Bengaluru : NoPo Nanotechnologies, a deep-tech company specializing in the large-scale manufacturing of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), has been selected as a Semifinalist Team (Track B: Novel Materials and Methods) of the prestigious XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, a $119 million, five-year global initiative focused on enabling widespread access to clean water through reliable, affordable, and sustainable seawater desalination technologies. Notably, NoPo Nanotechnologies is the only team from India in this category and will advance to the next stage, Semifinalist Team Testing, while receiving a milestone award of $10,000 USD.
The semifinalist cohort includes 17 teams from nine countries—Australia, China, France, India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States and reflects a growing movement toward decentralized, adaptive, and resource-efficient seawater desalination systems. Their progress represents the next stage in the race for scalable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective desalination solutions—innovations poised to transform global water access.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, NoPo Nanotechnologies specializes in manufacturing advanced SWCNTs using its proprietary HiPCO® technology, an industrial-scale process. These high-performance materials exhibit exceptional conductivity for heat, electricity, and fluids, enabling transformative applications across industries—including rapid-charging battery electrodes, efficient water purification systems, and compact, high-speed electronics.
NoPo’s breakthrough approach leverages advanced single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) technology to develop high-performance desalination and reverse osmosis membranes. These next-generation membranes are designed to deliver up to 2x better performance compared to conventional solutions, offering improved water flux, reduced energy consumption, longer lifespan, and lower rejection rates.
Gadhadar Reddy, Founder & CEO of NoPo Nanotechnologies, said, “Being selected as a semifinalist in the XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition is a strong validation of our technology and its potential to address one of the world’s most pressing challenges. Our nanotube-based membranes are designed to significantly improve the efficiency and affordability of desalination, and we are excited to advance to the next stage of the competition.”
Arunima Patel, Co-Founder & CBO, said, “This recognition underscores the strength of deep-tech innovation emerging from India. At NoPo, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of material science to create scalable solutions for water and energy challenges. We look forward to collaborating with global stakeholders and demonstrating the impact of our technology in the upcoming stages of the XPRIZE.”
Despite evolving global supply chain dynamics, NoPo Nanotechnologies continues to strengthen its market presence through a sustained focus on innovation. Its advanced materials are addressing critical global challenges such as water scarcity and energy efficiency, while positioning Karnataka and India more broadly as a key player in the global nanotechnology ecosystem.