Ceramic Water Filter

A giveaway product that became commercially viable.

Bringing value to household water treatment

Many families across the Mekong region drink straight from rivers and lakes that are contaminated with sewage. For years, NGOs donated tens of thousands of water filters in the hope of preventing disease. But these free filter programs couldn’t reach everyone. And worse – they actually squashed both supply and demand. No stores sold them. People didn’t value them. We saw an opportunity for business.

Winner of the Fast Company
International Design
Excellence Award

Water filters worth investing in

We did our homework to better understand the market. What would drive consumers to buy a filter? How could a filter business sustainably grow? The result: filters that are more attractive than ever, mass-produced locally, and available to consumers with flexible payment options. A business approach that treats rural families as consumers rather than beneficiaries.

A giveaway product made aspirational