Financial education doesn’t usually link up with water treatment. After all, banking careers thrive on stability, meticulous forecasting, and disciplined capital management. Luciano Novia’s early work revolved around analyzing balance sheets and advising clients on financial services. But a few years later, he made a significant shift, stepping away from the finance world to start his own ventures. Eventually, he co-founded a Swiss water technology company that tackles issues like pollution, filtration, and infrastructure challenges across various markets.
Luciano’s path to environmental technology was, well, a bit unconventional. Most engineering programs churn out specialists focused on designing filtration systems and chemical processes. However, Luciano didn’t follow that norm; his instincts leaned more toward entrepreneurship than laboratory research. His finance background helped him scrutinize markets, pinpoint overlooked inefficiencies, and translate complex technical concepts into businesses capable of operating on a global scale.
This perspective naturally led him to one of the critical infrastructure challenges facing modern cities: water quality.
From banking to entrepreneurship
Luciano’s career began in finance, where he dealt with risk assessment, portfolio management, and client advisory roles. Working at Credit Suisse, he managed their insurance and financial services portfolio, gaining deep insights into how global finance operates.
While he found the structure and stability of financial services appealing, his entrepreneurial spirit gradually nudged him in another direction. He took a break from the corporate finance grind and began building his own ventures, initially focusing on fitness and health. His endeavors led to the creation of several training centers and sports medicine facilities, enabling him to gain firsthand experience in establishing a business from scratch.
As these companies grew, he eventually sold them after they flourished. This experience only reinforced Luciano’s desire to explore industries ripe for innovative ideas and improvements. At the same time, he pursued academics, earning a master’s degree in business administration to further strengthen his strategic management skills as he prepared for larger ventures ahead.
“My experience across finance, entrepreneurship, and health services has broadened my perspective on how the industry can adapt to new challenges,” he reflected, noting that there was one sector that both intrigued and needed attention.
A business perspective on global water issues
In 2019, Luciano co-founded evo drop, focusing on innovative water treatment technology. This company manufactures systems designed to tackle pollution and limescale issues in residential, commercial, and industrial settings.
As concerns about water quality grew in many areas, traditional treatment technologies seemed outdated, especially with new contaminants like PFAS and TFA appearing in water supplies. Most buildings were still using systems that relied heavily on salt, energy, and space.
Luciano tackled this challenge through a business lens. Large-scale infrastructure issues rarely stay confined to labs. What we need are entrepreneurs who can make research practical—implementing systems suitable for homes, hospitals, factories, and public spaces.
“My role has always been to pinpoint where technology can address real-world issues and forge partnerships to leverage those solutions daily,” Luciano remarked.
Evodrop created a water treatment technology that combines microfiltration with a mineral stabilization process. This innovation aims to prevent limescale formation while maintaining the water’s natural mineral balance. Their systems are adaptable, addressing both pollution and infrastructure needs across various settings from private homes to industrial complexes.
Building a global water technology company
Once Evodrop hit the market, it saw rapid growth. The company’s systems are now installed in numerous locations, including homes, hotels, hospitals, and schools, as well as in industrial facilities and real estate projects.
With this expansion came international accolades; Evodrop has won several industry awards, such as the German Innovation Award and the Aquatech Innovation Award, showcasing the rising interest in novel water treatment methods.
Luciano’s focus within the company centers around expansion and strategic partnerships. He collaborates with distributors, industrial stakeholders, and market organizations to introduce water treatment solutions to new regions, adjusting engineering innovations for practical application.
“Water quality is becoming one of the defining infrastructure challenges of the coming decades,” Luciano said. “We aim to make advanced water treatment feasible in contemporary buildings and cities.”
Evodrop currently serves clients across Europe, Asia, and the United States, with plans to expand into additional markets. The demand for their solutions is on the rise as awareness about water pollution and efficiency in infrastructure grows globally.
Luciano’s career has taken an unexpected trajectory, moving from a finance office to a water technology company and joining global infrastructure discussions. Yet, the connections between these fields have become clearer over time. The finance world instills a strong understanding of risk assessment and structural weaknesses, while entrepreneurship thrives on the desire to confront these gaps with innovative ideas.
Older water systems are facing challenges their designers might never have imagined. Often, it’s those entrepreneurs who break away from traditional scientific paths who notice these pressures.
And Luciano Novia is certainly one of those visionaries.
