September 21, 2025.
Cetos Water Advances in XPRIZE Water Competition Across Track A and Track B
Company’s solvent-based desalination technology recognized for breakthrough potential in delivering low-cost, low-energy freshwater
New York, NY
Cetos Water, a deep-tech company unlocking fresh water and valuable minerals from the world’s toughest brines, today announced it has been named a Qualified Team in the prestigious XPRIZE Water competition. Cetos is advancing in both Track A: Desalination – System-Level Innovation and Track B: Desalination – Novel Materials and Methods. The multi-year global challenge seeks to dramatically expand affordable access to freshwater while reducing energy use and environmental impact.
“Advancing in both tracks is a powerful validation of our approach,” said Shannon Knee, Founder & CEO of Cetos Water. “Desalination hasn’t seen a major technological breakthrough since the early 2000s. The industry urgently needs practical, scalable, and sustainable paths to advance water recovery. Our platform is built to deliver just that – high recovery, low energy, and a true path to circular water.”
At the core of Cetos’s innovation is its Temperature Swing Solvent Extraction (TSSE) technology – a membrane-less, non-evaporative process that selectively absorbs water from brines. TSSE can push recovery rates far beyond the ~50% limit of reverse osmosis (RO), enabling greater production capacity while minimizing waste. The system also reduces environmental impact of desalination by eliminating the extensive chemical pre-treatment and frequent membrane replacement required by conventional RO.
“Our team has already shown strong results on some of the toughest water-streams where conventional methods fail,” said Dr. Ngai Yin Yip, the La Von Duddleson Krumb Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University and inventor of the TSSE technology. “We’re excited to continue the XPRIZE journey and demonstrate how solvent-based desalination can bend the cost and energy curve for water – expanding access to desalination that the world so urgently needs.”
About Cetos Water
Cetos Water is pioneering solvent-based desalination to transform hypersaline and hard-to-treat brines into new sources of freshwater and value. By combining low-energy, high-output water extraction with versatile system integration for brine sources across the salinity spectrum, Cetos helps customers convert complex waste into water, reduce brine disposal costs, and recover valuable mineral resources. To learn more visit cetoswater.com.
About XPRIZE
XPRIZE is the recognized global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity's greatest challenges. For over 30 years, our unique model has democratized crowd-sourced innovation and scientifically scalable solutions that accelerate a more equitable and abundant future. Donate, learn more, and co-architect a world of abundance with us at xprize.org.
Media Contact
Shannon Knee Cetos Water