AI storm water management receives investment boost

Belfast-based software company, StormHarvester, has received €10 million investment that will help the company move into new markets and further develop its AI automated wastewater management software platform.

Tackling flooding and pollution events

The company launched its automated water management software platform in 2019 and has experienced healthy growth ever since. Its software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering was built in-house and uses machine learning and rainfall prediction to help wastewater utilities prevent and tackle flooding and pollution events. Customers access the software using a secure portal.

By using predictive analytics and anomaly detection, for example, sewer blockages, monitor pumping station anomalies, and inflow and infiltration in sewer networks, the platform can identify potential issues before they occur.

A seat on the board for investment round leaders

Announcing the investment, StormHarvester CEO, Brian Moloney, said: “This significant investment represents a transformative step in our company’s journey, fuelling our expansion and creating exciting opportunities for Northern Ireland's job market.”

“We’re thrilled to announce new positions spanning sales and marketing roles to drive our global reach, alongside cutting-edge technical roles that will shape the future of our smart technology as we advance our innovative product roadmap.”

The investment was made by Leeds-based YFM Equity Partners (YFM), specialists in helping small business scale and grow at pace, and Emerald Technology Ventures, a company dedicated to investing in start-ups that tackle challenges in climate change and sustainability.

As a result, both companies will have representation on the StormHarvester board.

What excites me about the potential is the global market demand for smart solutions in the sewer space

YFM partner, Mike Clarke, told media: “Having been the first to market in the UK, the StormHarvester team has carved out a market-leading position, expanding to meet ever-growing demand from the utilities sector. The company is now focused on international expansion, and we are excited to be supporting its scale-up journey.”

He added: “More importantly, we are immensely proud to be associated with a company that is making a tangible difference in reducing pollution and flooding. By enabling utilities to proactively manage their networks, StormHarvester’s technology is setting a new standard in environmental stewardship and sustainability.”

Clayton MacDougald, investment director at Emerald Technology Ventures, will join the board. He told Aquatech Online: “Emerald reviews over 2,000 startups a year, and what stood out about StormHarvester was the impressive team, company growth and the amazing relationship the company has with their customers.”

“What excites me about the potential is the global market demand for smart solutions in the sewer space, and how this demand will only continue to grow as the impacts of climate change continue to make things more challenging for utilities around the world.”

What the investment will help to achieve

StormHarvester was founded in 2017 by Brian Moloney, who had a strong desire to improve wastewater network performance. At the time, he could see an opportunity to improve performance using a more data-centric approach, and the company’s initial work centred on understanding the relationship between rainfall and draining networks. The focus later turned to predicting future network performance using rainfall datasets.

He said on the company’s LinkedIn page: “Expensive-to-replace networks, urbanization, climate change, and population growth are putting a huge strain on wastewater systems, and this has resulted in increased flooding and pollution. StormHarvester’s AI solution is solving these problems, identifying issues before they happen and facilitating proactive intervention.”

"Expensive-to-replace networks, urbanization, climate change, and population growth are putting a huge strain on wastewater systems"

He added: “Our technology not only improves operational efficiency for utilities but also plays a critical role in reducing pollution, protecting vital water resources, and supporting a healthier environment.”

The investment will help the company to double its workforce over the next three years. The roles will be primarily focused on software development with additional roles in marketing and sales to help accomplish its aims of pushing into new markets, especially Australasia and North America. The current SaaS will work in any territory without the need for any adaptation, while the expansion of the software development team will help the company further develop its product range.