Nyad

Nyad (nyad.ai) is a Birmingham, Alabama-based software company that applies computer vision and machine learning to biological process control at wastewater treatment plants. Its product, an AI copilot called Nymph, lets operations teams photograph slides or test tubes through a microscope and upload the images for analysis; the system identifies and quantifies bacteria, algae, amoebae, flagellates, ciliates, rotifers and nematodes, grades filamentous organism density and assesses floc structure, then interprets what those populations mean for the process in real time. The platform compares a current read against prior reads and a plant's healthy baseline, and can also analyze photographs of tank surfaces for water coloration, algae mats, foam and turbulence.

The company's site describes a patented pipeline (US 11,565,946 B2, filed December 3, 2019, granted January 31, 2023, listing inventors Edward Bryan Arndt, Francis John DeOrio and Patrick Joseph Campbell) in which a sludge sample is imaged through a microscope and sensor, routed to the cloud, and processed by preprocessing, training, attribute recognition, density recognition and correction components, with results and corrective-action recommendations returned to an operator interface. Documented analytical capabilities include detection of interfloc bridging as an early indicator of filamentous bulking, stain-penetration analysis for elevated polysaccharide associated with Zooglea-dominant sludge, a six-level filament density scale (Few, Some, Common, Very Common, Abundant, Excessive), and live object detection with bounding boxes for organisms such as Nocardia.

Beyond microscopy, the Nymph product is organized into role-oriented modules covering biology, chemistry (pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, loading, dosing), data analysis and reporting, plain-language coaching for new operators, maintenance documents and SOPs, shift planning and handoffs, and compliance records and audit evidence.

Founding story

Nyad was founded in 2024 by British entrepreneurs Virginia Szepietowski (Co-Founder and CEO) and Christopher Braithwaite (Co-Founder and COO), both second-time founders, after Szepietowski encountered poor water quality while training for triathlons in the United Kingdom. Szepietowski had previously worked in law and consulting before moving into water technology. The founders established the company's headquarters at Innovation Depot in Birmingham, Alabama after identifying early customer demand in the region through pilot programs.

Business model

Nyad sells software to wastewater treatment operations, engaging plants through pilots and demos before deployment of its Nymph copilot; the company directs prospective customers to contact it about pilots and pricing.

Traction

By mid-2025 Nyad had launched two pilot programs, including one with a major oil refinery, and secured more than $250,000 in early funding. At its March 2026 commercial launch the company said it was working with wastewater utilities across the United States, spanning large metropolitan systems and smaller rural plants. Its website lists a team of nine, including founders, a founding engineer, computer vision and environmental intelligence staff, and microbiology, wastewater and protozoology consultants.

Latest developments

In March 2026 Nyad announced the commercial launch of its operator decision-support platform alongside a $1.3 million oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Boost VC, with the capital going toward team expansion, customer acquisition and product development across the U.S.