Lishtot is a startup that uses electric field sensors to test the quality of drinking water. The Company’s proprietary technology analyzes the electric field present around water in containers, scanning for any sign of interference. Specific interferences are indicative of different types of contamination, like bacteria, heavy metals, toxins, or anything else that might represent a health concern.
Lishtot is based in Israel, where it manufactures all of its products. (Lishtot means “to drink” in Hebrew.) Israel, as a country, has employed a range of innovative methods to solve its water crisis, and ensuring water purity is one of its foremost concerns.
With that said, Lishtot’s technology has the potential for use around the globe. Developed, developing, and undeveloped nations all have a vested interest in ensuring their water quality. You can already find Lishtot’s products in more than 70 countries around the world.
As CEO Netanel Raisch notes, water quality can be difficult to ascertain in many situations. “You can find out about lots of potential health risk factors. You can find out about air quality in any given moment around the world. But you don’t know—and you have no idea—about existing water quality anywhere in the world. The data is not available.”
Lishtot’s TestDrop Pro is more convenient than a typical lab-based water test in a number of ways. First and foremost, the TestDropPro does not touch the water. If you want to check the purity of water in a plastic cup, you would just point the device towards the plastic cup and the TestDrop Pro would determine the purity of the water by measuring the electric fields around the plastic cup. The fact that the device doesn’t touch the water reduces contamination concerns.
Second, the TestDrop Pro provides results in a matter of seconds. Even the fastest labs in the world can only provide accurate water bacterial testing results in 24 hours. In the case of other water purity testing devices, it can take weeks before concerned individuals find out if their water is safe.
The TestDrop Pro may be particularly attractive for those who are traveling around the world. Because the TestDrop Pro is portable and small enough to fit on a keychain, travelers can take it with them wherever they go. Those who are traveling through developing nations can easily test the water quality if they’re not sure whether it comes from a reliable source.
In addition, Lishtot’s technology could be advantageous for people who are simply concerned about their health. Perhaps they’re wondering whether it’s time to replace their existing water filter. Maybe they’ve just moved into a new apartment building, and they’d like to know whether the tap water has any contaminants.
One of the key features of Lishtot’s business plan is a focus on developing accessible water purity data. The goal is to create a global network of water testing information that users can access via an app. Lishtot is developing a new generation of products for automated testing that integrates with this app-based approach. The automated system will test water in known locations at a predetermined schedule, providing accurate data reports. When one user records data from a test in their house or apartment building, that information will be added to a database. New users can pay a subscription fee to access data based on water tests conducted close to their own homes, even if they don’t actually own any of Lishtot’s products.
For example, someone moving into a new apartment building could simply check the app to see whether another Lishtot customer in the building had already conducted a test. This integration with smartphones and app-based technology could lead to a profitable “digital-only,” SaaS side of the business. In situations such as these, the digital aspect of the business may become even more profitable than its physical products.
Elliot Figueira
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