[Extract] "We're precision engineering Membranes - We're able to drive the energy requirements down up to 80%!" - Chris Wyres - Evove - a podcast by Antoine Walter

Chris Wyres is the CEO of Evove. Evove aims to take membranes to the next level, overcoming the inherent flaws in conventional architectures, hence transforming membranes, transforming separation, and filtration.

In the middle of the 19th century, a Belgian inventor, Adolphe Sax, conceived what's known today as the saxophone, which is today the fourth most popular instrument, just behind the piano, the guitar, and the bass. Yet, it wasn't Sax's only invention, as he also conceived Saxtrombas, Saxtubas, considerably improved the bass clarinet and invented the Saxhorns that also still somewhat live today. 

Yet, have you ever heard of the Ophicleide? Or of the serpent? I could keep naming many more less successful instruments, and if you want to get an anthology of all of them, look up an original score from Mendelssohn or Berlioz: Romantic era composers really leveraged that wave of new ways to produce all kinds of sounds. 

Each of these inventions addressed specific needs, but not all overcame their flaws or found a clear use case, like the saxophones with the military orchestras. And so, only a few stood the test of time. 

To me, the membrane world today resembles a lot of the mid-19th century orchestras. It's tingling with incredible ideas, new takes, new materials, radical approaches, and blooming innovation. 

We've addressed several of them on that microphone, from Membrion's ceramic ion exchanging membranes to Zwitterco's zwitterionic material, through Cembrane, LiqTech, a membrane anthology with Graeme Pearce, or the history of MBRs with Andrew Benedek.

But with the boom in membrane applications, there are also new needs, new challenges, and new markets to address, which keeps incentivizing and rewarding innovation and differentiated approaches. 

Evove actually ticks all these boxes. They're actively developing new application fields, such as lithium extraction or green hydrogen production while building the rocket on the go with their Enhance and Separonics product lines. They're also bringing new perks to membrane applications in desalination or food and beverage. And they're inventing a new type of company: decentralized, finely adapted to each vertical, and frankly ambitious:

"We want to be the Water Sector's first Unicorn!"

I won't spoil you too much of what Chris very openly shares in today's interview, don't worry; I'll leave him the floor just after reminding you that if you like what you hear, if this is of any value to you, please take that episode and share it with a friend, a colleague, your boss or your team. Thanks a lot to all the ones I see doing it every week; that's heartwarming to me. Is Evove a saxophone or an Ophicleide? Time will tell, but you can build an Idea for yourself by listening to the full episode!

➡️ Check out the entire article on how Vulcan enabled its Zero Carbon Lithium project by selling its products years ahead, including a teaser, a slider, and a full transcript on the (don't) Waste Water website!

Further episodes of (don't) Waste Water!

Further podcasts by Antoine Walter

Website of Antoine Walter