University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota is a public research university whose water investing runs through Discovery Capital, the venture program it uses to back startups built on its own research. Its single water bet is Claros Technologies, a Minneapolis spinout that destroys PFAS forever chemicals in water. As of 2025 it has backed one water company across two deals.
Compiled by Antoine Walter, (don't) Waste Water, from official filings and direct intelligence in Leviathan.
The take
University of Minnesota is not a water fund, and it does not pretend to be. It is a public research university, founded in 1851, that shows up in water coverage as an investor for one reason: a water company was invented in its own laboratories. Its single water bet, Claros Technologies, is a Minneapolis spinout built on University of Minnesota chemistry.
University of Minnesota does its startup investing through Discovery Capital, a program run jointly by its Office of Investments and Banking and its Technology Commercialization Venture Center. Discovery Capital co-invests up to $500,000 a round in companies built on licensed University of Minnesota research, always next to an outside lead. Decode co-invest: the university comes in as a small partner, not the lead cheque, here alongside private venture money from backers such as Capita3 and American Century Private Investments.
University of Minnesota's water story is really a chemistry story. Claros Technologies attacks PFAS, the forever chemicals that do not break down in water or in the human body. Claros tests for PFAS and then destroys it, using a photochemical process that snaps the carbon-fluorine bonds rather than just trapping the waste. For University of Minnesota the logic is circular in the best way: the science came out of its labs, and its capital now helps carry that science to market. Expect the university to keep backing what it discovers, in water or anywhere else its research lands.
Water Commitment Score
Compiled from official filings, third-party records, and direct intelligence from investors and founders, in Leviathan · recomputed monthly · as of Jun 2026.
How they invest
Portfolio · 1 water companies
Invests alongside
Highlighted = profiled on (don't) Waste Water.
Frequently asked
- What does the University of Minnesota invest in?
- University of Minnesota invests as an institution on two tracks: its Office of Investments and Banking manages the endowment and operating pools, and its Discovery Capital program backs early-stage startups built on University of Minnesota research. Its water exposure is a single company, Claros Technologies, a PFAS-cleanup spinout.
- Is the University of Minnesota a water fund?
- No. University of Minnesota is a public research university, not a dedicated water fund. It appears in water coverage because of one tracked water investment, Claros Technologies, made through its Discovery Capital program. Specialist water funds back dozens of water companies; the University of Minnesota backs one, a spinout from its own labs.
- What water company has the University of Minnesota backed?
- University of Minnesota has backed one water company, Claros Technologies, a Minneapolis startup spun out of its own research. Claros tests for and destroys PFAS, the forever chemicals that persist in water, using a photochemical process that breaks the carbon-fluorine bonds rather than only capturing them.
- How does the University of Minnesota invest in startups?
- University of Minnesota invests in startups mainly through Discovery Capital, a program run jointly by its Office of Investments and Banking and its Venture Center. Discovery Capital co-invests up to $500,000 a round in companies built on licensed University of Minnesota technology, always alongside an outside lead investor.
- Where is the University of Minnesota based?
- University of Minnesota is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. Founded in 1851, it is one of the country's largest public research universities and one of Minnesota's most active producers of high-tech startups through its Technology Commercialization Venture Center.