Ichthion

Ichthion is a technology company developing systems to prevent plastic pollution from entering the oceans. Founded in 2017 by Inty Grønneberg and Robert Edwin Rouse, the startup originated from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. Grønneberg, the company's CEO, is an Ecuadorian-Norwegian PhD researcher who was named Latin America Inventor of the Year in 2018 by MIT Technology Review for his work with the company.

The company's core business revolves around its suite of technologies designed to intercept plastic waste in rivers, which are responsible for transporting up to 80% of ocean-bound plastic. Ichthion's patented Azure system is a river barrier technology capable of extracting up to 80 tons of plastic daily without impacting local ecosystems. In addition to physical extraction, the company utilizes its Hyperion AI software to process drone and satellite imagery, identifying pollution hotspots and generating data. This data-driven approach informs governments and corporate partners on developing circular economy strategies and effective policy.

Ichthion operates on a service-based business model, providing its extraction technology and data analysis to clients. The company has secured over $2 million in funding across several rounds, including grants from Innovate UK and prize money from the Benioff Ocean Initiative. Ichthion has deployed its systems in highly polluted rivers in Ecuador and Guatemala and has established partnerships with corporations like Corona and GRUPO AJE. The firm is also expanding its offerings to include products like Galapaxy, which are water refill stations designed to promote sustainable consumer habits.

Keywords: plastic pollution prevention, riverine plastic extraction, marine technology, circular economy data, waste interception systems, ocean-bound plastic, environmental technology, water pollution, waste management solutions, AI pollution tracking, Azure system, Hyperion software, Inty Grønneberg, Robert Rouse, cleantech, sustainability technology, marine debris removal, social impact, environmental data analytics, corporate sustainability