com.
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