our vision is to
elevate water
What drives us
Water is scarce and sources are shrinking as use continues to rise. Something needs to be done… and we’re on it.
Our technologies and chemical solutions make industrial water usage sustainable. We’re engineering a greater balance between mankind and the planet. Our goal is to ensure water for all of society — both now and into the future.
45%
of the world’s water is used by Industry
70%
of wastewater is dumped untreated into nature
Sustainability is at the core of the work we do at Gradiant. We help our customers minimize their water footprint by reducing water consumption, reclaiming valuable resources, and renewing wastewater so it can be returned to nature.
Our technologies enable industries to be sustainable in their operations and supply chains. Much more than regulatory compliance — increasingly customers, employees, and investors are driving the need for a sustainable supply chain. It’s a win-win — the right thing to do and good for business.
THE TEAM
Meet the best minds in water. We are visionaries, innovators, collaborators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders dedicated to solving the world’s biggest water challenges.
1000
Employees
Worldwide
Sankar is our Global Head of Sales with over 25 years of industrial water experience, working for multinationals such as GE, VATECH Wabag, and Siemens. Across the years he has worked with wastewater from all industries including microelectronics, power, F&B, chemicals, paper and pulp, textiles, steel, and energy. Sankar holds a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from MIT, Manipal, and MBA from Singapore Management University.
Sankar
Global Head of Sales
Steven Lam is a Head of Technology at Gradiant and leads its Global Innovation Center in Singapore. He is a founding member of Gradiant. Under his leadership, his team has been responsible for the commercialization of Gradiant's proprietary technologies such as Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE), Selective Chemical Extraction (SCE), Counterflow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Free Radical Oxidation (FRO), Free Radical Disinfection (FRD) and Carrier Gas Concentration (CGC). Steven earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT. He has been inducted into the Forbes 30 under 30 in Asia Industry, Manufacturing & Energy and received the International Desalination Association Emerging Leader Award. He has over 70 filed and pending patents globally.
Steven
Head of Technology
178
Advanced
Degrees
Prakash Govindan is the Co-Founder and COO of Gradiant. Under his leadership, Gradiant has developed and commercialized a proprietary technology stack that enables a portfolio of sustainable treatment technologies designed and engineered to solve some of the world's most critical water challenges so essential industries, all around the world, can give nature water back. Prakash earned his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he co-developed the Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) system, which remains a flagship Gradiant product. He continues to innovate prolifically, with over 100 patents, including Gradiant's RO Infinity CFRO and Selective Contaminant Extraction (SCE) technologies. Prakash earned a master's degree from IIT Madras and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.
Prakash
Co-Founder and COO
Ananth Padmanabhan is the CFO of Gradiant. Ananth is a seasoned finance executive in water technologies and solutions. Prior to Gradiant, his previous roles included CFO for SUEZ Water Technologies APAC and MEA, CFO of Services and Joint Ventures for GE Water, VP of Finance for Aquarion, and CFO of Evoqua APAC. With over 20 years’ experience in finance leadership roles, Ananth has a strong track record for driving financial performance, optimizing business operations, mergers & acquisitions, and imparting deep industry knowledge to his teams. He is a GELP graduate from Yale University and is a Chartered Accountant from ICAI, India.
Ananth
CFO
Ravichandran (Ravi) Nachiappan is the Global Head of Operations. Ravi has over 35+ years of experience in the water and infra sector bringing deep knowledge of project management, construction management, quality, EHS, and field operations. He had been with Siemens for the past 20 years, recently as Head of Projects at Siemens Energy in Houston, TX. Earlier he led projects & construction for IHI in Singapore. He earned his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Bharathidasan University, India, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Nanyang Technological, Singapore.
Ravichandran
Global Head of Operations
Anurag Bajpayee is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gradiant. Under his leadership, Gradiant has evolved from a technology start-up into a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment, partnering with the world's most critical industries to bring sustainability into their operations and supply chain. Always in service of Gradiant’s purpose to ensure water for generations to come. Anurag earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, focusing on industrial desalination and water treatment. Scientific American recognized his doctoral work as a "Top 10 World Changing Idea" — and it remains a foundation for Gradiant's proprietary technology stack. Anurag has co-authored several seminal journal articles and received patents in the water treatment field. Anurag holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri and a master's degree and doctorate from MIT.
