Algal Scientific has proven that its new technology works. Now it's ready to take on some revenue-producing projects.
The Plymouth-based start-up, which calls the
Michigan Life Science & Innovation Center home, is developing a wastewater treatment system that uses algae to remove nutrients from contaminated water, leaving the raw materials for biofuel production.
The company recently finished a pilot project at a Cincinnati-area landfill where it received "outstanding results" in its efforts to shrink the facility's rapidly rising wastewater treatment costs, according to
Algal Scientific's CEO Paul Horst.
Algal Scientific is waiting for the green light from the landfill, the fifth largest in the U.S., to begin work on a permanent project. It also has pending proposals for a high-fructose manufacturer in North Carolina and a bio-mass project.
"I'd like to see one to two full-time systems in the ground and operating and generating revenue within the next year," Horst says. "I'd also like to be at 12-15 employees at that point."
Algal Scientific currently has a dozen people on its team after adding a part-time worker earlier this year. It is also a semi-finalist for the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition this fall and is a presenter at the Industry Growth Forum in Denver in November.
"We're always looking for strategic partners and the publicity is always good," Horst says.
Source: Paul Horst, CEO of Algal Scientific
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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