Vandstrom Advances as Qualified Team in XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition

Tech Innovator Recognized for Breakthrough Desalination Technology

GAITHERSBURG, MD, UNITED STATES, September 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Vandstrom has advanced as a Qualified Team in XPRIZE Water Scarcity, moving on to the next round of the $119 million, multi-year competition driving innovation in sustainable seawater desalination.

As a Qualified Team for Track B (Novel Materials and Methods), Vandstrom has achieved the first technical milestone of the competition. Qualified Teams have passed a rigorous judging process evaluating the merit and feasibility of their proposed approaches, demonstrating strong potential to develop solutions capable of meeting the competition’s high technical and operational standards.

Competing teams will develop new desalination technologies to unlock access to ocean water, helping drive a world where clean water is equitably and sustainably abundant, and enabling people and the environment to prosper.

Vandstrom’s advancement to round two is driven by its breakthrough use of highly selective membrane proteins incorporated in flat nanostructures which make desalination more efficient, affordable, and less energy-intensive. By embedding proteins into patent-pending, flat nanostructures, Vandstrom’s technology can load up to 100 times more protein on the membrane surface, achieving a minimum 30% higher water flow and improved salt rejection compared to conventional membranes.

“By combining classical membrane technology with cutting-edge protein design, we’ve unlocked a level of density and performance never possible with previous methods,” said Oliver Geschke, VP of Research and Development at Vandstrom. “This milestone reflects not only the strength of our approach but also the ingenuity and dedication of the entire team.”

“It’s encouraging to receive this level of technological validation from such a globally respected and visionary organization,” said Imran Jaferey, CEO of Vandstrom. “We are committed to solving global water scarcity challenges and convinced of the potential of our technology to deliver more reliable, affordable and sustainable desalination solutions.”

About Vandstrom
Founded in 2012 as Applied Biomimetic, Vandstrom is revolutionizing the membrane industry by using channel proteins to deliver new membrane solutions. We are developing technology that will permit separation based on selectivity rather than size exclusion and deliver an order-of-magnitude improvement in the energy efficiency of membrane technology. Through the application of high-performance membranes, Vandstrom is seeking greater value for today’s industry and deliver sustainable solutions through disruptive advancements in biochemistry and separation technology. Learn more at vandstrom.com.

About XPRIZE
XPRIZE is the recognized global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity's greatest challenges. For over 30 years, our unique model has democratized crowd-sourced innovation and scientifically scalable solutions that accelerate a more equitable and abundant future. Donate, learn more, and co-architect a world of abundance with us at xprize.org.

About the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative
XPRIZE Water Scarcity is made possible by a $150M investment from the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative (MBZWI), which is committed to driving coordinated action to address the growing threat of global water scarcity. Founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, MBZWI seeks to raise awareness of water scarcity and increase its prioritization on the global agenda, while harnessing the power of targeted investment, accelerated technological innovation and expanded international cooperation to overcome this challenge for the benefit of current and future generations.

Sarah Courtright
Boeh Agency
sarah@boehagency.com

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