Nala Membranes Advances in Global XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition

Largest XPRIZE in history seeks to unlock breakthroughs in water innovation and desalination

RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC, UNITED STATES, September 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- NALA Membranes, a deep tech company pioneering the next generation of durable, chlorine-tolerant reverse osmosis membranes for desalination and wastewater treatment, announced today its selection to a cohort of companies competing in the $119 million XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, the largest XPRIZE in history.

NALA was selected from 674 teams across 86 countries to join 50 teams with demonstrated technical maturity in novel materials and methods for saltwater separation. NALA’s next-generation membranes are chlorine-tolerant, improving outcomes and reducing costs associated with reverse osmosis (RO). RO is a water treatment method experiencing rapid global expansion due to factors such as water scarcity, the demand for industrial wastewater treatment, and the increasing number of desalination plants worldwide.

XPRIZE is the world’s leader in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges. The XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, sponsored by The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, is a multi-year global competition designed to combat water scarcity by unlocking breakthroughs that make desalination a more viable, accessible, and sustainable solution.

“Advancing in the XPRIZE competition propels our company into the global spotlight,” said Sue Mecham, Ph.D., CEO of NALA Membranes. “This honor, along with other recent milestones, would not have been possible without years of dedication by our valued team; we cannot wait to enter the next phase of this competition and show the world what NALA can achieve.”

In recent months, NALA has scaled its testing and preliminary purchase order program while deepening relationships with its multinational partners. In the past few months, Nala has expanded its team and added a 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to meet rising demand.


About Nala Membranes

Headquartered in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, NALA’s pioneering technology makes water reuse and desalination cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and scalable. Since its founding in 2018, the company has received multiple awards, most recently, the prestigious Global Prize for Innovation in Desalination by the Saudi Water Authority, the world’s largest producer of desalinated water. Engineered to withstand the rigors of the most challenging water sources, NALA’s chlorine-tolerant reverse osmosis membranes deliver robust performance and reliability to governments and multinationals across the food and beverage, semiconductor, consumer electronics, and energy industries.

Maggie Bump
Nala Membranes
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