Bariflo secures Rs 2 crore from MC² Plus for AI wastewater tech

Bariflo Cybernetics, an Odisha-based startup, has secured Rs 2 crore in milestone-linked funding from MC² Plus, an energy innovation platform led by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. Disbursements are structured around the completion of agreed milestones, according to founder and CEO Mrityunjay Sahu.

MC² Plus brings together HPCL, ONGC, Indian Oil, BPCL, GAIL, Oil India and Petronet LNG, and offers energy ventures funding, research facilities, mentorship and access to industrial pilot sites.

Before this funding, Bariflo had raised close to $1 million through grants, equity and debt. The new money will help it run upcoming pilots and install its technology at more industrial sites.

Bariflo, founded in 2018, wants factories to get more use out of their existing effluent treatment plants. Proprietary IoT sensors monitor wastewater parameters such as pH, total dissolved solids and flow. AI models then use those readings to determine chemical dosage and treatment processes at different stages, according to Sahu.

This automates some decisions that operators would otherwise make manually. It also helps the plant respond as the characteristics of incoming wastewater change.

The company initially focused on monitoring and cleaning municipal waterbodies and explored aquaculture before concentrating on industrial wastewater treatment and reuse. It charges an upfront deployment fee followed by a monthly fee for its technology and services. Sahu says the technology has demonstrated the potential to reduce energy consumption by approximately 25%.

The funding comes as Bariflo moves from developing and testing its technology towards commercial deployments. Sahu says difficulties in accessing freshwater and groundwater are pushing industries to use water more carefully and recycle more of it. Bariflo is targeting that need by upgrading existing effluent treatment plants rather than asking customers to build new ones.

Selling to large industrial organisations and public sector undertakings involves working with R&D teams and several other decision-makers, with lengthy evaluations before a purchase.

Bariflo has conducted pilots with Indian Oil Corporation’s R&D centre in Faridabad and is preparing for a pilot with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. That pilot will test treatment efficiency, energy consumption and chemical use in an industrial setting. The company generated approximately Rs 1.2 crore in revenue in 2025-26, according to Sahu.

Bariflo identifies Ion Exchange and VA Tech WABAG as indirect competitors. Ion Exchange’s IonSite Digital Twin uses AI and wastewater modelling to identify savings and guide plant operations, while VA Tech WABAG has demonstrated AI applications in water treatment.

”Our immediate priority is to accelerate commercialisation and establish a scalable business,” Sahu says.