Emerald Backs StormHarvester With $10.2M Series A To Innovate AI-Infused Smart Water Management

Cleantech venture capital pioneer Emerald Technology Ventures has invested into StormHarvester, a market-leading SaaS machine-learning and analytics company that helps wastewater utilities optimize the management of their sewer networks and assets while significantly reducing pollution. The £8.4M (USD $10.2M) round, which was led by YFM Equity Partners (YFM), will help StormHarvester expand its product range and sales and marketing capabilities. The funding will also accelerate the company’s growth into new markets, including Australasia and North America, while strengthening its presence in the UK.

Headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, StormHarvester launched its automated water management software platform in 2019. The SaaS-based platform uses machine learning and rainfall prediction to help wastewater utilities prevent avoidable flooding and pollution through proactive maintenance using a prediction and anomaly detection approach. By identifying issues early, StormHarvester enables utilities to take corrective action before pollutants are released into waterways, making a meaningful contribution to environmental protection.

Since its launch – the first of its kind in the UK – the business has experienced significant growth. StormHarvester’s cutting-edge machine learning engine is being used by wastewater utilities across the UK to detect sewer blockages and pumping station anomalies, as well as to identify inflow and infiltration in the sewer networks. This has led to measurable reductions in the frequency of pollution incidents, helping utilities comply with stringent environmental standards while safeguarding local ecosystems.

StormHarvester won its first formal tender in 2019. Since then, the business has grown rapidly, onboarding 75% of UK water utility companies onto the platform and employing a 50-strong team. This widespread adoption reflects the urgent need for smarter solutions to address urbanization, climate change, and population growth, all of which are placing unsustainable pressure on wastewater systems.

“Expensive-to-replace networks, urbanization, climate change, and population growth are putting a huge strain on wastewater systems, and this has resulted in increased flooding and pollution. StormHarvester’s AI solution is solving these problems, identifying issues before they happen and facilitating proactive intervention. Our technology not only improves operational efficiency for utilities but also plays a critical role in reducing pollution, protecting vital water resources, and supporting a healthier environment,” said Brian Moloney, CEO of StormHarvester.

“Having been the first to market in the UK, the StormHarvester team has carved out a market-leading position, expanding to meet ever-growing demand from the utilities sector. The company is now focused on international expansion, and we are excited to be supporting its scale-up. More importantly, we are immensely proud to be associated with a company that is making a tangible difference in reducing pollution and safeguarding our natural waterways. By enabling utilities to proactively manage their networks, StormHarvester’s technology is setting a new standard in environmental stewardship and sustainability,” said Mike Clarke, YFM Partner.

“Utilities today face a slew of challenges from aging infrastructure to resource & funding gaps, however the most daunting are the impacts of climate change, including increased flooding and subsequent pollution events,” said Clayton MacDougald, the Emerald Investment Director who will join StormHarvester’s Board of Directors. “StormHarvester has proven they have the cutting-edge solutions to help customers proactively reduce these events, manage their infrastructure, and gain invaluable insights into improved operations in an efficient manner. Emerald is excited to partner with the amazing team at StormHarvester and lead-investor YFM as the company continues to solve these ever-growing climate issues around the globe.”

About Emerald Technology Ventures
Emerald is a globally recognized venture capital firm, founded in 2000, that manages and advises assets of over €1 billion from its offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. The firm invests in start-ups that tackle big challenges in climate change and sustainability, with four current funds, hundreds of venture transactions and four third-party investment mandates, including loan guarantees to over 100 start-ups. For more information, visit www.emerald.vc

About StormHarvester
StormHarvester is a market-leading AI analytics / SaaS provider using machine learning and hyperlocal rainfall prediction to provide operational and asset insight in wastewater networks. Recognized as an industry leader and working with 75% of UK wastewater utilities, StormHarvester uses analytics to help wastewater utilities prevent flooding and pollution through a unique prediction and anomaly detection approach. By enabling proactive interventions, StormHarvester helps to reduce the volume of pollutants entering natural water systems, supporting environmental sustainability and compliance with regulatory standards.

Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the company has won many innovation awards and is seen as one of the leading AI companies in the UK. For more information, visit https://stormharvester.com/

About YFM
YFM invests £3m to £15m into businesses with strong growth potential located across the UK through a regional network of offices in London, Leeds, Manchester, Reading, and Birmingham.

YFM Equity Partners are specialist, independently owned, private equity investors. Having recently celebrated 40 years of investing experience, our portfolio may have changed over the years, but our ethos has remained the same – to support small businesses across the UK in their next phase of growth. We seek to unlock value and growth potential by providing up to £15M of equity to fuel the development of established business throughout the UK regions. We do this by helping our portfolio companies launch new initiatives, make transformative acquisitions, and upgrade technologies and systems. We are dedicated to working alongside management teams to create long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and make a positive economic impact for the communities in which we work. We manage funds in excess of £680M which include venture capital trusts and private equity funds.

YFM Equity Partners conducts its investment business through its subsidiary YFM Private Equity Limited which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 122120). For more information, visit https://yfmep.com/