Anurag
Co-Founder and CEO
Irene Teo, Global Head of HR, commands a 20-year proven track record in HR across diverse industries – from pioneering startups to established industry leaders. She leads all HR functions from talent acquisition, development, compensation & benefits, performance, and culture. Irene held HR leadership roles at Dataiku (artificial intelligence and machine learning), Facebook (now Meta), Lazada (e-commerce), and Jardine Lloyd Thompson (insurance). Irene earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the National University of Singapore and master’s degree in human resources management from The University of Salford, UK.
Irene
Global Head of HR
40
Average Age
Govind Alagappan is the President of Gradiant. Govind has over 20 years of experience in the water industry, bringing deep knowledge of sales & operational excellence, customer-centricity, and global market growth. He was most recently Evoqua's Managing Director for Asia Pacific and led Suez's global business development & strategy earlier. He earned his bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Newcastle.
Govind
President
Kaarthic Madhavan leads Gradiant's global business development and commercial efforts, including contract and customer management. Kaarthic is a founding Gradiant team member and developed the internal framework to engage Fortune 500 clients. Before Gradiant, Kaarthic worked at Schlumberger in product development, manufacturing, operations, and business administration. He has a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Kaarthic
EVP, Corporate
Development & Growth
Arnaud Lamagnere brings over 15 years of experience serving as General Counsel for Fortune 500 companies, including Schneider Electric (East Asia, Middle East) and Veolia Environment (APAC). Most recently, he served as the Group General Counsel for Cleantech Solar, acquired by Shell Petroleum in 2019, and Keppel Corporation in 2022. Arnaud established the legal department at Gradiant, is a member in good standing of the French In-House Counsel Association, and is an attorney registered as In-House Counsel with the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.
Arnaud
General Counsel
477
Engineers &
Scientists
Felix Wang is the Global Head of Marketing responsible for leading Gradiant's global marketing and branding strategy. Felix is an accomplished water industry executive bringing a unique blend of more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and delivery of global water & wastewater treatment projects and technologies, from the diverse perspectives of the manufacturer, contractor, and consultant. He is an internationally recognized expert in membrane technologies and integrated systems, with a proven customer- and growth focus in global markets. Before Gradiant, Felix served in leadership roles at DuPont (Dow) Water Solutions and CH2M HILL (now Jacobs). Felix earned his bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Indiana University and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Felix
Global Head of Marketing
Siva Kumar Kota is a Head of Technology at Gradiant and leads its Global Innovation Center in Abu Dhabi. Siva has over 16 years of industrial water experience, working for multinationals such as GE, PepsiCo, and Suez. Over the years he has worked with wastewater from all industries including semiconductors, F&B, energy, refining & chemicals, and desalination. Siva earned his master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai.
Siva
Head of Technology
41
Nationalities
Anurag Bajpayee is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gradiant. Under his leadership, Gradiant has evolved from a technology start-up into a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment, partnering with the world's most critical industries to bring sustainability into their operations and supply chain. Always in service of Gradiant’s purpose to ensure water for generations to come. Anurag earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, focusing on industrial desalination and water treatment. Scientific American recognized his doctoral work as a "Top 10 World Changing Idea" — and it remains a foundation for Gradiant's proprietary technology stack. Anurag has co-authored several seminal journal articles and received patents in the water treatment field. Anurag holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri and a master's degree and doctorate from MIT.
Anurag
Co-Founder and CEO
Prakash Govindan is the Co-Founder and COO of Gradiant. Under his leadership, Gradiant has developed and commercialized a proprietary technology stack that enables a portfolio of sustainable treatment technologies designed and engineered to solve some of the world's most critical water challenges so essential industries, all around the world, can give nature water back. Prakash earned his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he co-developed the Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) system, which remains a flagship Gradiant product. He continues to innovate prolifically, with over 100 patents, including Gradiant's RO Infinity CFRO and Selective Contaminant Extraction (SCE) technologies. Prakash earned a master's degree from IIT Madras and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.
