Meet the Swedish pioneers who revolutionized water purification

It all started in 2013

The idea for Watersprint® was hatched on an autumn evening in 2013 at the Bishops Arms in Lund. Ola Hansson, MSc, and Professor Kenneth M. Persson reflected on the fact that the conventional, mercury-based UV technology used as a safety barrier in most of our water treatment works had not advanced for several decades.

A bright idea

Ultraviolet lamps were initially used as far back as 1910 in France to inactivate microorganisms and disinfect water, but technical development did not seem to have advanced regarding the light source itself. Meanwhile, the commercial use of eco-friendly blue and white light LEDs had spread widely in other fields. The development of LED technology had advanced to the extent that prototypes were producing light in the UVC range, opening up the potential use of UVC LEDs to create a new standard in water disinfection.

A world-leading innovation

With the help of Lars Montelius, Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, a proof-of-concept solution was developed, based on innovative UVC LED technology. The prototype rapidly attracted the interest of the wider world and investors. Today, Watersprint® is one of the world’s leading companies in sustainable water disinfection and has launched fourth-generation UVC LED products.

One Watersprint® – three brands

In 2024, the Watersprint® family expanded with the acquisition of patents, product portfolios, and trademarks from Canadian Acuva™ Technologies — another water disinfection company with deep university connections. This milestone, along with our presence in both North America and Europe, is shaping the future of the global UVC LED market.

The unique, patented Acuva IntenseBeam™ Technology provides reliable, high-precision water disinfection, making it an excellent addition to the Watersprint® reflective chamber technology. With an expanded portfolio that now includes Watersprint®, Acuva™ and Azure™, we offer solutions with uncompromised performance, ensuring reliable water disinfection regardless of the application or conditions.

”Clean water is the basis for our entire existence. Working on sustainable and eco-friendly water disinfection is both exciting and rewarding, and Watersprint®’s close collaboration with Lund University gives us access to world-leading expertise in a wide range of fields.”

– André Carlsson, CEO of Watersprint®