Aquagga
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle area
- Sectors
- Environmental Services
- Founded
- 2019
- Employees
- 19
- Stage
- startup
- Total raised
- $200K SEC Form D filings Total of this company's SEC Form D filings
- Last round
- $200K · Apr 2023 SEC Form D
GeekWire and Greater Seattle Partners call for nominations for 2026 Uncommon Thinkers; deadline Sept. 18, winners honored Dec. 10
Nominations for GeekWire’s 2026 Uncommon Thinkers Awards — honoring Seattle-area inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs — close Friday, Sept. 18 at 11 a.m. PT; winners will be chosen by a judges panel and celebrated at the GeekWire Gala on Dec. 10. The fourth annual program, run with Greater Seattle Partners, seeks nominees who demonstrate innovation, leadership and measurable impact.
CoMotion announces Startup Spotlight at Seattle Tech Week featuring 25 UW and CoMotion-affiliated startups
Seattle Tech Week’s Startup Spotlight, hosted by CoMotion with Plug and Play and Creative Destruction Lab–Seattle, showcased 25 UW- and CoMotion-affiliated startups demonstrating innovations across AI, biotech, climate tech, fintech, robotics, and more. The expo highlighted lab-to-market progress from founders addressing challenges like PFAS destruction, drug discovery, autonomous systems, and financial inclusion.
Washington Research Foundation Commits $1.7M to Renew UW–WSU Postdoctoral Entrepreneurship Collaboration
The Washington Research Foundation has committed $1.7 million over three years to support the UW CoMotion–WSU Postdoctoral Entrepreneurship Program, building on a prior $1.2 million grant in 2023. This funding supports postdoctoral researchers with mentorship and training to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization across Washington's research institutions.
Fintech Startup Enduring Planet Raises $12M Second Fund to Support Early-Stage Climate Startups
Enduring Planet, a Pacific Northwest fintech startup launched in 2021, has closed its second investment fund at over $12 million, more than doubling its initial fund size to support early-stage climate startups. The company focuses on lending to climate ventures with government awards and also provides part-time CFO services.
UW Researchers in NSF I-Corps Fall 2024 Cohort Develop AI Model for Carbon Emission Accounting
Researchers and entrepreneurs in the fall 2024 NSF Innovation Corps program, including Forrest Fabian Jesse, are developing AI models like the 'uncircularity' model to calculate carbon emissions and assist in emission reduction using clean energy. The CoMotion I-Corps program supports these innovators in translating their academic research into market-ready solutions.
Uncommon Thinkers 2025: Solar spacecraft, sci-fi biology, destroying PFAS, beyond AI chatbots, and better social media
On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded backstage at the GeekWire Gala at the Showbox Sodo, we sit down with five of the inventors, scientists, and entrepreneurs selected as the Seattle region's 2025 Uncommon Thinkers, in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners. Jeff Thornburg spent years building rocket engines for Elon Musk at SpaceX and Paul Allen at Stratolaunch. Now, as CEO of Portal Space Systems, he's moved past chemical rockets to revive a concept NASA studied decades ago but never pursued — a spacecraft powered by focused sunlight. He calls it a "steam engine for space." Read the…
GeekWire Honors Six 'Uncommon Thinkers' Transforming Industries with Innovative Startups in 2025
GeekWire's third annual 'Uncommon Thinkers' honors six innovators including Anindya Roy, Kiana Ehsani, and Jeff Thornburg, who are leading startups transforming industries with breakthrough technologies in biotech, social media, and space propulsion. These leaders will be celebrated at the GeekWire Gala in Seattle for their creative and mission-driven approaches to solving significant challenges.
Brian Pinkard Launches Aquagga to Destroy Toxic PFAS Chemicals, Deploys Device in Alaska in 2023
Brian Pinkard, driven by a passion to make an environmental impact, transitioned from trail building to earning a mechanical engineering PhD and founding Aquagga, a startup focused on destroying toxic PFAS 'forever chemicals'. His startup deployed a PFAS-destroying device in Fairbanks, Alaska in 2023, reflecting his commitment to solving critical pollution challenges.
Aquagga Wins $1,500 Top Prize at PNW Climate Week for Portable PFAS Destruction Technology
Aquagga won the top prize of $1,500 at a PNW Climate Week pitch contest for its portable units that destroy harmful PFAS 'forever chemicals' in contaminated wastewater, addressing major environmental and health concerns. The startup, led by CEO Dhileep Sivam, is expanding operations with new contracts including a three-year deal in Colorado and work with 3M.
