Espiku

Espiku is a clean-technology company based in Bend, Oregon, that specializes in developing water treatment and mineral extraction solutions for the energy industry. The company has developed a proprietary technology platform known as Scepter, which utilizes a low-pressure, membrane-free thermal evaporation process to treat high-salinity produced water. By eliminating the need for membranes or packed beds, the system is designed to be fouling-resistant and capable of handling complex, high-salinity feedwater. The technology operates on a treatment-as-a-service model, providing modular, on-site systems that allow operators to reduce the volume of water requiring deep-well disposal while simultaneously recovering high-purity water suitable for reuse in industrial, agricultural, or municipal applications.

Beyond water management, the Scepter platform serves as a critical link in the energy-water-minerals nexus by concentrating brine into a feedstock suitable for Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) and the recovery of other valuable minerals. This dual-purpose approach helps oil and gas operators transform environmental liabilities into strategic resources, supporting domestic supply chains for critical minerals while lowering the logistics and environmental costs associated with traditional water management. Backed by organizations including Halliburton Labs, Breakthrough Energy, and NGIF Accelerator, Espiku is actively advancing its technology from pilot-scale demonstrations toward commercial field deployment.