BOSAQ: paying it forward by supplying the world with pure drinking water

Their goal? To become thé reference when it comes to circular process water in the Benelux industry and decentralised drinking water worldwide. Because 2.2 billion people don't have access to pure drinking water. They want to tackle this impending global water crisis and provide the world with sustainable drinking water. That is why they’ve developed a purification system that converts salt, brackish and fresh water into drinking water. They also provide advice on integrated water management and wastewater treatment. On top of that, they donate 10% of their profits to Water Heroes, their non-profit organisation with a first mission to Ukraine. Plenty to do, in other words!

All of this coincides with our vision for the Cleantech-cluster in Ghent. That's why we spoke with founder Jacob Bossaer, who wants to provide a million people with pure drinking water within 5 year. Ambitious? Absolutely, but he is firmly convinced that you have to do good for the world if you’re privileged to do so. Talk about paying it forward!

Hi Jacob! First of all: congratulations on the strong international growth, these past few years. How easy (or difficult) is it to reach the rest of the world from Ghent?

I always say: we live in the best possible time ever to do business. Firstly, you have an ever-growing sales market thanks to a quickly increasing population, without having to do anything yourself. Moreover, the invention of the internet has actually made the world a very small place. I can pick up the phone and call Suriname to consult with my team there. Which, of course, offers a whole range of opportunities.

What makes it difficult? For us, it’s our set-up. In all the countries we visit, there are political realities that we can’t change. On top of that, it sometimes takes a long time before decisions are made. However, once you can achieve something through a national government, your impact is huge. So you have to bite through that sour apple that is the long decision-making period.

Besides, it’s all about trust. About getting to know people and investing time in those relationships. The first two or three times I went to Suriname, for example, I was only there to network. Figuring out who I can turn to for what, what we would need, etc. And then, before you know it, you’re sitting at a table with a minister who says “Well OK, that’s a fantastic project, let’s get started”.

But is entrepreneurship easy? No, absolutely not! I am convinced that every entrepreneur sees black snow once in a while. We’ve been doing this for five years now, and I’ve found myself at least five times considering “that’s it”. You’re on a roller coaster. But I’m the stereotypical example of that ‘white, middle-aged, privileged man’. I’m blessed to be able to do what I do.

You consider your job more of a privilege?

Yes, indeed. I can work for Ukraine, Rwanda, etc. because I have the means to contribute. I think it’s my duty to give something back to the society that has already given me so much. My entrepreneurial ambition is all about the impact I can generate. And this ambition is also something that I see among entrepreneurs in Ghent. We have a lot of start-ups here, a lot of future do-gooders. In itself, it creates a hip atmosphere, a start-up. But make no mistake: it is very hard work. You have to make sure, day in and day out, that your concepts works.

We’ve also noticed that nutritious soil in Ghent. It's very easy to come into contact with each other here. Have you experienced this yourself, this close-knit cleantech family?

To be perfectly honest, I’ve never been that involved with others. I try to keep the events to a minimum, for example, or I’d never be home (laughs). But if you want to make connections, it’s definitely very easy to make connections. People are very open and welcoming here. If I want to get in touch with person A or B, I can via my network. I’m just not that active in the community, I’m more concerned with our own impact, as a company.

For example, ‘Change Now’ took place in Paris, earlier this year. That’s a big fair on sustainability and I had bought tickets and everything. But I decided not to go and travel to Ukraine instead. I found it much more important for me to be physically present in Ukraine, among the people who really need it, than to go networking under the Eiffel Tower. As a CEO, I wanted to be present at the delivery of our first water plant in Ukraine.

We’ll get back to that journey later on. But for now, let’s talk about the infrastructure, that is so important. However, start-ups do not always have the means to buy the right materials from the start. How can a cleantech-entrepreneur make the right start?

Of course, we have to be realistic about this: if you’re experiencing problems from the get-go, you might be doing something wrong (laughs). You might need to reconsider your business plan. But apart from that, I certainly understand that the start can be difficult, even if you’re well-prepared. I am a proponent of facilities where, for example, spaces are offered free of charge for the first year for starting entrepreneurs. An additional advantage is that you can be inspired by other entrepreneurs in these living labs. That seems like a fantastic idea!

