Oregon based Puralytics makes a splash and wins the Cleantech Open

Many say that water startups are ripe for investment, in part because the world’s water situation is so dire.

Companies that desalinate seawater or remediate sewage rarely grab headlines, and water technology startups have typically struggled to attract interest from the venture capital community. Electric-vehicle makers and smart grid companies seem to generate all the buzz. Water is often overlooked within the cleantech industry.

But that’s beginning to change. One of the signs: Puralytics http://www.puralytics.com/html/home.php , an Oregon startup that uses LED lights to purify water and protect it against bacteria, clinched the Cleantech Open last week. More than 300 companies from regions across the country entered the influential cleantech business competition, and this marks the first time in the contest’s five-year history that a "water" company has won.

By Dana Hull

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