SPOTLIGHT: KANDO – Revolutionizing Wastewater Management Through Artificial Intelligence

Kando Environmental Services Ltd is an Israeli company that has developed a technology using Artificial Intelligence to effectively manage wastewater in a way that has never been done before. Utilizing a network of wireless data-gathering units in manholes, Kando collects real-time data from wastewater systems and runs advanced analytics through its proprietary algorithms that provide actionable insights to decision-makers.

Streaming wastewater network data to the cloud 24×7, real-time display of data with alerts, and predicting events give operators the required time to avoid damages, pinpoint events in the network, track their source and prevent the load on the entire wastewater network. Kando’s intelligence solution is helping governments, utilities, and wastewater treatment plants to monitor and detect new outbreaks, preventing environmental, economic, and public health damages.

From left to right- Gili Elkin (CGO), Ari Goldfarb (CEO), Zohar Scheinin (CRO)

KANDO PULSE

There are several technologies that focus on the treatment of wastewater after it reaches the collection systems but shifting the focus to the source of events and preventing the contamination before it reaches the treatment plant was the innovative thought that led to the inception of Kando, the first of its kind in the world when launched.

Kando’s solution has been game-changing for municipalities with complete oversight of the network, control of the wastewater quality, clear insights into changing network conditions, significant operational cost reductions, and improved wastewater quality for reuse.

BREAKING BARRIERS

One of the most significant benefits of the data and insights from wastewater has been the change it is bringing to the entire wastewater treatment ecosystem and the culture of organizations. In most markets, there is absolutely no data present for wastewater, and all departments like collection, operations, treatment, and others work in silos. Having insightful analysis available to everyone increased the communication amongst departments, thereby improving overall process efficiency.

Kando solution is running successfully in more than five countries, including Israel, Italy, the USA, Germany, and the UK. In addition to identifying changes and events in the wastewater network, the projects have demonstrated a significant improvement in wastewater quality, reducing the number of days needed to treat wastewater, improving the effluent quality, and eliminating the streams that cannot be treated. The real-time insights have also improved the operating efficiency and energy consumption of wastewater treatment plants by 11%.

THE JOURNEY

Growing up in a city by the sea, Ari loved the water and has enjoyed surfing and diving since he was a kid. He recalls how he has seen marine pollution changing the sea over the years. Being a process engineer with rich experience of working in wastewater treatment plants, he wanted to change the way water treatment was approached – Correct it at the source instead of treating it at the endpoint.

He founded Kando along with his co-founder Zohar Scheinin in 2012. He remembers how he used to be in the field collecting samples manually and carrying out analysis in excel sheets. Soon his models were ready for a pilot project, and the innovative solution was well received.

The company was approached by the government to implement the solution in the city of Haifa in Israel. The technology proved to be path-breaking, demonstrating the immense value the insights brought to the entire system. There was no looking back after that.

When I asked Ari what, according to him, was the driving force behind his company’s success, he said it is the success of Kando’s clients. The company is focused on what can create value for the clients and works very closely with them to ensure they succeed. Every employee, when they join Kando, is sent to the field first to collect wastewater samples. As Ari said, “At Kando, we Know, Understand, and Love wastewater.”

Starting the company from a cowshed, Kando has come a long way, and this is just the beginning.

READY TO RIDE THE BIG WAVE

Kando raised US$6 Million early this year in its Series B financing round, bringing the total amount raised to US$16 Million. This funding has made Kando one of Israel’s best-funded environmental technologies firms.

With offices in the US and Israel, the company is now geared to expand to more and more markets bringing exemplary benefits in more ways than one can imagine. One such testament of how impactful data from the sewage system can be is when Kando recently partnered with leading researchers from top Israeli institutions, including Ben Gurion University and Technion, to detect the outbreak of COVID-19 in the city of Ashkelon, Israel¹. The results demonstrated the ability of the technology to locate hotspots down to specific neighborhoods and even city streets.

The possibilities are endless with what can be achieved, including preventing a local outbreak before it explodes into a regional or national one. So, if you are from the wastewater treatment sector, working to improve public health, or just curious to learn more about Kando, please reach out to Ari Goldfarb and his brilliant team at https://www.kando.eco/. Let us not wonder any longer why this technology is not deployed everywhere in the world!!

written by: Manisha Malik