Isle Utilities

Isle Utilities

About

Isle Utilities (Isle) is a water consultancy with a global team of engineers and scientists experienced in water, waste and energy sectors. Isle sources new water technologies on water utlities' behalf and runs a global programme of innovation meetings, the purpose of which is to accelerate market uptake of new technologies. 

The programme, initiated in 2005, is jointly funded by around 100 of the company's water utility clients on a subscription basis (utilities typically allocate a portion of R&D spend to pay for membership, thereby covering their external technology search requirements). This is a crucial point, it allows the company to offer the programme as a free service to technology companies. Consequently, technologies are assessed purely on technical merit and industry fit, not an ability to pay for participation. 

This programme of innovation meetings is well established in the global water sector. Events are held regularly in the EU, US and Australia. Additionally, the programme is expanding into other regions, including Brazil, the Philippines and New Zealand. 

Isle has a thorough technical understanding of water production, waste water treatment and the technology requirements of water utilities. New technologies are assessed through one or more phone calls or meetings. SMEs with suitable technologies will be asked to submit a short technical description; this is all that is required to participate. If invited to a meeting, technology companies, with help to prepare for the pitch, will pitch to a large group of utility representatives (typically technical and scientific staff) from a number of regional water utilities in a closed door meeting (only the one technology company and the water utilities will be in attendance). 

Approximately 75% of technology companies that are invited to pitch at a meeting realise new opportunities to work with the attendant water utilities, with a total of 205 presentations taking place in 2014 (some SMEs are interested in more than one region). It is also an invaluable chance to elicit feedback from an audience with unparalleled water-sector technical expertise. Additionally, Isle can link water-tech SMEs with investors; over £400m funding has been secured in this way to date (May 2015).

This service can be suitable for water-tech SMEs at any stage of development. Even companies that are well established in certain regions can benefit from exposure to overseas markets. 

We are looking for pre-commercial technologies that are beyond the state of art and approximately 1-2 years from market. Isle offers a services agreement to facilitate the process.

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