Nala Membranes Advances in Global XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition
Largest XPRIZE in history seeks to unlock breakthroughs in water innovation and desalination
RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC, UNITED STATES, September 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/
NALA Membranes, a deep tech company pioneering the next generation of durable, chlorine-tolerant reverse osmosis membranes for desalination and wastewater treatment, announced today its selection to a cohort of companies competing in the $119 million XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, the largest XPRIZE in history.
NALA was selected from 674 teams across 86 countries to join 50 teams with demonstrated technical maturity in novel materials and methods for saltwater separation. NALA’s next-generation membranes are chlorine-tolerant, improving outcomes and reducing costs associated with reverse osmosis (RO). RO is a water treatment method experiencing rapid global expansion due to factors such as water scarcity, the demand for industrial wastewater treatment, and the increasing number of desalination plants worldwide.
XPRIZE is the world’s leader in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges. The XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, sponsored by The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, is a multi-year global competition designed to combat water scarcity by unlocking breakthroughs that make desalination a more viable, accessible, and sustainable solution.
“Advancing in the XPRIZE competition propels our company into the global spotlight,” said Sue Mecham, Ph.D., CEO of NALA Membranes. “This honor, along with other recent milestones, would not have been possible without years of dedication by our valued team; we cannot wait to enter the next phase of this competition and show the world what NALA can achieve.”