Wastewater intelligence startup, Kando, closed its latest investment round, raising $10 million led by DC Thomson, LIP, Ram-On Investments, Bridges Israel, ICI Fund, Aliaxis, and OurCrowd.
Wastewater quality is a major global challenge, impacting water availability, public health, and the environment. Kando, founded by Zohar Scheinin and Ari Goldfarb, initially operated as a bootstrap company. With this new investment, Kando plans to accelerate its global expansion, particularly in the US and Europe, while enhancing its wastewater intelligence solutions, which are built on proprietary machine learning models trained on in-house IoT wastewater data.
"We are looking forward to helping Kando improve water quality in the ocean, rivers, and streams in the UK. Kando's solution, based on GenAI," said John S. Thomson, Investment Director at DC Thomson.
Kando leverages Generative AI to transform analytical insights and industry knowledge into actionable business actions, enabling significant cost savings, enhancing wastewater reuse, and supporting sustainable urban water management in cities across the US and Europe. Backed by a robust data science team, Kando integrates expertise in Biophysics, Biology, and Mathematics to deliver industry-leading wastewater intelligence.
"Kando is a prime example of how AI can address complex challenges in a market that is so important to people's lives," said Mario Nissan, Managing Partner at LIP Ventures. "Kando's pioneering approach to wastewater intelligence perfectly aligns with our mission to drive meaningful impact, now further enhanced by the power of Generative AI," added Gili Elkin, partner at Kando and the Israel-Colorado Innovation Fund.
The new funding will enable Kando to expand its reach and enhance its capabilities. The startup is also focused on developing an AI-driven platform for managing and improving wastewater quality in real-time, providing cities with the tools they need to make informed decisions for better urban water management.
"Kando's pioneering use of Generative AI in wastewater management is a game-changer for the environment and public health. This investment allows us to back a technology that not only improves water quality but also empowers communities globally," said Josh Hersch, Investment Director at OurCrowd.
Kando's technology optimizes wastewater quality management through the use of advanced AI, machine learning, and IoT data, allowing cities to save millions of dollars, improve the reuse of wastewater, and better protect public health and the environment. "We are excited and looking forward to working with our new partners who have joined us, together with the existing investors who have once again shown their trust and support to solve the global water challenge," said Ari Goldfarb, CEO and Co-founder of Kando. "This investment will further empower the use of AI to improve decision-making in the water sector, benefiting populations worldwide."
The latest round brings the startup's total funding to $30 million.
