About

Advanced membranes and innovative filtration systems for the production of valuable minerals and clean water

With a strong ethics-based business model, Watercycle is positioned to deliver profitable commercial solutions centred on sustainability, environmental protection, and remediation. Its experienced R&D team, led by Dr Seb Leaper and Dr Ahmed Abdelkarim, is targeting industries including mining, desalination, agriculture, textiles, and food and beverage. Importantly, the modular technology delivers dramatic reductions in costs and carbon emissions with the main by-product being fresh potable water.

The team is focussed on commercialising unique technologies that can also achieve real-world change. With awards including the Eli & Britt Harari Graphene Enterprise Award and an Innovate UK Smart Grant, Watercycle Technologies is entering its next phase of growth, looking commercialise its patented technology and provide sustainable solutions to mineral extraction and water processing. 

Meet the team

CEO & Co-Founder

  • Seb co-founded Watercycle Technologies while researching for a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester. His passion for sustainability has been with him since school and lies at the heart of the company’s ethos. Driven by curiosity and a desire to create change for the better, Seb hopes to inspire people to work together to build a greener future.

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Material Engineer

  • A versatile engineer with R&D experience in the chemical engineering field, with particular emphasis on membrane technology. Creative and curious problem-solver with enthusiasm and passion for driving continuous improvement and innovation projects to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

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Crystallisation Scientist

  • A chemical engineer who recently completed a masters in Subsurface Energy Engineering at the University of Manchester with his project thesis focusing on carbon capture and storage in geothermal aquifers. With a working knowledge of subsurface extraction of geothermal fluids as well as crystallization, he aims to contribute to optimizing this very process at Watercycle Technologies. He is very enthusiastic about contributing to greener practices to bring about significant change.

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CTO & Co-Founder

  • Ahmed co-founded Watercycle while completing a PhD at the National Water Research Centre in Cairo, Egypt. He met Seb during a secondment at the University of Manchester and now leads Watercycle’s research and development. As an Egyptian national, Ahmed keenly understands the importance of water and is fascinated by the opportunities offered by membrane technology in addressing global challenges like water scarcity and resource security.

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Lead Chemical Engineer

  • Bahare is a Chemical Engineer with over seven years of experience in design, characterisation, and testing of membranes for both gas and liquid separation applications. Bahare completed her PhD in polymer chemistry at the University of Manchester, where she delved into the world of membranes for CO2 capture processes. As a postdoctoral researcher focusing on greener routes to membrane production, Bahare is passionate to help build sustainable systems at Watercycle and making a meaningful impact in today’s world.

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Lead Battery Recycling Scientist

  • Adel is a consultant of industrial and applied chemistry. He is an Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry at South Valley University (SVU), Egypt. He is the manager of the Nanocomposite Catalyst Lab and lead the Sustainable Chemistry research group in SVU. He specialises in the preparation and characterisation of active porous solids, by recovering from waste and/or local cheap resources. His research involves the valorisation of different types of solid wastes produced in urban and rural areas such as industrial, biomass, electronic, plastic, metallic and other municipal solid waste (MSW).

    For instance, Adel’s research group produced iron oxide and alumina catalysts from drink cans and scrap wires as well as nanocomposite impurity-free hydroxyapatite from cement kiln dust produced in cement factories. In addition, they selectively removed lead and extracted pure zinc compounds from EAF dust generated as by-product in the iron and steel factories. Furthermore, Adel has an experience in the pilot-scale studies during his work with the sugar factories research team to develop sorbents for colour removal which is one of the important steps in the production of sugar from sugar cane.

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Process Engineer

  • Roberto Navarro Tovar is a chemical engineer with extensive knowledge in membrane technology, optimization, control and integration of mass and energy in chemical processes.
    Currently completing a PhD in Process Integration at The University of Manchester, he has also conducted research at Texas A&M University and
    the Center for Research and Development in Food Agrobiotechnology in Hidalgo, Mexico.

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Membrane Scientist

  • Heloise completed a master’s in chemistry at the University of Manchester focusing on graphene and its thermoelectric properties. Her knowledge in material science will contribute to the development of membranes at Watercycle Technologies. She is committed to establishing greener processes to ensure a sustainable future.

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Operations Director

  • Matt has over 10 years’ experience working within the water industry and other industrial sectors both abroad and within the UK. A strong electrical and mechanical background, Relationship focused, he is passionate about getting the best from our team and doing right by our customers.

Our Mission 

Watercycle Technologies is committed to reducing the environmental cost of mineral extraction and increasing the availability of clean water.

Commercial and Strategic Advisory Team

Partner, Aer Ventures

  • Paul is a co-founder of Aer Ventures and enjoys supporting entrepreneurs focused on the resource and environmental challenges facing the world. He’s excited about the positive impact on raw material supply management that Watercycle Technologies can make - an impact that is essential if we are to meet our Net Zero obligations .

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Partner, Aer Ventures

  • Chris is a co-founder of Aer Ventures and has over 25 years of experience in founding, developing and scaling professional services, sustainability and technology businesses. He has a passion for the Circular Economy and is an advocate for the process of turning waste products into usable minerals.

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Board Advisor, Watercycle Technologies

  • Phil is an experienced Board Advisor, working with founders from a number of early stage businesses in the technology, property and education sectors. Before becoming an advisor, Phil worked for 30 years in IT/Telecoms as well as the property industry. Phil is committed to working with people and companies that have strong social and environmental drivers.

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Scientific Advisory Team

Lecturer in Chemical Engineering,
University of Zaragoza, Spain

  • Former Lecturer in the department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science at the University of Manchester and Seb’s former PhD supervisor, Patricia has played a pivotal role in the formation of Watercycle Technologies. Now lecturing at the University of Zaragoza, Spain, Patricia continues to support Seb and Watercycle in its technical development, grant writing and academic collaborations.

 

Professor in Chemical Engineering and Senior Director of Community Engagement
Technical University of Federico Santa María, Chile

  • Patricio Nuñez holds a PhD and MSc from the University of Pittsburgh, USA. He is a Chemical Civil Engineer and graduate from the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa where he currently holds an academic position at the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering. He has extensive experience consulting for the largest mining companies in the world on various large-scale projects including lithium and copper mining projects in the Andes mountains. Patricio has been advising Watercycle since 2020.

Chair of Technical Chemistry,
University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

  • Mathias has over 30 years of experience in organic and polymer chemistry as well as chemical engineering. In the focus of his research are functional polymeric and nanohybrid materials, including synthetic membranes and membrane-based technologies for water purification, bioseparation and energy conversion. He was Ahmed’s academic supervisor during his internship at the University of Duisburg-Essen and has continued to support both Ahmed and Watercycle ever since.

Lecturer in Chemical Engineering,
University of Manchester, UK

  • Reader in Crystallisation at the University of Manchester, Aurora supervised Seb during his Doctoral Prize Fellowship. Her research interests lie in the area of the organic solid-state, data analysis, molecular modelling, crystal engineering and crystallisation. Earlier in her career she spent some months at the Royal Institution in London before moving to Cambridge where she gained a PhD in Physical Chemistry (2008) under the supervision of Dr Graeme Day and Prof. Bill Jones. She continues to advise and support Watercycle as it begins commercialising its technology.