AquaGuidance has secured early-stage financing of $3 million from Blue Planet Group Ltd (BPG) for a breakthrough gravity-fed water filtration media capable of removing live viruses from pre-filtered drinking water. Blue Planet Group is a multi-national, vertically-integrated, private equity enterprise focused on advanced, proprietary specialty purification technologies for food, beverage, and water industries. The funding round will support market growth for AquaGuidance's prototype gravity-fed filtration system, designed to remove harmful live viruses, bacteria, and cysts, producing safe drinking water without chemicals or reliance on power or pressure.

AquaGuidance's filtration media (multiple patents pending) is the first known gravity-fed filter technology to pass the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) P231 test protocol1 for virus removal without the use of chemicals, power, or pressure. The protocol sets up challenging, harsh standards for the removal of pathogens in a variety of water streams including those which have high levels of organic acids. The only systems currently able to pass P231 operate under pressurised flow from plumbing or require electricity and/or the use of chemicals. AquaGuidance's technology will enable manufacturers of simple gravity-fed ceramic and hollow fiber membrane filters in common use to upgrade their systems to achieve effective removal of live viruses.

AquaGuidance's prototype has undergone rigorous independent testing to meet Blue Planet Group's investment criteria for innovation, efficacy, social impact, and environmentally-responsible technologies. Testing was conducted by MSR Global Health, an independent research and testing division of Cascade Designs, Inc., under the direction of Tim Oriard, Principal Investigator at Cascade Designs, Inc.

"The investors of Blue Planet Group focus on funding critical innovation in water, beverage, and food-safety filtration technologies and have invested over $20 million in this sector to date," said Blue Planet Group CEO David Sherwin. "This additional $3 million investment underscores the investors' commitment and confidence in AquaGuidance's breakthrough gravity-fed filtration media."

"Over two billion people globally lack access to safe drinking water. We now have the ability to help major industry players offer more comprehensive, better performing microbiological solutions for those in greatest need, whether for daily use or in disaster readiness and recovery," said Duane Dunk, managing director for AquaGuidance. "Blue Planet Group's commitment provides essential funding to bring our technology to an eager marketplace."

With over 60 million households globally currently using ceramic water filtration systems that could easily adapt to AquaGuidance technology, company leadership is focused in serving the needs of ceramic or hollow fiber membrane filter manufacturers that serve residential and commercial customers, as well as the municipal, NGO, and critical infrastructure-provider marketplace for disaster preparedness and recovery.

About AquaGuidance, Inc.

AquaGuidance, Inc., is a Florida-based, for-profit company, specializing in water filtration solutions for residential and commercial drinking water applications where the water quality is poor. AquaGuidance's core filtration media technology can claim the highest-certified capacity combined lead, mercury, chloramine, chlorine, taste and odor reduction filtration on the market. AquaGuidance has now developed the world's first gravity-fed water filtration technology (patents pending) capable of removing harmful live viruses, bacteria, and cysts to full P231 requirements without the use of chemicals, power, or pressure, while preserving beneficial elements such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. More testing is required to quantify the additional ability to reduce heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and pesticides. The company is led by Managing Director Duane Dunk, a recognized expert in safe drinking water and emerging markets. For more information, visit http://aquaguidance.com.

About Blue Planet Group, Ltd

Blue Planet Group, Ltd, is a multi-national, vertically-integrated company, focused on advanced proprietary specialty filtration technologies for food, beverage, and water industries. Blue Planet Group and its subsidiary companies have developed specialized adsorbent medias which, when combined with industry-standard materials in common use, can be tailored to remove harmful contaminants from drinking water for a variety of uses. The breakthrough technologies have a potentially significant impact on human and environmental health. For more information visit http://blueplanet.global.