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John Chahbandour - Partner

John Chahbandour has 25 years of operational and technical experience in the water sector. At Hydro Venture Partners, Mr. Chahbandour is responsible for investment analysis, deal sourcing and execution, managing due diligence, leading investor relations, and implementation of the company’s strategic plan.

Prior to Hydro Venture Partners, Mr. Chahbandour was the Founder and Director of the Strategic Water Management practice for MWH Global (now Stantec), which focuses on corporate governance, technical solutions, and data analysis systems for managing business critical water risks faced by global industrial clients. Before joining MWH, Mr. Chahbandour was a Managing Director of Water Management Consultants, an international hydrological consulting firm specializing in water resource engineering.

He served in various capacities including Operations Manager in Santiago, Chile, and Vice President of North America. Mr. Chahbandour was part of the Executive Team that led the sale of Water Management Consultants to Schlumberger in 2007. Following sale of the company, Mr. Chahbandour served as the President of North America for Schlumberger Water Services until joining MWH in 2011.

Mr. Chahbandour received a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Alabama and a Master of Science in Hydrology from the University of Arizona. His international experience includes work in Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, and Peru.

 
Cerahelix

 

Description: Cerahelix manufactures the PicoHelix, a ceramic membrane filter that achieves ten times higher purity than today’s best commercially available ceramic membrane filters. The high treatment efficiency achieved by PicoHelix membranes is a result of a patented biotechnology that uses DNA to form the pores in the membrane. The unique combination of incredibly small pores in a durable ceramic material makes the PicoHelix the ideal choice for challenging water treatment and molecular separation applications.

Investment Type: Water Quality

Status: Active


Kinney Johnson - Partner

Kinney Johnson is a founding partner of Hydro Venture Partners. He has been in the venture capital business for over 30 years, as a founding partner of Capital Health Venture Partners (1984-1996), and most recently as a founding partner with Sequel Venture Partners (1995-present).

In his capacity as a general partner, Mr. Johnson has focused on early stage investments in health care, information technology, and clean tech. Mr. Johnson has served on the board of directors of four public companies and has personally invested in more than 30 early-stage venture investments, and managed investment decisions for an additional 50+ ventures. He has served as the Chairman of the Venture Capital Association of Colorado and was a board director and trustee for Augsburg College.

Prior to his venture capital activities, Mr. Johnson spent 12 years as founder and former President of Fischer Imaging Corporation. Mr. Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Mathematics from Augsburg College and a Master of Science in Mathematical Computer Science from the University of Iowa.


Kinney Johnson

Kinney Johnson is a founding partner of Hydro Venture Partners. He has been in the venture capital business for over 30 years, as a founding partner of Capital Health Venture Partners (1984-1996), and most recently as a founding partner with Sequel Venture Partners (1995-present).

In his capacity as a general partner, Mr. Johnson has focused on early stage investments in health care, information technology, and clean tech. Mr. Johnson has served on the board of directors of four public companies and has personally invested in more than 30 early-stage venture investments, and managed investment decisions for an additional 50+ ventures. He has served as the Chairman of the Venture Capital Association of Colorado and was a board director and trustee for Augsburg College.

Prior to his venture capital activities, Mr. Johnson spent 12 years as founder and former President of Fischer Imaging Corporation. Mr. Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Mathematics from Augsburg College and a Master of Science in Mathematical Computer Science from the University of Iowa.

Bob Burgess

Mr. Burgess was previously Chief Executive Officer of Pulte Homes, Inc. (“Pulte”) and held a variety of leadership positions at Pulte over a period of 19 years including Senior Vice President Corporate Development, President and Chief Operating Officer, and later, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1993-2001.

 

Under his leadership, Pulte became the largest U.S. homebuilder and was named the #1 Quality Builder by J.D. Powers. Prior to his career at Pulte, Mr. Burgess was Partner-In-Charge of Management Consulting Services for Plante & Moran. Mr. Burgess serves on the boards of directors of Amerisure Companies, a national mutual property and casualty and workers compensation insurance company, Mattamy Homes Limited, Canada’s largest residential construction company with operations in numerous U.S. markets, and various private equity owned companies.

 

Mr. Burgess is a graduate of Michigan State University and he was recently awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University.

 

Stephen McConahey

Mr. McConahey is Co-Founder and Partner at Iron Gate Capital, a private equity firm in Colorado. Prior to Iron Gate, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of EVEREN Securities and EVEREN Capital, at the time, and before being acquired by First Union, one of the 10 largest securities brokerage firms in the country.

 

Mr. McConahey has served as Senior Vice President for corporate and international development for Kemper Corporation and Kemper Financial Services, and Chairman and CEO of Boettcher and Company, a regional investment banking firm where prior to becoming CEO he focused on public financing and infrastructure.

 

In the late 1980’s, Mr. McConahey was the first chairman of the Greater Denver Corporation that was established to lead business efforts to support new infrastructure investments such as the Denver International Airport and the Convention Center and to stimulate business and job development in the Denver metro area. Mr. McConahey serves on the corporate boards of Great West Funds, Guaranty Bancorp, IMA Financial, and CalDak International. Mr. McConahey received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Addison Piper

Mr. Piper retired from Piper Jaffray in 2006, having served as vice chairman of Piper Jaffray Companies since the completion of the firm's spin-off from U.S. Bancorp in 2003. He worked for Piper Jaffray from 1969 through 2006, serving as assistant equity syndicate manager, director of securities trading and director of sales and marketing, before serving as Chief Executive Officer from 1983 to 2000 and as Chairman from 1988 to 2003.

