Conscious that the world is facing an unprecedented water crisis Meinke used the skills she honed during her degree in Business Administration at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), to develop Algaenius, an award-winning technology that uses halophilic algae as a new, sustainable and cheap desalination method, which she hopes will help reduce future water scarcity.
Here Meinke shares her startup journey—and her hopes for its future.
What is your business and what inspired you to start it?
In the next five years some 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity. By 2040, roughly one in four children worldwide will be living in areas of extremely high water stress.
My guiding principle has always been: “Look at nature, find the future.” I believe that truly sustainable innovation stems from studying and working with natural processes.
With Algaenius, we have developed a revolutionary technology that breaks the vicious cycle of traditional desalination methods. Current techniques (especially reverse osmosis) consume enormous amounts of energy (often from fossil fuels), emit greenhouse gases, and produce concentrated brine that is harmful to marine ecosystems. These methods, ironically, worsen climate change and thus the water scarcity they aim to address.
Our algae-based approach does the opposite: the special algae species we use can desalinate (70-90%) seawater into brackish water suitable for industrial and agricultural use.
What part did your b-school experience play in developing your idea?
When I started my studies at RSM, I came from a more technical background. I already had the foundation of my business idea; my research on algae-based desalination had just won the UN Gamechanger Challenge, a global competition involving over 200 university teams from 60 countries.
It was my experience at RSM, however, that gave me the tools to truly build and scale Algaenius. RSM taught me the language of business: how to effectively communicate with investors, navigate strategic decisions, and form valuable partnerships. These skills turned a promising idea into a startup with real traction.
Tell us about a typical working day?
As I’m still finishing my degree, I spend half of my day attending lectures at university and the other half traveling and working on Algaenius. A typical day includes meetings with partners such as Wavemakers United or experts I’ve reached out to, as well as time spent improving my design and, of course, looking for a co-founder.
How has your b-school network helped with your business development?
RSM offers a unique network of investors and entrepreneurial professors who are passionate about supporting the development of new businesses. Thanks to RSM, I have been featured in the Dutch newspaper (which generated a lot of new interest), I am part of a network of entrepreneurial students where we regularly meet and receive guidance from entrepreneurship professors, and I will have a stand at the O2 Lab—Erasmus Entrepreneurship Festival, an event attended by our Dutch Queen Máxima.
How would you like your business to develop?
In five years, I’d like to stand next to a large-scale Algaenius desalination plant, helping the regional industry by providing an alternative water source and thereby reducing the pressure on our drinking water.
What advice would you give someone thinking of starting their own venture?
Better to fumble into it, than never start at all.
