AquaB and the EIC Accelerator: Water Nanobubbles Go to Aramco

AquaB Nanobubble Innovations, a University College Dublin spin-out incorporated in 2020 and based near Naas in County Kildare, makes generators that use a static electric field to draw air into water as tiny, long-lasting nanobubbles. Its EIC project said the method costs an order of magnitude less energy than conventional aeration and would "revolutionise the low-energy and low-maintenance aeration of water", with tests in "wastewater treatment, aquaculture and agriculture", according to CORDIS. Its stated mission was "no less than clean up the world's water".

The European Innovation Council granted €2,499,999 towards a €3.57 million project from December 2022 to November 2024, as a grant without equity. The final report describes new electrode designs, field trials "often in full industrial settings", AI models trained on trial data and product maturity at technology readiness level 9 "in select models". It gives no figures for energy savings, oxygen levels or customers. In December 2025 AquaB announced that its Vulcan-500 generators had been commissioned at Saudi Aramco "to support more sustainable approaches to oil production", its first announced commercial deployment.

Where AquaB Stands Now

AquaB's CEO called the Aramco contract "a transformative moment" in its move "from research and development to commercial cleantech leader". The company's website now lists algae regulation, oil and gas, and fuel enhancement ahead of water treatment among its key sectors. In 2025 it finished in the top three of the Colorado Cleantech Oil & Gas Challenge and exhibited at ADIPEC, an oil and gas event, according to its news page. On the Irish register it is classed as a micro company with two shareholders, the largest being the University College Dublin Foundation, according to SoloCheck.

The Technology: Electrostriction

The project says an electric field creates a brief low-pressure region in water that pulls in gas as many small bubbles, which stay stable "typically for many weeks and longer", without additives or high-pressure pumping. For oil and gas, AquaB says the bubbles can improve oil recovery with fewer chemical additives and help treat produced water and drilling fluids. Neither the EIC report nor the Aramco announcement publishes performance data.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised to test the generator in three water use cases and prepare it for full commercialisation, including UL and CE certification. The report claims field trials and TRL 9 in some models but does not say whether certification was obtained or name any water utility, fish farm or farm customer. The commercial breakthrough came in a sector the project did not mention. CORDIS lists the project as closed.

1. Improved generatorsDeliveredPer final report.
2. Field trialsDeliveredNo data published.
3. UL and CE certificationNot statedNot in the report.
4. Water-sector customersNone namedFirst sale is oil.

The Money

AquaB's latest accounts, for the year to April 2025, were filed in February 2026 and are sold by the register services rather than published free. It has announced no equity round, and as a grant-only EIC beneficiary it did not receive EIC Fund investment. Its core patents in the UK, Europe, the US and Japan are held by University College Dublin, according to its website.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The EIC funded AquaB to cut the energy used to aerate water, a climate and water-quality goal. Its first commercial use supports oil production at Saudi Aramco, which AquaB describes as the world's biggest energy company, in what it calls "more sustainable" oil production. The water-sector impact the grant was justified by has not yet been shown.

The Verdict

AquaB and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.