 

From 1998 through 2006, Mr. Piper also had responsibility for Piper Jaffray’s venture and private capital fund activities. Mr. Piper is the former chair of Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Minnesota Communications Group, former vice-chair of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and board of governors of the Securities Industry Association, and former chair of the NYSE regional firms advisory group committee. Mr. Piper holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Williams College and an MBA from Stanford University.

 

Technology

 

Sustainable, efficient water management requires the development, implementation and adoption of new technology. Water related technology represents a market growing at an increasing speed driven by a collective recognition across all sectors of the need to more effectively address water sourcing, quality and management challenges. Our platform is designed to invest in early-stage technology companies with a proven, differentiated offering and clear potential to scale. We focus on investments around the following themes:

    • Smart Water: Technologies that facilitate intelligent water solutions and efficient water management.

 

    • Water Quality: Technologies focused on real-time monitoring and analysis or improvement of water quality.

 

    • Water Reuse and Conservation: Technologies designed to lower treatment costs, improve efficiency, monitor water use and optimize water productivity across multiple market sectors.
Distributed Infrastructure

 

Water infrastructure systems of the 21st Century will increasingly rely on integration of decentralized supply, storage and treatment solutions to most effectively create economical, flexible, and sustainable water management services to communities and industry. Distributed systems represent an innovative approach for responding to water risk and uncertainty. They can build adaptive capacity by increasing the diversity and flexibility of water systems without locking utilities and industries into rigid and capital intensive pathways for delivering services.

In addition, these systems are based on integration of multiple technologies many of which are the focus of our Technology Platform. Our Distributed Infrastructure Platform is designed to invest in early-stage companies at the forefront of delivering private solutions to this growing market. We focus on investments around the following themes:

    • Alternative Water Supply: Independent water supply systems delivering water at a pre-determined quality to industry and municipalities utilizing innovative technology to exploit alternative water sources (i.e. brackish) and increase water reuse.

 

    • Off-channel Water Storage: Developing distributed, strategically located, multi-use gravel pit water storage facilities for sale into municipal, agricultural, and industrial markets.
 
NC Water LLC

 

Description: Hydro Venture Partners founded NC Water to construct and own infrastructure (wells, piplines, pump stations) to supply water to oil & gas exploration/production companies in Colorado.

Investment Type: Distributed Infrastructure

Status: Exit in 2016

 
NC Water Operations

Description:Hydro Venture Partners founded NC Water Operations to manage infrastructure assets including well fields, pipelines, storage facilities and pump stations associated with water supply for the oil & gas industry in Colorado.

Investment Type: Distributed Infrastructure/Asset Management

Status: Exit in 2016

 
Valor Water Analytics

Description: Valor Water Analytics transforms water utility data into increased revenue, operational efficiencies, and customer satisfaction. Through algorithms and data analysis, Valor’s Hidden Revenue Locator uses utility meter data to locate apparent water losses in distribution systems.

Investment Type: Smart Water/Water Conservation

Status: Exit in 2017

HYDRO VENTURE PARTNERS We invest private capital in the water sector. We focus on technology companies and distributed infrastructure solutions that provide innovative ways to meet the water challenges faced by agriculture, municipalities, industry, energy/power, and the environment.

Our goal is to leverage strategic partnerships, capital resources, and our sector expertise to invest in and partner with emerging water-focused technology and distributed infrastructure companies to maximize value and accelerate growth. LEARN MORE

One Focus: Water

Hydro Venture Partners specializes in investing in water: a critical element of our economy. Through years of diverse experience in water industry, we understand risk and have the insight necessary to execute successful investments and to help navigate the growth of our partner companies.

Partnering to Drive Success

We look for early-stage businesses in the water sector where we can partner with management teams to develop growth strategies such as accelerating product commercialization, entering new markets, offering value-add services, and improving sales and marketing efforts.

Identifying Sound Investments

Our knowledge of the complexities of the water market allows us to quickly recognize disruptive technologies and efficiently identify quality investment opportunities.

Shared Passion & Common Mission

Our singular focus stems from our shared passion for contributing to improved stewardship of our water resources. Our mission is to create value for investors by making smart investments that catalyze innovative solutions to difficult water challenges.

One Focus: Water

Hydro Venture Partners specializes in investing in water: a critical element of our economy. Through years of diverse experience in water industry, we understand risk and have the insight necessary to execute successful investments and to help navigate the growth of our partner companies.

Partnering to Drive Success

We look for early-stage businesses in the sector where we can partner with management teams to develop growth strategies such as accelerating product commercialization, entering new markets, offering value-add services, and improving sales and marketing efforts.

Identifying Sound Investments

Our knowledge of the complexities of the water market allows us to quickly recognize disruptive technologies and efficiently identify quality investment opportunities.

Shared Passion & Common Mission

Our singular focus stems from our shared passion for contributing to improved stewardship of our water resources. Our mission is to create value for investors by making smart investments that catalyze innovative solutions to difficult water challenges.

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