AquaHacking Great Lakes Challenge Announces Winners

AquaHacking Great Lakes Challenge announced the winners from ten teams presenting their innovative solutions to critical freshwater issues facing the Great Lakes

“Water runs through our health, our environment, and our economy. As the US elevates water security as a foreign policy priority, the need for AquaAction’s programs has never been more urgent. Our mission empowers youth to launch impactful startups to solve the most pressing water issues, and today’s AquaHacking Challenge Finale is just the beginning. AquaAction remains a pillar of support, opportunity, and community as you change the world,” shares Soula Chronopoulos, president of AquaAction.

Hosted by AquaAction and Northwestern Michigan College, the binational event signaled a unified effort to implement new strategies to safeguard the Great Lakes — home to 20% of the world’s surface freshwater. Held in Traverse City, Michigan, it also marked the first step toward the city becoming a blue-tech innovation hub.

The first place winner, receiving $20,000, is Baleena, which designs microfiber-trapping filters for washing machines. Wave Lumina placed second for $10,000 for its portable Raman device that detects ultra-low levels of PFAS and other contaminants in environmental samples. In third place receiving $5,000, ProtoStLO introduced algal filtration technology that reduces lead concentration in drinking water through powdered algal extract and pH regulation. The People’s Choice award for $1,000 went to Quantum Water, which uses insect-based carbon quantum dots to detect lead contamination in water.

Auror Patents also awarded the top three winners an additional $10,000 — $5,000 to the first place winner for a provisional patent application, and $2,500 each to second and third place winners for other legal services.

In addition, a new alliance with Traverse City legal firm, Alward Fisher Rice Rowe & Graf PLC, offers access to their startup package, valued at $2,000, for up to five enterprises from both the AquaHacking Challenge and the scale-up program, AquaEntrepreneur. 

To learn more, visit aquaaction.org.