UN presents award to patented Dutch Hydraloop
Do you fill your swimming pool with used shower water? Hydraloop believes that filtering and reusing water provides a solution to the increasing scarcity of water. And that’s also what the United Nations thinks. They have crowned the company from Leeuwarden as the winners of the WIPO Global Awards Program. The organisation looks at companies that use intellectual property in order to have a positive impact on the world. We decided to catch up with the founders, Sabine Stuiver and Arthur Valkieser.
Save 45% more water with patented technology
As we all know, you should try and protect a good idea. Hydraloop had precisely one of these good ideas, which they further developed before obtaining a patent for it. The patented technology is conquering the world at breakneck speed: the filtering and reuse of water from your bath, shower, air-conditioning unit or washing machine so that it can be reused in some way in your toilet, garden or swimming pool.
The jury at the WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization is a specialised organisation within the UN) has praised the unique, patented technology that helps to reduce global water consumption. Hydraloop claims that its technology can save up to 45% of tap water and up to 45% of wastewater. For the most part, the technology is a combination of different technologies. “The techniques that we use include sedimentation, flotation, skimming and an aerobic bioreactor. These may appear to be complicated terms but used together, they make the product that we see today. The combined technology was patented by a legal expert who specialises in patents,” said Stuiver.
A strong idea is worth its weight in gold
It is not the first award that Hydraloop has received. In 2020, it won no less than 4 awards at the famous CES technology fair in the United States, including awards for best innovation and best sustainable idea. It has also been awarded a number of national innovation awards. It has even been featured in the Netflix documentary called Brave Blue World.
A good idea is the heart of your business. So you need to protect that idea at all times. We have 120 partners in 50 different countries. And we want to expand that over time. (…) Furthermore, a strong brand is worth its weight in gold. Or as we know it, “blue gold”
A mix of intellectual property results in a valuable business
“The UN award is superb recognition of the value of our intellectual property,” adds Valkieser. “Our technology is unique and will change the market around the world”. But this intellectual property actually extends beyond our patent. We have also protected our company name, logo and aspects of our website.” It is exactly that mix of intellectual property rights that adds value to a company. That is why Hydraloop recommends that you take professional advice. “We have already had to deal with several issues in other countries where there have been companies who wanted to start a project under the name Hydraloop. We have always stood firm, but that is because our intellectual property was put in place so well and in such a detailed way by an expert. This is a must-do if you want to avoid other companies making it big using your product or your name”, concludes Valkieser.