TIANJIN, People’s Republic of China (June 27, 2016) — Luxembourg-based clean-tech company APATEQ was awarded as one of the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers, a selection of the world’s most innovative companies. APATEQ engineers and manufactures high-efficiency water and wastewater treatment systems based on unique process technologies. The company was cofounded by Bogdan Serban in 2013 and sells its products to customers worldwide. APATEQ systems have been delivered to customers in the USA, Canada, Italy, Germany and Denmark.
APATEQ has been chosen by a professional jury from hundreds of candidates as one of the 30 selected companies. Thanks to its selection, APATEQ will have access to an influential and sought-after business and political network worldwide. The award ceremony will take place at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, in Tianjin, People’s Republic of China on 27 June. Many Technology Pioneers will also participate in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
“We welcome APATEQ in this group of extraordinary pioneers”, said Fulvia Montresor, head of Technology Pioneers at the World Economic Forum. “APATEQ is among those companies that help shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another. Through the platform of the World Economic Forum, it will be able to scale and share its technology and achieve a larger impact.”
As in previous years, American-based entrepreneurs continue to dominate the list of Technology Pioneers, with 22 out of 30 recipients. Other selected pioneers come from France (two), Luxembourg (two), and Canada, Israel, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The Technology Pioneers are mostly active in IT, health (MedTech), food, energy, environment, financial services (FinTech) and production.
“Being a Technology Pioneer selected by the prestigious World Economic Forum is a great honor for us”, said APATEQ CEO Bogdan Serban. “It is a confirmation that our technologies are among the most unique and pioneering in the world, excel by very competitive costs and can contribute to the protection of our most precious natural resource: fresh water.”
The Technology Pioneers were chosen from among hundreds of applicants by a selection committee of 68 academics, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and corporate executives. Notable members of the committee include Jeffrey M. Drazen (editor-in-chief, The New England Journal of Medicine) and Sang Yup Lee (distinguished professor and director, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). The committee based its decisions on criteria including innovation, potential impact, working prototype, viability and leadership. Past recipients include Google (2001), Wikimedia (2007), Mozilla (2007), Kickstarter (2011) and Airbnb (2013).