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vāsuqi — photocatalytic water treatment technology

vāsuqi

Visible-light water polishing

Water, polished
by light

The last 5–10% of industrial wastewater is the hardest to clean — pharmaceutical residues, dyes, and recalcitrant organics that survive every step of conventional treatment. Vāsuqi is a visible-light polishing platform built to break them down. Built on DTU research, currently pre-seed.

Backed by

DTU — Technical University of Denmark

DTU Sustain

Innofounder

Innofounder

BII — BioInnovation Institute

BioInnovation Institute

PhotonHub

PhotonHub

The problem

The cleaner the water, the costlier the last drop.

The bulk organic load clears cheaply — but removing the final fraction of recalcitrant micropollutants (TOC), now mandated, sends the cost vertical.

Cost to treat Organic load · TOC Water remaining
Cost per unit volume rises exponentially for the final fraction of treatment As treatment moves from biological to membrane to thermal and advanced-oxidation stages, the organic load and water remaining fall, but the cost to treat the last five percent rises steeply. MANDATED REMOVAL · THE MOST EXPENSIVE FRACTION 5% COST PER UNIT VOLUME → BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANE THERMAL / AOP bulk organics dissolved solids advanced oxidation

Illustrative · cost per unit volume for the final fraction — recalcitrant organics (TOC) — rises exponentially · EU micropollutant mandate 2024/3019

pronounced VAH-su-kee

The targets
are set

In 2024, the EU revised its Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive — the first major update in over thirty years.

80% removal of micropollutants from major plants. Interim targets from 2033. Full quaternary treatment by 2045. Under the polluter-pays principle, pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies cover 80% of the cost.

Regulation, timeline, and funding are now in place. Vāsuqi is built for this moment — without the energy demand or chemical load of conventional upgrades.

Where Vāsuqi Fits

Designed for lower OPEX. Fewer steps. Cleaner water.

Process flow diagram showing where Vāsuqi fits in the wastewater treatment train — from upstream intake through primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment, into the Vāsuqi photocatalytic module, and out to discharge. Vāsuqi photocatalytic reactor module

Upstream treatment removes most of the burden. Vāsuqi is positioned as a downstream polishing step for the expensive tail-end of the train, where residual dissolved organics still drive tertiary polishing, evaporation, disposal, and process complexity.

What Vāsuqi is built to change:

Light does the work

Pre-treated water enters a contained module. Visible blue LEDs activate an immobilized photocatalyst, developed from DTU research, designed to break down toxic organic compounds into CO₂, salts, and water. No chemicals added. No sludge generated.

Vasuqi photocatalytic reactor module — annotated diagram showing effluent inlet, LED light activation of photocatalyst, and cleaner water output

01. Effluent inlet

After upstream treatment, pre-treated water enters the module.

02. Light does the work

Blue light activates the catalyst, keeping the reaction concentrated where it belongs

03. Cleaner water out

Residual organics are broken down before effluent exits.

Why a contained module

  • Sits inside the existing process flow
  • Continuous contact with the active treatment surface
  • No separate catalyst recovery step
  • 01. Effluent inlet

    After upstream treatment, pre-treated water enters the module.

  • 02. Light does the work

    Blue light activates the catalyst, keeping the reaction concentrated where it belongs

  • 03. Cleaner water out

    Residual organics are broken down before effluent exits.

  • Why a contained module
    • Sits inside the existing process flow
    • Continuous contact with the active treatment surface
    • No separate catalyst recovery step

*Technology under development. First prototypes expected later this year.

What Vāsuqi is built to address:

Pharmaceutical residues, such as antibiotics, hormones, anti-depressants

Industrial COD from dairy, brewery, and food processing wastewater

Dyes, pesticides, and other recalcitrant organic compounds

The same class of pollutants now mandated for removal under EU law

We aim to destroy what others concentrate, adsorb, or leave behind.