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Salt-Free Water Softener: How AQON PURE Bootstrapped a Cleantech Startup
Manage episode 508321575 series 3314925
What if fixing hard water could also save energy and rivers?
Thatâs the question Maximilian Wilk, Co-Founder & CEO of AQON PURE, set out to answer. His team developed a salt-free water softener that prevents limescale, lowers energy bills, and avoids the chloride pollution caused by traditional salt-based systems.
In this episode of Startuprad.io, Maximilian shares how AQON PURE transformed from a family business into a bootstrapped cleantech startup that scaled without VC funding. Instead of relying on wholesalers, the team built a D2C + certified installer network that grew from 100 to over 400 plumbersâunlocking sustainable growth across Germany and beyond.
What youâll learn:
â How limescale silently increases household energy bills by 10â15%
â Why salt-based softeners are being phased out for environmental reasons
â The GTM pivot that took AQON PURE from 18 months of failure to triple-digit growth
â Why bootstrapping a hardware startup can beat VC hypergrowth
â How AQON PURE plans to expand into Spain and Poland with quality-first scaling
â How awards like the FT1000 and a stage appearance at the Schwarzenegger Climate Summit built trust and credibility
Guest Spotlight:
Maximilian Wilk is Co-Founder & CEO of AQON PURE, a leading European startup building climate-positive water technology. His journey shows that family roots, disciplined growth, and a bold pivot can reshape even the hardest hardware categories.
Read complete Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/salt-free-water-softener-aqon-pure-founder-playbook
Watch full interview: https://youtu.be/wibm7IOuy54
Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio
Partner with us: [email protected]
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio
Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9
Follow Joe on LinkedIn: Jörn Menninger
Salt-free water softener, cleantech startup, bootstrapped startup, hardware startup, limescale prevention. D2C startup strategy, European expansion, family business to startup, installer network.
226 episodes
Manage episode 508321575 series 3314925
What if fixing hard water could also save energy and rivers?
Thatâs the question Maximilian Wilk, Co-Founder & CEO of AQON PURE, set out to answer. His team developed a salt-free water softener that prevents limescale, lowers energy bills, and avoids the chloride pollution caused by traditional salt-based systems.
In this episode of Startuprad.io, Maximilian shares how AQON PURE transformed from a family business into a bootstrapped cleantech startup that scaled without VC funding. Instead of relying on wholesalers, the team built a D2C + certified installer network that grew from 100 to over 400 plumbersâunlocking sustainable growth across Germany and beyond.
What youâll learn:
â How limescale silently increases household energy bills by 10â15%
â Why salt-based softeners are being phased out for environmental reasons
â The GTM pivot that took AQON PURE from 18 months of failure to triple-digit growth
â Why bootstrapping a hardware startup can beat VC hypergrowth
â How AQON PURE plans to expand into Spain and Poland with quality-first scaling
â How awards like the FT1000 and a stage appearance at the Schwarzenegger Climate Summit built trust and credibility
Guest Spotlight:
Maximilian Wilk is Co-Founder & CEO of AQON PURE, a leading European startup building climate-positive water technology. His journey shows that family roots, disciplined growth, and a bold pivot can reshape even the hardest hardware categories.
Read complete Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/salt-free-water-softener-aqon-pure-founder-playbook
Watch full interview: https://youtu.be/wibm7IOuy54
Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio
Partner with us: [email protected]
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio
Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9
Follow Joe on LinkedIn: Jörn Menninger
Salt-free water softener, cleantech startup, bootstrapped startup, hardware startup, limescale prevention. D2C startup strategy, European expansion, family business to startup, installer network.
226 episodes
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