Founded in 2012 by Mehrdad Mahdjoubi through a project with NASA and Lund University, the company is known for its efficient shower system, the ‘Shower of the Future,’ which allows up to 90% water savings and 80% energy savings while at the same time increasing comfort and hygiene. Its showers have already saved one million litres of water since the funding. The startup has a global portfolio of more than 100 patents.

This growth reflects Orbital’s expanding global market reach and its mission to promote water and energy efficiency.

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The funds are reported to be used to expand the business and product portfolio. In addition, the company aims to be the only company on the market to offer technology solutions that significantly reduce water and energy consumption without compromising user comfort.

“With increasing water shortages globally and rising energy prices, there is an obvious momentum for Orbital and our solutions to save water and energy without compromising on comfort. This investment gives us the opportunity to scale up commercially and increase the pace of getting the world to use water smarter.” – says Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, founder and CEO, Orbital Systems, to tech.eu

The company was founded by Mehrdad Mahdjoubi in 2012, as result of a project between NASA and Lund University. The startup has succeeded in developing an Orbital shower system that reduces water waste, is cost-effective, and is easy for consumers to use.

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IKDC and the School of Industrial Design has been the breeding ground for multiple famous entrepreneurs, such as Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin who founded Hövding, the airbag helmet and Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, founder of Niklas Zennström backed Orbital Systems. Alumni also include people like Isabelle Olsson who is head industrial design for Google’s Home and Wearable products.

The school of renowed for it’s high quality and accepts only 30 students each year. It is led by Claus-Christian Eckhardt.

“He has experience from international businesses and high-profile design for famous brands, but is driven by a passion and there were resources for implementing projects,”

– says Mehrdad Mahdjoubi to Sydsvenskan when talking about how his time at IKDC.

The donation, which is over €33 million will go towards the Lund University School of Industrial Design. The education, which is held at the IKDC center in Lund has already earlier gotten grants on a yearly basis from Ingvar Kamprad, but now the foundation has decided to make a large contribution, with the aim of making that money sustain the education and research going forward.

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This is the second round of funding for the startup, which previously received more than € 11.3M (SEK 113 m) in investments from Niklas Zennström and the af Jochnick family, among other investors. This latest round of financing brings the total amount raised to € 29M (SEK 290 million), the company shared in its press release.

The technology behind the so-called “Tesla of showers” was developed by founder and CEO Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, thanks to an academic collaboration between his alma mater Lund University and NASA’s Journey to Mars program, writes Fortune.

The closed-loop water filtration system aims to reduce water consumption by 90% and could result in more than € 1400 (SEK 14 000) in annual energy savings. Initially developed for showers in space, the technology could revolutionize how household appliances recycle water here on Earth. As founder and CEO Mehrdad Mahdjoubi points out:

“We developed some great technology for the NASA projects, but what the past two years have shown us is that the technology works just as well here as it does in space. For our next growth phase we’ll focus on getting Orbital showers into every home that wants to save money on both water and energy.”

The OECD estimates that 40% of the world’s domestic water consumption relates to showering, as noted in the press release. These are staggering figures, says Mahdjoubi.

“It seems insane that we’ve developed this tech for space travel without using the same efficiencies here on Earth.”

As climate change advances and water resources become scarce, clean technology companies like Orbital Systems will likely see increased growth as they develop innovative solutions. Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, Orbital Systems is already expanding internationally with offices in northern California, Berlin, and Copenhagen.

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Control smart phone by gesture?

We live in a world where smart devices are everywhere and the future will not be different. Technology will integrate in our lives even further and will become even more intelligent, just like  sci-fi movies warn us. CrunchFish from Malmö is already working on bringing some futuristic uses of mobile technology into reality. Their goal is to change the way we interact with mobile phones and other devices by creating touchless technology.

Just imagine, in the near future silently waving and throwing your hands in the air will not be an odd behavior but a way to give commands to your smart devices. It might take some getting use to, but already now a lot of manufacturers are interested CrunchFish technology, expecting to install it in the next generation mobile phones. GoCam is the first app they developed to allow users to take a selfie by just waving their hands. We can expect that further integration of touchless technology into everyday life will make a huge difference to user experiences of the future.

Practical IoT in your home

IoT (Internet of Things) is one of the hottest topics of tech scene. Though it has not been widely applied in our life just yet, the possibility to create convenient connectedness of everyday technology is immense. Sensative from Lund is working on something that could help bring IoT a step close to becoming a norm of modern homes.

Strips, Sensative’s first product, is a wireless magnetic sensor that is pretty much invisible on windows and doors. Without the hassle of complicated installation, Strips help home dwellers keep an eye on their home security while away. Sensative is also working on a series of new products that will be launched in the near future bringing more possibility of intelligent home facilities.

