At least 1.7 billion people worldwide rely on contaminated drinking water, resulting in over 500,000 deaths per year. Concerningly, bacteria have grown resistant to standard water treatment chemicals like chlorine, which can no longer kill slimes (“biofilms”) that protect harmful bacteria and fungi and attach them to surfaces in our water infrastructure. 

Aequor discovered marine microbes that produce molecules that eliminate bacterial slime in minutes, which the company now synthesizes at scale. Applied in water treatment facilities, Aequor’s liquid concentrate can reduce conventional chemical usage by 90%, lower energy usage by up to 15%, and prevent slime from clogging filters and causing shutdowns. 

Co-founded by CEO Marilyn Bruno, Ph.D., J.D., and CSO Cynthia Burzell, Ph.D.​, a marine and medical microbiologist, Aequor has proven its efficacy in the field. In testing with NASA, its concentrate was 99.99% effective at killing resistant bacteria and bacterial slime for 15 months in the water reuse system used on board the International Space Station. Aequor has the first bio-inspired technology that can reduce the costs and environmental impact of water treatment while enabling billions more people to access safe, affordable drinking water.