Zero Mass Water
Zero Mass Water is a company.
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Leadership Team
Key people at Zero Mass Water.
Zero Mass Water is a company.
Key people at Zero Mass Water.
Key people at Zero Mass Water.
# Zero Mass Water: High-Level Overview
Zero Mass Water (now operating as SOURCE Global, PBC) is a renewable water technology company that manufactures SOURCE Hydropanels—devices that extract drinking water directly from sunlight and air[1][2]. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial, and community applications across 45 countries, addressing the fundamental challenge of global water insecurity[1][2]. Its core mission is to make drinking water an unlimited, renewable resource by democratizing access to safe water in regions facing scarcity, supply variability, or infrastructure concerns[2].
The company operates as a Public Benefit Corporation, combining commercial viability with measurable social impact—a structural choice that reflects its commitment to solving water access as a human rights issue rather than purely a profit opportunity[2]. For every SOURCE system sold, 10% of net profits fund Hydropanel farms in underserved communities[7].
# Origin Story
Zero Mass Water was founded by Cody Friesen, whose vision emerged from recognizing that climate change and unsustainable water management pose existential threats to billions of people[1]. The company's breakthrough came through applying thermodynamics, materials science, and controls technology to solve a deceptively simple problem: extracting potable water from atmospheric humidity using solar energy[1].
The company gained significant early traction, securing a $50 million funding round in 2020 led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures—a signal of institutional confidence in both the technology and market opportunity[1]. By the time of that investment, Zero Mass Water had already deployed its Hydropanels across 45 countries, demonstrating real-world viability beyond proof-of-concept[1]. The company further solidified its credibility by achieving B Corp certification, one of the most rigorous social and environmental business standards[2]. In a pivotal rebranding, the company reincorporated as SOURCE Global, PBC, signaling its evolution from a startup to a scaled enterprise with explicit legal obligations to stakeholders beyond shareholders[2].
# Core Differentiators
# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
Zero Mass Water operates at the intersection of three powerful trends: climate adaptation, renewable energy innovation, and social impact technology. As climate change intensifies water scarcity—a threat the UN World Water Development Report identifies as a critical risk to billions[1]—the company positions itself as a infrastructure solution that doesn't depend on centralized water systems, making it particularly valuable in regions with weak governance or geographic constraints.
The company mirrors the trajectory of solar energy: transforming a resource (electricity, now water) from a centralized commodity into a distributed, renewable good accessible at the point of use[7]. This decentralization model resonates with broader tech ecosystem trends toward edge computing, distributed systems, and resilience-focused infrastructure.
Zero Mass Water's emphasis on being a Public Benefit Corporation also reflects a maturing startup ecosystem where impact measurement and stakeholder capitalism are becoming competitive advantages rather than afterthoughts. The company's visibility at CES 2020—where it launched the Rexi and showcased SOURCE fields—positioned it as a flagship example of "resilience technology," a category gaining institutional attention[3].
# Quick Take & Future Outlook
Zero Mass Water stands at an inflection point between proven technology and global scale. The company has moved beyond the "Does it work?" question—45-country deployment and institutional backing from Breakthrough Energy Ventures answer that. The next phase is answering "Can it scale economically and reach the populations that need it most?"
The rebranding to SOURCE Global, PBC signals confidence in this trajectory. The company's profit-sharing model creates a virtuous cycle: as commercial deployments grow, funding for community installations accelerates, potentially creating a self-reinforcing network effect where the brand becomes synonymous with water access as a human right.
Watch for: expansion of SOURCE fields as a revenue model (large-scale hydropanel arrays for municipalities), geographic expansion into water-stressed regions in Africa and South Asia, and potential partnerships with development finance institutions (World Bank, USAID) that could unlock capital for community deployments. The company's success will ultimately hinge on whether it can reduce per-unit costs while maintaining quality—the same challenge that solar faced a decade ago before achieving cost parity with fossil fuels.