Prakash
Co-Founder and COO
Ananth Padmanabhan is the CFO of Gradiant. Ananth is a seasoned finance executive in water technologies and solutions. Prior to Gradiant, his previous roles included CFO for SUEZ Water Technologies APAC and MEA, CFO of Services and Joint Ventures for GE Water, VP of Finance for Aquarion, and CFO of Evoqua APAC. With over 20 years’ experience in finance leadership roles, Ananth has a strong track record for driving financial performance, optimizing business operations, mergers & acquisitions, and imparting deep industry knowledge to his teams. He is a GELP graduate from Yale University and is a Chartered Accountant from ICAI, India.
Ananth
CFO
Govind Alagappan is the President of Gradiant. Govind has over 20 years of experience in the water industry, bringing deep knowledge of sales & operational excellence, customer-centricity, and global market growth. He was most recently Evoqua's Managing Director for Asia Pacific and led Suez's global business development & strategy earlier. He earned his bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Newcastle.
Govind
President
Kaarthic Madhavan leads Gradiant's global business development and commercial efforts, including contract and customer management. Kaarthic is a founding Gradiant team member and developed the internal framework to engage Fortune 500 clients. Before Gradiant, Kaarthic worked at Schlumberger in product development, manufacturing, operations, and business administration. He has a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Kaarthic
EVP, Corporate
Development & Growth
Arnaud Lamagnere brings over 15 years of experience serving as General Counsel for Fortune 500 companies, including Schneider Electric (East Asia, Middle East) and Veolia Environment (APAC). Most recently, he served as the Group General Counsel for Cleantech Solar, acquired by Shell Petroleum in 2019, and Keppel Corporation in 2022. Arnaud established the legal department at Gradiant, is a member in good standing of the French In-House Counsel Association, and is an attorney registered as In-House Counsel with the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.
Arnaud
General Counsel
Ravichandran (Ravi) Nachiappan is the Global Head of Operations. Ravi has over 35+ years of experience in the water and infra sector bringing deep knowledge of project management, construction management, quality, EHS, and field operations. He had been with Siemens for the past 20 years, recently as Head of Projects at Siemens Energy in Houston, TX. Earlier he led projects & construction for IHI in Singapore. He earned his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Bharathidasan University, India, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Nanyang Technological, Singapore.
Ravichandran
Global Head of Operations
Felix Wang is the Global Head of Marketing responsible for leading Gradiant's global marketing and branding strategy. Felix is an accomplished water industry executive bringing a unique blend of more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and delivery of global water & wastewater treatment projects and technologies, from the diverse perspectives of the manufacturer, contractor, and consultant. He is an internationally recognized expert in membrane technologies and integrated systems, with a proven customer- and growth focus in global markets. Before Gradiant, Felix served in leadership roles at DuPont (Dow) Water Solutions and CH2M HILL (now Jacobs). Felix earned his bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Indiana University and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Felix
Global Head of Marketing
Siva Kumar Kota is a Head of Technology at Gradiant and leads its Global Innovation Center in Abu Dhabi. Siva has over 16 years of industrial water experience, working for multinationals such as GE, PepsiCo, and Suez. Over the years he has worked with wastewater from all industries including semiconductors, F&B, energy, refining & chemicals, and desalination. Siva earned his master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai.
Siva
Head of Technology
Steven Lam is a Head of Technology at Gradiant and leads its Global Innovation Center in Singapore. He is a founding member of Gradiant. Under his leadership, his team has been responsible for the commercialization of Gradiant's proprietary technologies such as Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE), Selective Chemical Extraction (SCE), Counterflow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Free Radical Oxidation (FRO), Free Radical Disinfection (FRD) and Carrier Gas Concentration (CGC). Steven earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT. He has been inducted into the Forbes 30 under 30 in Asia Industry, Manufacturing & Energy and received the International Desalination Association Emerging Leader Award. He has over 70 filed and pending patents globally.
Steven
Head of Technology
Irene Teo, Global Head of HR, commands a 20-year proven track record in HR across diverse industries – from pioneering startups to established industry leaders. She leads all HR functions from talent acquisition, development, compensation & benefits, performance, and culture. Irene held HR leadership roles at Dataiku (artificial intelligence and machine learning), Facebook (now Meta), Lazada (e-commerce), and Jardine Lloyd Thompson (insurance). Irene earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the National University of Singapore and master’s degree in human resources management from The University of Salford, UK.
