OceanWell

OceanWell is a water technology company targeting the global desalination market to address water scarcity. Founded in California in August 2019 by Robert Bergstrom, Charlie McGarraugh, and Dr. Michael Porter, the company emerged from Bergstrom's seven-year exploration into cleaner, more cost-effective desalination methods. Bergstrom, a 25-year veteran of the water industry, previously founded Seven Seas Water, a company that significantly lowered desalination costs in the Caribbean before being sold. This experience, combined with a drive to solve the water crisis, led him to establish OceanWell.

The company's core offering is a subsea desalination technology that operates differently from traditional land-based plants. It deploys modular pods at depths of 400 meters (about 1,300-1,400 feet) to harness the natural hydrostatic pressure of the ocean. This immense pressure powers the reverse osmosis process, reducing energy consumption by up to 40%. Each pod is designed to produce up to one million gallons of fresh water daily, filtering out salts, bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants like PFAS. The modular design allows for rapid, scalable deployment tailored to demand, eliminating the need for large, disruptive onshore industrial facilities. The system operates in the deep, aphotic zone of the ocean, where there is less marine life, and features a "LifeSafe" intake system to prevent harming organisms. Furthermore, the brine byproduct has a much lower salt concentration and dissipates quickly, avoiding the toxic brine outfall common with conventional desalination.

OceanWell serves municipal water agencies, industrial clients, and communities facing water scarcity. The business model focuses on providing utility-scale, reliable freshwater solutions. A key milestone is the partnership with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) to pilot California's first "Blue Water Farm". This collaboration, supported by a working group of 24 state water authorities, is a critical step toward commercialization. The company has successfully tested prototypes at the U.S. Navy's Deep Ocean Simulation Facility and is conducting pilot programs, with commercial readiness anticipated by 2028. OceanWell has secured significant funding, including a Series A round of $11 million from investors like Kubota Corporation, the family office of Jon Hemingway of Carrix Ports, and Charles McGarraugh.

Keywords: subsea desalination, water technology, reverse osmosis, hydrostatic pressure, modular water farms, water scarcity solutions, environmental desalination, clean water technology, Blue Water, climate change adaptation, water infrastructure, freshwater production, marine life protection, sustainable water, deep-sea technology, California water solutions, brine discharge reduction, energy-efficient desalination, potable water, water resilience