UW Startup Voltair Wins $15,000 Prize for AI Self-Charging Drones Inspecting Power Lines to Boost Grid Reliability
University of Washington startup Voltair won the $15,000 grand prize at the UW Environmental Innovation Challenge with AI-powered self-charging drones that inspect power lines to prevent outages. Their drones recharge from power lines and detect vegetation threats, aiming to improve grid reliability amid rising energy demands and workforce retirements.
Aquagga Names Former Intellectual Ventures Executive Dhileep Sivam as CEO to Commercialize PFAS Destruction Technology
Aquagga, a startup developing technology to destroy 99% of PFAS in contaminated water, has appointed Dhileep Sivam, a former Intellectual Ventures executive, as its new CEO to lead commercialization efforts. The company, founded in 2019, has received over $10 million from grants and customers and raised $1.1 million from investors.
Aquagga Inc. CEO Steps Down After Five Years, Moves to Executive Advisory Role to Support Startups and Mentorship
The CEO of Aquagga Inc. is stepping down to an Executive Advisory Role after nearly five years, aiming to support other startups and mentorship opportunities while expressing confidence in the company’s co-founders to lead future growth.
Pacific Northwest Startups in GeekWire Awards Finalize Sustainable Innovations Tackling Carbon, PFAS, and Waste Chemicals for 2024
The 2024 GeekWire Awards Sustainable Innovation finalists include Pacific Northwest startups developing technologies to address environmental issues such as PFAS contamination, carbon removal, and eco-friendly chemicals. Winners will be announced on May 9, with community voting open until April 12.
University of Washington’s CoMotion Innovation Arm Moving to Condon Hall Near Startup Hall in 2023
The University of Washington's innovation arm, CoMotion, will relocate from the Blume building to Condon Hall near Startup Hall later this year, expanding its space and event capabilities. Startup Hall is part of the Portage Bay Crossing neighborhood, which aims to foster research, education, and entrepreneurship.
Tacoma Startup Aquagga Deploys PFAS Destroyer 'Eleanor' in Alaska, Secures $5.7M Funding to Combat Toxic Forever Chemicals
Tacoma startup Aquagga deployed its PFAS destruction device, 'Eleanor,' in Fairbanks, Alaska, successfully treating 20,000 gallons of contaminated wastewater. The startup has secured $4.7 million in government contracts and $1 million in private funding to combat toxic 'forever chemicals' in water.
GeekWire Elevator Pitch Final Episode Features Seattle Sustainability Startups Competing for 2022 Summit Finale Spot
The final episode of GeekWire's Elevator Pitch features three Seattle-area sustainability startup CEOs pitching their innovations in a timed elevator ride, with the winner advancing to the live finale at the 2022 GeekWire Summit on October 6. The startups include Strella Biotechnology, BattGenie, and Aquagga, focusing on produce ripeness sensing, battery longevity, and PFAS destruction respectively.
University of Washington Spinout Aquagga Develops Technology to Destroy PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' with No Toxic Byproducts
Aquagga, a Seattle-based cleantech startup founded by University of Washington and Alaska researchers, develops a high-temperature, high-pressure system to completely destroy PFAS 'forever chemicals' in water and soil with no toxic byproducts. The company aims to address EPA concerns about PFAS contamination by providing scalable destruction technology for environmental remediation.
WTIA selects 30 Washington seed-stage startups for seventh six-month Founder Cohort Program
The Washington Technology Industry Association selected 30 Washington-headquartered, seed-stage tech startups for its seventh six-month virtual Founder Cohort Program, which provides fundraising, governance, legal, accounting, and go-to-market training for companies with under $1M annual revenue.
CleanTech Alliance and VertueLab announce 10 startups for 2020 Cascadia CleanTech Accelerator; 15-week program begins ahead of July 15 showcase
Seattle’s CleanTech Alliance and Portland’s VertueLab announced the 10 startups selected for the 15-week 2020 Cascadia CleanTech Accelerator, supporting early-stage companies working on energy efficiency, toxic chemical removal, biofuels, waste reduction and related green technologies. The cohort will present at the CleanTech Innovation Showcase on July 15 and conclude at Fuel 2020 in September.
People
-
Brian Pinkard Founder, Co-founder, Executive Officer, Director, CTO & Co-Founder
-
Chris Woodruff Founder, Co-founder, Executive Officer, Director, Co-Founder/COO at Aquagga, Inc.
