Leveraging Biochemical Systems
to Improve Water Quality
Problem
Fisheries, aquatic farmers, waterfront property owners, and counties struggle with algae blooms and cyanobacteria that contaminate local water quality, eradicate ecosystems, create eutrophication, and cause other economic losses.
Freshwater algae blooms and cyanobacteria are primarily fueled by phosphates that enter aquatic ecosystems. Known as nutrient pollution, these phosphates are food for bacteria and algae growth.
Our vision & mission
Naiad Technologies strives for all bodies of water become safe, healthy, and happy habitats for humans and wildlife alike — by making biotechnology portable, simple, and accessible to counteract nutrient pollution.
Solution
Naiad Technologies makes a scalable buoy system to minimize economic losses for lakeside communities by permanently removing pollutants which mitigates toxic algae blooms and protects ecosystems.
The buoy is equipped with an internal filtration system that is able to capture and precipitate out phosphorus (the primary driver of freshwater algae blooms). Phosphorus-laden water enters the buoy, phosphorus is extracted and stored in in the internal filter system, and clean, nutrient-devoid water is sent out. A single buoy can filter an area of 30 acres. Simple, scalable, affordable.
Every 6 months, the internal system will be replaced and the old, saturated filter can be planted to enrich the soil and serve as makeshift fertilizer.
Preorder Pilot Products
Biochemical filter package to be swapped out for the existing, saturated package.
Meet The Team
Malia Chavinson, CEO
Malia Chavinson grew up in California, a state constantly plagued by climate-change-induced natural disasters. While she noticed efforts being made to mitigate CO2 emissions, very little attention or capital was being paid towards adapting communities for already unavoidable consequences of climate change. Starting Naiad Technologies is her way to help establish and fund climate adaptation solutions for communities, like hers, most at risk for the consequences of climate change. Environmental Sciences at Brown University introduced her to nutrient pollution and resultant toxic algae blooms, and her Entrepreneurship certificate equipped her with the necessary skills to see a problem, solve it, and scale it to become a sustainable business.
malia@naiadtechnologies.org
Ben Linde, Lead Technician
Ben Linde grew up in Minnesota, the land of ten-thousand lakes, where he spent many of his weekends at his grandparents’ cabin on a lake. There, he heard and saw firsthand how toxic algae blooms destroyed ecosystems, motivating him to build a solution to keep lakes healthy. Ben holds a BA in Biology and is pursuing a MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of St. Thomas, a combination that equips him to successfully prototype biological and mechanical systems. With academic and professional experience in biology and chemistry laboratories, Ben supports Naiad Technologies’ scientific endeavors.
Peyton Bure, Scientific Advisor
Peyton Bure was raised in a Massachusetts town with a lake affected by harmful algal blooms. Unregulated HAB growth barred lower-income neighbors from accessing public waterbodies and experiencing nature. Peyton studies Cell & Molecular Biology at the University of Toronto, giving her the working knowledge to prototype the biochemical system. She previously co-founded a startup for mental health management and brings entrepreneurial experience gained from a 10-month residency in a University of Toronto incubator.
Get In Touch
Near a body of water that experiences cyanobacteria or algae blooms due to nutrient pollution? Naiad Technologies is looking for pilot locations, customers, and to hear about the challenges you face. Message us!