Water Unite Impact is backing the Norwegian firm Flocean, whose subsea desalination technology aims to provide clean, sustainable freshwater with lower energy use.
Investment fund Water Unite Impact (WUI) has invested in Flocean, a Norwegian company which is aiming to address global water scarcity amid population growth and climate change.
The firm aims to accelerate global access to clean, affordable, and environmentally sustainable freshwater through a new subsea desalination technology.
WUI, managed by Wellers Impact, is committing $175,000 (€151,500) to Flocean, alongside giving technical assistance and support on project-finance structuring. This includes establishing an advisory board of international project-finance specialists with experience in water infrastructure in emerging markets.
The commitment forms part of Flocean’s expanded $22.5m Series A funding round, which has attracted support from Xylem Inc and existing backers Burnt Island Ventures, Freebird Capital, Katapult Ocean and Nysnø Climate Investments.
A Flocean spokesperson also confirmed that MP Pensjon, the Norwegian corporate pension fund for dairy cooperative TINE, is an investor in Flocean Series A.
Sustainable fresh water
The deal comes as population growth and climate change intensify global water scarcity. According to the UN World Water Development Report 2023, global water use has risen by roughly 1% per year for four decades, driven by demographic and economic growth, and shifting consumption patterns.
To date, traditional desalination has been “trapped in a painful trade-off between water access and environmental harm”, according to Usha Rao-Monari, senior partner at Wellers Impact.
Flocean’s subsea model produces no toxic brine discharge, as chemical-free discharge occurs deep below sensitive habitats, and relies on clean – primarily solar – power, Cyrille Antignac, senior partner at Wellers Impact and portfolio director for WUI, told Impact Investor.
Flocean’s process harnesses natural pressure and stable conditions at depths of 400–600 metres, reducing energy use by up to 50%, cutting coastal land requirements by 95% and eliminating toxic brine discharge.
Blended finance
Water Unite Impact operates as a blended-finance vehicle, designed to mobilise capital from development finance institutions (DFIs) and institutional investors.
Flocean is currently Water Unite’s sole investment in desalination. The firm is currently focused on the rollout of Flocean One, which is set to become the the world’s first demonstrator and commercial subsea desalination facility, scheduled to begin full-scale operations in 2026 at Mongstad, on Norway’s west coast.
Antignac described the technology being used as a “first-of-its-kind” approach suited to regions with limited land availability, constrained energy supply or weak water-distribution networks. Furthermore, Flocean’s cost per litre of water treated is competitive compared with conventional desalination technologies, except for the largest, and typically most polluting, plants, Antignac told Impact Investor.
The investment builds on WUI’s growing portfolio of water enterprises, including: Pack2Zero, Seabex, Jibu, GREE, Mr Green Africa and Sanivation, all of which address different dimensions of global water resilience, from reducing water pollution and enabling efficient irrigation, to expanding safe drinking water access in underserved regions.
Looking ahead, WUI said the investment aligns directly with its mission to expand access to clean water and back commercially scalable solutions across the global water sector.