But in terms of financing, too few entrepreneurs find the way to subsidies. VLAIO, for instance, can offer support there. It’s not as if the money is just there, up for grabs, you have to work hard for it. And I think that’s important as well. At least then you’re forced to think carefully about your business. I myself wrote an extensive business plan that nobody actually read. It’s a 70-page book, but I got so much out of it as an entrepreneur because I had to think about what I was doing and where I wanted to be in the future. And that’s priceless.

In the beginning, we also visited OOG. They can help you find your way in the entrepreneurial landscape. As an entrepreneur, you really need those first points of contact. But ultimately, of course, you have to do it all yourself.

We live in a society where everything is provided for. Mind you, it’s different for me too, I come from a socially disadvantaged background. I have six brothers and sisters and have always lived in a social neighbourhood. We never had what most other children had. There, I learned that I always have to fight for what I have and want to achieve. And that turned out to be a good learning experience for entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur, you have to dare to take up the gauntlet and just go for it. Besides, they shouldn’t make it too easy for us.

Talking about your youth: starting a business is also part of a personal story. What drives you? Why (co) found BOSAQ and Water Heroes?

For me, it’s all about the impact. If I look at myself, how I tick, then I want to be remembered by the impact I’ve created. Do I want to improve financially? Yes, but is that my motivation? No, not at all. But I believe that, if you do something with your heart and soul, everything else will follow.

As I said, I come from a big family. Well, my siblings and I, we all went abroad to work on development projects. My parents didn’t have much, but they saved up for that. I myself went to Costa Rica for four months. What I saw there really changed me. Those experiences helped shape us into who we are.

As a result, we’ve also founded a non-profit organisation called Water Heroes. Ten per cent of BOSAQ’s profits, for example, goes to this non-profit organisation, as stipulated in the statutes. But the projects are also sponsored by customers, suppliers and partners with whom we work.

Where exactly can Water Heroes make a difference?

Well, the installations in Ukraine are the first project. One installation is now in Kharkiv metro and the other is in Mykolaiv, close to the front line in Odesa. Each plant will convert borehole water into high quality drinking water, as much as 1,000 litres per hour. A fortnight ago, a third installation was delivered in Lviv. This means that we can now supply 30,000 Ukrainians with clean drinking water every day. Of course, we could not have done this without our donors.

With BOSAQ, you’ve already crossed your fair share of international waters, of course. How do you approach these large, international projects?

We always work with partnerships. That simply gives a greater guarantee to success in the longer term. We’re also always physically present. And the advantage of those partnerships is that those people know the country inside out.

For example, we’ve started a drinking water project in Suriname, where five different villages with about 3,000 inhabitants now have access to clean drinking water. This is thanks to our Q-Drop, our state-of-the-art decentralised drinking water unit. This unit also makes it possible to provide education throughout the year, keeping kids and teachers hydrated even when it’s warm.

We’re also active in Rwanda, more specifically in Mutete Parish. Thanks to our installation there, more than 1,500 school children have access to safe drinking water.

Our goal is to – eventually – be present on four continents within five years. And by 2035, we want to provide 35 million people with pure drinking water. So we want to become the global leader in the field of decentralised drinking water purification.

To conclude, what is your tip for other entrepreneurs?

Nurture that ambition! As an entrepreneur, you have to dare to dream. For me, actually, the dream is a limitation. You can never dream big enough. However, you have to have a sense of reality when building your business. But you have to dare to dream of those very big projects. For example, I am 100% convinced that our ambition – and I’ll say it again, we want to provide 35 million people with clean drinking water by 2035 – is achievable. Is that going to be easy? Not at all! Because that would mean that everyone can do it. But I believe it can be done. And if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. There are some external factors that come into play, and sometimes you can’t control them. And then you fall. But then you dust yourself off and try again, right?