Innovating a Clean, Sustainable Water Future
Axius Water was created in 2019 by KKR Global Impact and XPV Water Partners to make a difference in the water industry by unifying and supporting nimble, high-potential companies in this space.
Our diverse portfolio comprises industry-leading firms led by passionate problem-solvers who have developed best-in-class water and wastewater solutions to address critical nutrient removal problems.
Axius Water is greater than the sum of our parts. Working together around the world, we bring decades of collective experience to offer integrated, custom solutions for optimal results in all types of plants—industrial and municipal, rural and urban.
Together, we are devising innovative strategies that solve complex, highly technical challenges and reduce overall energy, capital or operational costs for our clients.
Axius Water is laser-focused on the mission of stopping nutrient pollution. Axius acquires firms with deep application knowledge, empowering them with processes, tools and systems to enable more comprehensive Stronger Together solutions that provide innovation to end users. Most Axius companies double or triple in size within the first two years–exponentially accomplishing the mission.
Being unified enables collaboration for complex problem-solving, builds community and fuels innovative customer solutions resulting in accelerated growth.
We aim to enable our end users to become more sustainable by providing unique and efficient wastewater solutions that reduce their carbon footprint, often within a smaller physical footprint.
Whether on an installation site or in a facility, nothing is more critical to us than ensuring that all employees return home safely at the end of every work day.
We respect and work hard to preserve the heritage of our companies and their brands, the relationships they have forged, and each individual who is part of the team, celebrating what makes us all unique.
Chris has spent 30+ years acquiring and transforming businesses in the water and wastewater space. After a successful 14-year career at Thermo Fisher, Chris was part of the founding team of Nova Analytics, a group of water instrumentation companies that was ultimately sold to ITT, Xylem’s predecessor, in 2010.
Chris served as a founding officer and division president for Xylem, a NYSE-traded, multi-national corporation. At Xylem, Chris was responsible for the water treatment and instrumentation businesses, which had a combined P&L of $600M. After five successful years with Xylem, Chris returned to private equity M&A.
In five short years with Union Park’s KPM Analytics, six acquisitions were completed, launching a new leader in analytical instrumentation. In July 2020, Chris joined Axius Water, where he continues to build a business focused on stopping nutrient pollution.
David brings more than 25 years of finance experience to the Axius Water team, most recently spending 13 years as the group CFO of Fortive (formerly Danaher).
The focus of David’s career has been enabling businesses to achieve success partnering with finance. David combines his passion for process orientation and analytical problem-solving to identify solutions that help businesses achieve their growth aspirations. In this way, David is well-equipped to support not only Axius’ platform-level growth into the future but also provide guidance and better align the financial efforts of its operating companies.
David did his undergraduate work at St. Bonaventure University and subsequently received his Masters from the State University of New York in Albany, NY.
Ellen Gaby is a commercial leader with over 30 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry, spanning an era in which strategic investment in the water space has integrated a myriad of regional players into the largest conglomerates in the world.
A Morehead Cain Scholar from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ellen began her career at a family-owned business in the Research Triangle Park, NC, then moved into industrial and municipal water and wastewater treatment at firms that first became US Filter, then GE Water. Prior to joining Axius, Ellen spent 16 years building a North American water business for the Australian chemical company Orica/Ixom Pty Ltd. Focusing on consolidating digital information to drive growth, and on the human side of commerce, Ellen brings a strategic focus to the passionate pursuit of clean water.
Martin Hildebrand, P.Eng, and founder of Canada-based Nexom, formerly known as Nelson Environmental, brings decades of pioneering wastewater treatment expertise to Axius Water as CTO. Laser focused on nutrient removal technologies for both municipal and industrial applications in urban and rural settings alike, under Martin’s watch, Nexom implemented process technologies to more than 800 projects while leading the EDI team, headquartered in the U.S., on countless aeration installs as well. A member of the acquisition team, Martin has been pivotal in forging acquisition prospects for portfolio additions including Napier Reid and most recently Triplepoint. A civil engineering graduate of the University of Manitoba, Martin now brings his technology acumen and leadership to the entire Axius portfolio.
Increase impact
Industry-leading finance and IT systems, CRM and marketing tools, tax and legal support, strategic support, and deep operating expertise empower our companies to reach more customers and solve more problems.
Drive innovation.
Funding and support for R & D, contemporary facilities, and enhanced collaboration opportunities to create more unique products and solutions.
Retain your values.
We respect our founders’ expertise and passion. We empower them to keep their team and culture while fueling the spirit that built their firms.
