For most, water is an abundant and indispensable resource, so ubiquitous as to be taken for granted. For Anurag Bajpayee, it has always been a technical challenge—and an opportunity. As co-founder and CEO of Gradiant, a Boston-based water technology firm, Bajpayee has spent the better part of two decades quietly tackling one of the world’s most pressing and complex problems: industrial water scarcity. Today, Gradiant is among the fastest-growing water solutions companies globally, operating in 70 countries and offering tailored, high-efficiency systems to industries where water is both a vital input and an increasingly scarce resource.
Engineering Roots and the MIT Connection
Bajpayee’s formative years were shaped by an early fascination with mechanical systems, fluid dynamics, and, above all, the challenges of sustainability. Unlike many of his peers, who gravitated towards software or finance, he was captivated by the physical sciences and the tangible impacts of engineering on the real world.
Anurag Bajpayee’s academic journey would reach its inflection point when he pursued graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where, Bajpayee earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. His doctoral work focused on water treatment technologies, particularly advanced desalination processes. This research would later provide the technical foundation for Gradiant’s flagship innovations.
Founding Gradiant: From Laboratory to Industry
Gradiant was born not in a boardroom but in the MIT laboratories, co-founded by Bajpayee and fellow MIT researcher Prakash Govindan. The duo identified a glaring gap in the market: industrial sectors such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and energy were facing rising water costs and tightening environmental regulations, yet available water treatment technologies were inefficient, expensive, or both.
In 2013, they launched Gradiant with the mission of developing high-efficiency, cost-effective water treatment systems tailored to industrial applications. Bajpayee’s background gave the company a decisive edge. His deep understanding of thermodynamics and separation technologies allowed Gradiant to offer proprietary solutions that went beyond conventional filtration and reverse osmosis. Early success came with their first major client in the oil and gas sector, where Gradiant’s Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) technology was deployed to recover water from challenging waste streams, cutting both costs and environmental impact.
Scaling the Business Amid Global Water Stress
Since its inception, Gradiant has capitalized on a simple but powerful insight: while water scarcity is a universal issue, the most urgent and valuable opportunities lie in industrial markets. Anurag Bajpayee positioned Gradiant not as a generalist water company but as a specialist serving clients for whom water is a critical resource and operational bottleneck.
Under Bajpayee’s leadership, Gradiant expanded rapidly beyond North America. Asia, with its dense industrial base and acute water challenges, proved fertile ground. In China, Singapore, and India, Gradiant secured contracts with major semiconductor manufacturers, chemical producers, and food and beverage giants, delivering customized water treatment and reuse systems.
By 2023, the company had raised over $400 million in funding from institutional investors and had reached a valuation north of $1 billion, earning it “unicorn” status. In typical Anurag Bajpayee fashion, the milestone was downplayed in favor of emphasizing the company’s technical capabilities and environmental impact.
A CEO Grounded in Engineering
What distinguishes Bajpayee from many of his peers in the climate tech space is his relentless focus on engineering excellence. Unlike CEOs who pivot to the language of strategy and finance, Bajpayee remains deeply engaged in Gradiant’s R&D. He frequently collaborates with engineering teams, contributes to patent filings, and maintains an encyclopedic knowledge of the company’s proprietary technologies.
This technical credibility has proven to be a key asset when dealing with industrial clients who demand robust, verifiable solutions. “You don’t win with PowerPoint,” Bajpayee often says. “You win with physics.”
The result is a portfolio of technologies that deliver not only water savings but also energy and cost reductions, helping clients meet sustainability targets without sacrificing profitability—a balancing act that is increasingly non-negotiable.
Gradiant’s Approach: Customization over Standardization
A hallmark of Gradiant’s success has been its ability to adapt to the specific needs of each client. Instead of selling standardized equipment, Gradiant designs bespoke systems, often integrating multiple treatment technologies to solve complex water challenges. Anurag Bajpayee refers to this as “solutioneering,” blending rigorous engineering with tailored problem-solving.
This approach has led Gradiant to work with some of the world’s most demanding clients, including multinational chipmakers whose manufacturing processes require ultrapure water, and pharmaceutical companies where water quality is directly linked to product integrity. In many cases, Gradiant systems have allowed clients to achieve near-complete water reuse, transforming wastewater from a liability into a resource.
Navigating a Changing Landscape
As water stress intensifies globally, with climate change acting as a threat multiplier, Bajpayee sees growing urgency—and opportunity. Governments and corporations alike are facing pressure to rethink water usage, opening up new markets for Gradiant’s solutions.
Yet Anurag Bajpayee is cautious about hype. He warns that water, unlike energy, often lacks the political and financial attention it deserves. “Water is undervalued until it’s unavailable,” he notes. His pragmatic approach extends to the company’s growth strategy, favoring profitability and long-term partnerships over rapid but unsustainable expansion.
Looking Ahead
With more than 500 projects delivered worldwide and a client list that includes Fortune 500 companies, Gradiant is well-positioned to play a central role in the industrial water transition. Bajpayee, for his part, shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to balance the dual roles of CEO and engineer, embodying a rare combination of technical rigor and business acumen.
In a world where the value of water is climbing inexorably, Anurag Bajpayee’s quiet, methodical approach might just prove to be the most valuable commodity of all.
