Revolutionizing Manure, Sustaining the Future
Story
While studying Agricultural Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Bianca Bailey visited a dairy farm and encountered a problem she couldn’t ignore—massive pools of untreated animal manure. The strong odor from a large brown lagoon caught her attention, and when she asked the farmer about it, he jokingly called it the “smell of money.” But with a more serious tone, he explained the reality: toxic greenhouse gases, costly environmental fines, and the risk of pollution killing aquatic life if the waste wasn’t properly managed.
Determined to find a solution, Dr. Bailey dove into research, spending countless hours studying manure treatment. She discovered a technique using electrical current to separate clean water from liquid dairy cow manure. With the support of her Ph.D. advisor, she built a prototype—but early tests failed. Then, one night, she adjusted an experimental parameter before heading home. The next morning, to her amazement, the water was clear. Overcome with excitement, she jumped up and down, shouting, "It worked! It worked!"
This breakthrough led to the founding of Agriwater. With early support from the iVenture Accelerator at UIUC, Dr. Bailey launched the company. After earning her Ph.D. as only the second African American woman in over 100 years to do so in at the University of Illinois, she secured funding from the Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to commercialize the technology.
Today, Agriwater is backed by an Angel Investor, Techstars Water Tech & Sustainability and the AgTech gBeta of Gener8tor, propelling the company toward scaling its impact. Since its launch, Agriwater has raised nearly half a million dollars, expanded its team, and won multiple awards, including the 2023 Climate Tech Inclusion Award from Evergreen Climate Innovation & U.S. Bank. Now, Agriwater is gearing up for full-scale manufacturing, delivering its manureto-clean-water systems to early adopters, and raising a pre-seed funding round to transform waste into value at scale.
Determined to find a solution, Dr. Bailey dove into research, spending countless hours studying manure treatment. She discovered a technique using electrical current to separate clean water from liquid dairy cow manure. With the support of her Ph.D. advisor, she built a prototype—but early tests failed. Then, one night, she adjusted an experimental parameter before heading home. The next morning, to her amazement, the water was clear. Overcome with excitement, she jumped up and down, shouting, "It worked! It worked!"
This breakthrough led to the founding of Agriwater. With early support from the iVenture Accelerator at UIUC, Dr. Bailey launched the company. After earning her Ph.D. as only the second African American woman in over 100 years to do so in at the University of Illinois, she secured funding from the Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to commercialize the technology.
Today, Agriwater is backed by an Angel Investor, Techstars Water Tech & Sustainability and the AgTech gBeta of Gener8tor, propelling the company toward scaling its impact. Since its launch, Agriwater has raised nearly half a million dollars, expanded its team, and won multiple awards, including the 2023 Climate Tech Inclusion Award from Evergreen Climate Innovation & U.S. Bank. Now, Agriwater is gearing up for full-scale manufacturing, delivering its manureto-clean-water systems to early adopters, and raising a pre-seed funding round to transform waste into value at scale.
Team
Dr. Bianca Bailey, PhD
Founder & CEO
Dr. Bianca Bailey is the Founder and CEO of Agriwater. She started Agriwater while earning her Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, after completing a MS degree in Environmental Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and BS in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Howard University. In 2011, she was recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change for Women and Girls in STEM. Dr. Bailey is also a GEM Consortium Fellow, Girls Incorporated National Scholar, and Innovation Crossroads Fellow with the U.S. Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Lab.
Ethan Parker
Director of East Tennessee AgResearch & Education Center University of Tennessee Dairy Farm
Dr. Ethan Parker is the Director of the East Tennessee Agricultural Research Center at the University of Tennessee, where he oversees operations at the university’s 200-cow dairy farm. With extensive experience in agricultural research and farm management, he plays a vital role in supporting innovation in sustainable farming practices. Dr. Parker has been a key stakeholder in collaborating with Agriwater to coordinate the on-site deployment of their water treatment technology. His leadership bridges academic research with real-world agricultural solutions that benefit both farmers and the environment.
Costas Tsouris
Oak Ridge National, Lab Collaborator Department of Energy (DOE)
Dr. Costas Tsouris is a renowned researcher whose work spans electrocoagulation for water treatment, direct air capture, and the characterization and capture of radioactive chemicals. He serves as Agriwater’s Principal Investigator and collaborator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, bringing deep scientific expertise to the development of sustainable water technologies. Dr. Tsouris has played a pivotal role in advancing Agriwater’s commercialization efforts by leading electrocoagulation research with animal manure and supporting the manufacturing of a demonstration system to be deployed at a 200-head dairy farm in Tennessee.
Dr. Bianca Bailey, PhD
Founder & CEO
Dr. Bianca Bailey is the Founder and CEO of Agriwater. She started Agriwater while earning her Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, after completing a MS degree in Environmental Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and BS in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Howard University. In 2011, she was recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change for Women and Girls in STEM. Dr. Bailey is also a GEM Consortium Fellow, Girls Incorporated National Scholar, and Innovation Crossroads Fellow with the U.S. Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Lab.
Ethan Parker
Director of East Tennessee AgResearch & Education Center University of Tennessee Dairy Farm
Dr. Ethan Parker is the Director of the East Tennessee Agricultural Research Center at the University of Tennessee, where he oversees operations at the university’s 200-cow dairy farm. With extensive experience in agricultural research and farm management, he plays a vital role in supporting innovation in sustainable farming practices. Dr. Parker has been a key stakeholder in collaborating with Agriwater to coordinate the on-site deployment of their water treatment technology. His leadership bridges academic research with real-world agricultural solutions that benefit both farmers and the environment.
Costas Tsouris
Oak Ridge National, Lab Collaborator Department of Energy (DOE)
Dr. Costas Tsouris is a renowned researcher whose work spans electrocoagulation for water treatment, direct air capture, and the characterization and capture of radioactive chemicals. He serves as Agriwater’s Principal Investigator and collaborator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, bringing deep scientific expertise to the development of sustainable water technologies. Dr. Tsouris has played a pivotal role in advancing Agriwater’s commercialization efforts by leading electrocoagulation research with animal manure and supporting the manufacturing of a demonstration system to be deployed at a 200-head dairy farm in Tennessee.
Advisors
Verdi Ergün
Technology Advisor
Gina Bennett
Strategy Advisor
Tiffany Snyder
Techstars Mentor
Paul Taylor
Techstars Mentor
Verdi Ergün
Technology Advisor
Gina Bennett
Strategy Advisor
Tiffany Snyder
Techstars Mentor
Paul Taylor
Techstars Mentor
Partners & Investors
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