Kumulus

Kumulus Water is a Franco-Tunisian water technology company that designs, manufactures and operates atmospheric water generators (AWGs), machines that extract drinking water from ambient air humidity without any connection to a water network. A unit captures humid air, condenses it, passes the condensate through a four-stage filtration process and then mineralizes it before dispensing. Typical output is 20 to 30 litres per day, rising to as much as 45 litres per day in optimal conditions; the machines operate at temperatures above 5°C and perform best above 30% relative humidity. They require only ambient air and a power source, which can be the grid, batteries or solar panels, making them usable at off-grid sites. Energy use is stated at 0.4 to 0.8 kWh per litre for the Amphore and Boks units and 0.5 kW per day for the water coolers. The company says its water meets or exceeds World Health Organisation and EU drinking water standards and that it has run more than 6,000 water quality tests across environments ranging from coastal areas to industrial zones, construction sites and deserts.

The product range includes the Amphore 30 for offices, the Eekan 30 for off-grid sites, the Kaia water fountain for distribution, and the Boks, an industrial-grade line launched with the 2025 seed round. Maintenance, including remote monitoring of filter status and scheduled technical visits, is handled by the company's own team. Deployments are described in offices, schools, hotels, airports, construction sites, ports, industrial facilities, resorts, public bathing sites and rural communities across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Founding story

The idea originated in 2020 when Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid, camping in the Tunisian desert, observed dew forming on their tent at dawn and considered replicating condensation to produce drinking water. Kumulus was founded in 2021 in Saint-Mandé, France. Triki, the CEO, began his career in private equity financing renewable energy projects in the Middle East and Africa and studied at École Polytechnique and UC Berkeley; Abid, the CTO, holds degrees from École Polytechnique and Mines ParisTech and has experience designing and building thermal power plants.

Business model

Kumulus sells and operates air-to-water machines for business, institutional and public-sector customers, bundling installation and ongoing maintenance, including remote monitoring of filters and scheduled technical visits. It does not currently sell to private individuals and works with regional distributors in markets where it operates or plans to expand.

Revenue comes from supplying atmospheric water generator units (Amphore, Eekan, Boks, Kaia water cooler) to organisations, positioned as a replacement for purchased bottled water; customers are told the machines reduce water spend, with one airport customer citing €23,000 saved in a year and full payback in the first year.

Traction

The company reports over 200 machines sold and deployed by 2025 (140+ machines deployed per its own numbers page), more than 2,500 people drinking its water daily, over 6,000 water quality tests completed, ten awards won and five university R&D partnerships. Named deployments include 12 units at TAV Airports Tunisia, 17 units at Paris Est Marne et Bois bathing sites, three machines at Bayadha Primary School in Jendouba serving over 100 students and teachers, Pluxee Tunisia, STAR Assurances-funded schools in Kairouan, and Station F in Paris.

Latest developments

In June 2025 Kumulus announced a $3.5 million seed round led by Bpifrance via France 2030 SGPI and the Île-de-France Region, with Plus VC, Khalys Venture, Flat6Labs, Spadel and family offices and founders from Europe and North Africa participating. Proceeds are earmarked for the rollout of the Kumulus Boks industrial-scale AWG line and for scaling in France, Spain and Tunisia while preparing entry into Saudi Arabia.