Cape Town Startup Pee-Cycling Wins V&A Waterfront Circular Innovation Challenge
Cape Town Startup Pee-Cycling Wins V&A Waterfront Circular Innovation Challenge. Cape Town-based Pee-Cycling has won the 2026 V&A Waterfront Circular Innovation Challenge, earning recognition for its technology that converts urine into reusable water and liquid fertiliser.
The company was selected as the overall winner following a final pitch at Vikara Institute’s annual Market Systems Symposium. It competed against three other finalists: Green Brine Technologies, Noodees and Skubu.
The challenge is a flagship initiative of Solve, the V&A Waterfront’s non-profit company, aimed at identifying and supporting circular economy solutions with environmental, social and economic benefits.
Entries were assessed through a multi-stage evaluation process covering innovation, circular economy impact, feasibility, scalability, commercial potential, environmental benefits and social impact. An independent panel reviewed submissions before selecting four finalists to present their concepts.
Judges selected Pee-Cycling for its approach to addressing environmental challenges while demonstrating commercial viability and potential for scaling its operations.
Developed from research at the University of Cape Town, Pee-Cycling’s technology separates urine from conventional wastewater streams and processes it into reusable water and liquid fertiliser. The process recovers nutrients that would otherwise be lost through traditional sanitation systems.
The company has tested its technology at DHL Stadium in Cape Town through a build-own-operate partnership. Its pilot operations have processed more than 10,000 litres of urine.
The project, delivered in partnership with Bidvest Prestige and the City of Cape Town, collected 3,600 litres of urine during a rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand.
The City of Cape Town has also included Pee-Cycling in its three-year stadium tender, providing a further opportunity for the technology to feature in stadium sanitation operations.
The award highlights the role of circular economy innovations in developing alternative approaches to waste management and resource recovery.
For Pee-Cycling, the recognition follows its demonstration of urine-processing technology in a major sports venue and its participation in a city tender process.
The challenge’s focus on commercially viable solutions places emphasis on innovations that combine environmental benefits with the potential to operate at scale.