Technology to care for the elderly

Apart from making  life convenient technology of the future will also make life easier for some vulnerable groups. Aging society is a phenomenon that we all will have to figure out some time soon. Already now there is an issue of lack of good care for elderly who stay home. Tryggel from Malmö was established exactly with the purpose to solve this problem. Tryggel‘s founder got an idea when she realized how dangerous it could be for elderly without good in home care as her own grandma had fallen a few times while alone at home. As a result Tryggel  currently develops a system of home sensors to create a protective environment in home of elderly.

Next Step Dynamics from Malmö has taken a step further. Their technology predicts and monitors the risk of fall, develops recovery program and provides remote care solutions.

In the far future, physical age may not be a problem at all thanks to the progressing technology. But the short-term goal is to increase the quality of life of elderly.

For a better world

Some companies have bigger vision where they try to use technology to solve problems caused by human activities on a global scale. For example, paper sheeting and making this valuable resource as efficiently as possible. This along with recycling ensures demand is met without impacting the state of the planet. Continuing to think on a global scale, food and water shortage are two existing problems facing the world. Innoscentia and Orbital are working on solutions that will contribute to fighting these problems.

Have you ever thought that a great deal of food is being thrown away without a good reason? According to Innoscentia terms like ‘Best Before’ or ‘Use by’ are quite misleading and result in food waste. Consumers will throw away products even when they are perfectly edible. Innoscentia‘s solution is a sensor technology integrated into packaging that could detect food degradation. Their first product is meat packages telling consumers how good the food is.

Orbital Systmes, on the other hand, is after solving the problem of water shortage. Their indoor water system could save up to 90% of water and energy compared to a conventional showers we are currently using. The technology was developed initially for space exploration but soon it might become common for showers in modern homes.

Image: news oresund

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This year’s list has witnessed some 200 nominations of various companies from all over Sweden. Among the 33 finalists are seven companies from Southern Sweden, according to 8till5.

1. Acconeer – Lund-based startup that develops sensors for next generation portable devices. Acconeer was established in 2011. Estimated product launch is 2017.
2. Anima – Malmo-based company that makes smart watches and jewelry. Anima was established less than a year ago but has already raised 94 mln SEK (10 mln euro) from a Chinese company Goertek. The first collection of watches will be presented at the end of this year.
3. Mapillary – Malmo-based company that works wih crowdsourced map solution as an alternative to Google Maps. It is the 3rd time Mapillary lands among 33-listan companies. This year Mapillary also took in a 68 mln SEK (over 7 mln euro) investment to scale its operations.
4. Nattaro Labs – Lund-based company that develops products and services to prevent and combat bedbugs. The company was founded in 2011. Nattaro Labs has established a partnership with one of Germany’s largest distributors of pest control: PPS GmbH.
5. Orbital Systems – Malmo-based company that uses space technologies to reuse 90% of shower water and 80% of heat. It is the 2nd time Orbital Systems lands among the 33-listan companies.
6. Senzagen – Lund-based company that develops a technology for creating allergy tests without animal experiments. At the beginning of the year Senzagen signed an agreement with an international pharmaceutical company. It is the 2nd time Senzagen is on the 33-listan.
7. Spiideo – Malmo-based company that develops software for image analysis and a service for advanced video recording.

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Orbital Systems is Malmo-based startup behind innovative showers that help to save up to 90% of water and 80% of electricity. Launched in 2012, Nasa-inspired showers by Orbital Systems were installed in a number of places with public showers among which Central Hospital in Kristianstad, Hotel Mäster Johan as well as Swedish Armed Forces.

Large order from Copenhagen

The order from Frederiksberg’s swimming pool in Copenhagen is presently the largest one for Orbital Systems. Instalation of 8 new eco-friendly showers will be complete in January. The oder is worth a couple of million crowns, but according to Kim Andersson, CEO at Frederiksberg’s swimming pool, the showers are deemed as an investment that is expected to yield returns within 3 years in the form of water and electricity savings, especially since the cost of water in Denmark is about 4 times higher than in Sweden.

During the past few months Orbital Systems has been going through expansion, establishing two new offices: one in Berlin, Germany, and one in Palo Alto, USA. There is even a plan to establish presence in Norway in the nearest future.

“Norway is Tesla’s biggest market outside North America. There is a will in Norway to invest in “green” solutions. Although there are good subsidies on electric vehicles in Norway, most people do not buy a Tesla for economic reasons. It is mainly about the readiness to invest in green technology and belief in the idea of a better future related to it,” says Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, CEO and founder of Orbital Systems.

Future growth and a new head of production

In relation to the expansion plans, Orbital Systems is currently scaling up its production in Hjärup – mowing from handmade to mass produced. Company’s ambitious plans will be powered by expertise of Peter Carlsson as a head of production who has previously been CPO & Head of Supply chain at Tesla motors.

“Peter’s experience in dealing with challenges that are faced by innovative startups when it comes to transformation from a research and development company to a global consumer products company will be extremely valuable to us,” says Mehrdad Mahdjoubi in 8till5.

