FREDsense Wants to Change How We Think About Water Quality

Do you know what is in your water?

It may be a simple question, but “the truth is, you probably don’t,” argues FREDsense Technologies.

This is because water is incredibly difficult to analyze.

The Calgary-based company understands a thing or two about the challenges of “knowing your water”: it is in the business of developing portable field-ready kits to measure some of the most difficult contaminants found in our water supply and environment.

FREDsense recognizes that, while water is our most precious resource, “our ability to effectively monitor our water assets is lacking.”

Traditional tools are expensive, complex, and require off-site processing steps, notes FRED. Modern technology is therefore a key to unlocking the next level of water quality monitoring.

Technology has for too long been a “limiting factor in solving big challenges in the analysis industry,” according to the startup, which believes “our field-based sensors are changing the game.”

By using microorganisms, FRED can build custom electrochemical sensors that provide immediate, specific information to users.

“FREDsense is in relentless pursuit of innovation that makes it easy to bring clean water to people across the globe,” stated David Lloyd, co-founder and chief executive officer of FREDsense, in October.

The company’s vision is straightforward: leverage tech to make water quality analysis faster, cheaper, and more efficient than ever before.

In 2021, the Alberta firm secured capital from BDC Capital’s Cleantech Practice to help advance and commercialize its “water sensing as a service” technology.

“FREDsense’s novel technology platform and ‘water sensing as a service’ business model has the potential to transform the water quality sensing market while also enabling water utilities, cities and industry to more cost efficiently detect biological and chemical trace water parameters to help better protect people and the planet,” stated Cleantech Practice director Matt Stanley at the time.

More recently, FRED was recognized by cleantech accelerator Foresight Canada and UK-based United Utilities for its work innovating water quality and its environmental impact.

“At FREDsense, we are determined to use innovative technologies to change the way the world monitors water quality,” the company says.