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Norwegian subsea desalination company Flocean has expanded its Series A funding round to US$22.5 million, welcoming global water-technology leader Xylem as a strategic investor.
The investment will support the scale-up of Flocean’s deep-water desalination systems and the commercial launch of Flocean One, billed as the world’s first subsea desalination plant.
Flocean was recently named a TIME Best Invention of 2025, reflecting the company’s innovative approach to addressing global water scarcity.
The Series A round also includes existing investors Burnt Island Ventures, Freebird Capital, Katapult Ocean, and Nysnø Climate Investments, alongside new investors including Ari Emanuel, Orion, Rypples, and Wellers Impact’s Water Unite Impact Fund. The CEO of Asset Buyout Partners (ABP) also participated.
Flocean’s technology positions desalination operations 400–600 metres below the ocean surface, leveraging natural hydrostatic pressure to reduce capital costs, land use, and energy requirements. The approach also minimises greenhouse-gas emissions, pre-treatment infrastructure, and chemical use while eliminating surface brine discharge.
“We’re not making an incremental improvement – we’re changing the fundamental economics of water,” said Alexander Fuglesang, founder & CEO of Flocean.
Xylem will support Flocean in scaling its technology globally to meet rising water demand from both consumers and industrial facilities. “Flocean’s subsea desalination technology represents a bold leap forward in how we produce fresh water and address water scarcity – one of the most urgent challenges of our time,” said Snehal Desai, chief growth and innovation officer at Xylem.
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Flocean has also signed an agreement with Alver Municipality in Norway to evaluate the integration of subsea-produced water into local industrial and municipal networks. “We are excited to collaborate with Flocean on testing their groundbreaking water desalination technology,” said Nina Bognøy, Mayor of Alver Municipality.
Flocean One is set to launch in 2026 at Mongstad, producing 1,000 m³/day of freshwater. The modular system is designed to scale up to 50,000 m³/day, making it suitable for municipal, industrial, and agricultural applications across over 90 water-stressed coastal markets.
With the new investment and strategic support from Xylem, Flocean aims to advance subsea desalination technology as a scalable, low-impact solution for global freshwater challenges.