In connection to the new position at the company, former Tesla chief also brings in an investment and takes a seat on a board at Orbital Systems.

Peter Carlsson has worked for Tesla since 2011 and was one of the company’s first employees. As a CPO & Head of Supply chain he was responsible for Tesla’s upscaling in terms of supplier structures and logistics systems.

“It is very exciting to be part of the Orbital Systems during the entrepreneurial growth phase,” says Peter Carlsson.

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“We are proud to be part of the development towards a sustainable healthcare in Sweden and we see that our shower technology really makes a big difference,” says Jakob Nielsen, Business Development Director of Orbital Systems.

Sten Velander, environmental strategist at Skånevård Kryh, one of Region Skåne’s four health administrations, sees shower installation as an investment. It is expected to pay off within 3 years through lower water and energy expenses as well as lower need for antibacterial maintenance.

Orbital Systems’ eco-friendly showers have been previously installed in a number of publicly owned facilities in Sweden, Sweden’s largest construction company, the Swedish Armed Forces, a refugee centre, a football stadium, a luxury hotel and several sports and aquatics centres. And within first six months of commercial launch the eco-friendly showers managed to help saving 1 million liters of water.

Inspired by NASA technologies and born out of Lund’s Engineering University Orbital Systems were launched under the mentorship of Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström. In spring the company took in €4.3 million in series A round, extending the list of company investors.

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The startup has designed the world’s most efficient shower system and has helped to save 1 million litres of water since it launched commercially just six months ago. Since earlier the former Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström is an investor, and this round is with U.S. David Epstein, together with a large selection of Nordic VCs and angels, including: The af Jochnick family, Peter Enberg, Rosengård Invest (led by Ljubo Mrnjavac), Dendera Ventures (led by Thomas Wiklund) and Mårten Öbrink.

Focusing on where the market is

The combination of Nordic VC funds and US strategic investment supports Orbital Systems’ goal of transitioning from a technology-oriented startup to a market-oriented company. Orbital Systems will target strategic markets such as California where water scarcity is an ongoing challenge, and continue with its R&D programme to enhance user experience.

Orbital Systems is an award-winning cleantech startup led by founder and CEO Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, and set up in Malmö. The company has developed the world’s most efficient shower system, “Shower of the Future”, allowing up to 90% water savings and 80% energy savings while at the same time increasing comfort and hygiene. Its showers have already saved 1 million litres of water since the end of 2014. The company hopes this latest injection of funding will help it to save 1 billion litres of water by the end of next year.

“We’re confident that with the support of such reputable and experienced investors, we can fulfill the next phase of our plan to grow the business beyond Sweden and into markets where water is more scarce.” says Mehrdad Mahdjoubi.

Inspired by an academic cooperation project with NASA and born out of Lund’s Engineering University, the company was launched under the mentorship of Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström.

“We want to help create a more sustainable future. Our product has been trialled, sold and installed in a variety of Swedish facilities, now we are poised to expand and meet our goal of helping people all over the world save energy and water.”

Orbital Systems already has showers installed in a wide range of places including several publicly owned facilities in Sweden, Sweden’s largest construction company, the Swedish Armed Forces, a refugee centre, a football stadium, a luxury hotel and several sports and aquatics centres.

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The startups that successfully finished in this batch where:

• Tunaspot – Tunaspot is a music application that enables the sharing and discovering new music linked to different physical locations. Tunaspot has established partnerships with Spotify, Soundcloud, Foursquare and Deezer.
• Stiff – Stiff wants to reintroduce plastic as a versatile, luxurious and qualitative material. Stiff makes innovative plastic products and accessories. Every year we are launching a new plastic product that highlights the material’s understated beauty and recyclable opportunities.
• Orbital Systems – Orbital Systems has developed a revolutionary water recycling technology that allows large water and electricity savings. The first product is a shower that recycles water in real time and has attracted worldwide attention.
• Mailendar – Mailendar offers an intuitive and easy to use collection services for organizing mail, calendars, to-do lists and business in one place. For both individuals and businesses.
• MIND-IT – MIND-IT offers psychological treatment through the internet and apps with the same results as in traditional treatment.
• Think Train – Think Train has developed an open platform that emphasizes sustainable travel options from various providers. We want to create opportunities for cleaner air, healthier life and better streets.
• Emerging Cooking Solution – Emerging Cooking Solutions is a social enterprise with the goal of saving lives, climate change and Africa’s forests. A simple and profitable model based on a combination of clean burning stoves and locally made pellets.
• SIC Designer – SIC Designer is an interactive meeting place for everyone who loves clothes, fashion, textiles and creativity. SIC Designer develops practical online courses in sewing, fashion illustration and design.
• Shore – Shore has developed an app that helps landlubbers and sjöbusar to socially navigate the seven seas.

For further details, see Mincs information.

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