Irene
Global Head of HR
Sankar is our Global Head of Sales with over 25 years of industrial water experience, working for multinationals such as GE, VATECH Wabag, and Siemens. Across the years he has worked with wastewater from all industries including microelectronics, power, F&B, chemicals, paper and pulp, textiles, steel, and energy. Sankar holds a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from MIT, Manipal, and MBA from Singapore Management University.
Sankar
Global Head of Sales
HOW FAR WE’VE COME
11
Years of Innovation
48M
Households of Water Treated Every Day
90
Countries with our Solutions
2500
Water & Wastewater Treatment Plants Built
41
Assets Owned & Operated
20
Global Offices
19
Industry Awards
267
Patents Approved & Pending
what makes us Different
Visionary Pragmatists
We think big. We think bold. With a bias for action, not rhetoric. Preferring to demonstrate our abilities with applied solutions, not presentations. We reach our goals through persistence, leveraging best-in-class engineering to overcome challenges and advance water solutions for all.
Pursuit of Excellence
Driven by our beliefs, we hold ourselves to the highest standards. We keep a quiet confidence in our abilities. Supported by brilliant minds, we are singularly focused on water, a level of commitment that is not just for our customers — it’s a testimony to the importance of our purpose.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
We believe in lifelong learning. Our curiosity never wanes. We foster a perpetual start-up mindset that encourages fresh thinking and novel perspectives, from the back office to the site engineer. As challenges evolve, so do we. We are the antithesis of the status quo.
Real & Original
We choose the path less traveled. We relish fresh, difficult challenges that raise the bar on breakthroughs. We do all this with the knowledge that the how is as important as the what. Our goal is to deliver the best solutions possible.
Dedication to our Customers
We understand that an enduring customer relationship is forged on-site, not just in the boardroom. We earn our place as the most respected partner by delivering on each and every one of our commitments.
Dedication to our Environment
From our earliest days in the MIT laboratories, we have sought new ways to reduce the negative impact of industry. We see each project as an opportunity to benefit the environment by ensuring a legacy for water.
Our story
Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan founded Gradiant in 2013 as a spinout from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their mind was set on solving the world’s most important water challenges using sustainable and cost-effective technologies. Since then, Gradiant has evolved from a spirited technology start-up into a global industry leader in water solutions.
2013
Gradiant founded in Boston as an MIT spinout
2014
First CGE plant built to treat and recycle industrial wastewater in the US
2015
SCE technology commercialized to provide a portfolio of proprietary technologies across the water value chain
2016
Secured first ‘Fortune 100’ customer as an end-to-end solutions provider
2017
First international plants built in China and India to treat industrial wastewater
2018
Established our Regional Headquarters and Global Innovation Center in Singapore
2019
Commercialized the CFRO technology and built first project in the Middle East
2020
Acquired Sigma Water and CRS Water to deepen our footprint in Asia and Australia
2021
Established strategic MNC partnerships across industry verticals, including SLB for lithium and Flowserve for market reach
2022
Acquired Synauta, a machine learning AI company, and WaterPark Environmental, a semiconductor water technology company, to continue geographic and technology expansion
2023
Acquisitions expand geographic reach and solutions portfolio: H+E in Europe for semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, and AWT and MPES in Middle East
2013
Gradiant founded in Boston as an MIT spinout
2014
First CGE plant built to treat and recycle industrial wastewater in the US
2015
SCE technology commercialized to provide a portfolio of proprietary technologies across the water value chain
2016
Secured first ‘Fortune 100’ customer as an end-to-end solutions provider
2017
First international plants built in China and India to treat industrial wastewater
2018
Established our Regional Headquarters and Global Innovation Center in Singapore
2019
Commercialized the CFRO technology and built first project in the Middle East
2020
Acquired Sigma Water and CRS Water to deepen our footprint in Asia and Australia
2021
Established strategic MNC partnerships across industry verticals, including SLB for lithium and Flowserve for market reach
2022
Acquired Synauta, a machine learning AI company, and WaterPark Environmental, a semiconductor water technology company, to continue geographic and technology expansion
2023
Acquisitions expand geographic reach and solutions portfolio: H+E in Europe for semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, and AWT and MPES in Middle East
WANT TO JUMP IN?
We are growing fast and seeking bright minds to contribute to our vision. With global offices and positions across all levels, opportunities at Gradiant are both far and wide.
