Salt-Free Water Softener: How AQON PURE Bootstrapped a Cleantech Startup

What if fixing hard water could also save energy and rivers? That’s the question Maximilian Wilk, Co-Founder & CEO of AQON PURE, set out to answer. His team developed a salt-free water softener that prevents limescale, lowers energy bills, and avoids the chloride pollution caused by traditional salt-based systems. In this episode of Startuprad.io, Maximilian shares how AQON PURE transformed from a family business into a bootstrapped cleantech startup that scaled without VC funding. Instead of relying on wholesalers, the team built a D2C + certified installer network that grew from 100 to over 400 plumbers—unlocking sustainable growth across Germany and beyond. What you’ll learn: – How limescale silently increases household energy bills by 10–15% – Why salt-based softeners are being phased out for environmental reasons – The GTM pivot that took AQON PURE from 18 months of failure to triple-digit growth – Why bootstrapping a hardware startup can beat VC hypergrowth – How AQON PURE plans to expand into Spain and Poland with quality-first scaling – How awards like the FT1000 and a stage appearance at the Schwarzenegger Climate Summit built trust and credibility Guest Spotlight: Maximilian Wilk is Co-Founder & CEO of AQON PURE, a leading European startup building climate-positive water technology. His journey shows that family roots, disciplined growth, and a bold pivot can reshape even the hardest hardware categories. Read complete Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/salt-free-water-softener-aqon-pure-founder-playbook Watch full interview: https://youtu.be/wibm7IOuy54 Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Partner with us: [email protected] Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: Jörn Menninger Salt-free water softener, cleantech startup, bootstrapped startup, hardware startup, limescale prevention. D2C startup strategy, European expansion, family business to startup, installer network.

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