Technology Shayp detects water leaks

Supported by AMAVI

Shayp is one of AMAVI’s investments, an independent investment fund that seeks to connect the traditional real estate sector with pioneering PropTech companies.

Shayp detects water leaks in real-time

Some 35 percent of Flanders’ drinking water is wasted due to water leaks in buildings and infrastructure. Shayp’s founders agree that this is an astonishing figure. They developed a technology for real-time leak detection. Their objective is to reduce worldwide water consumption by 30 percent. The Belgian start-up has developed a tiny device that can automatically monitor a building’s daily water consumption. This device easily attaches to the water meter and runs on its own battery without the need for Wi-Fi or electricity. When it detects a water leak, it immediately sends an alert by text message. This means that a lot less water and money will be wasted.

— Pulse system Since 2000, all water meters have been fitted with pulse systems, which are rotating meters. This allows Shayp to detect leaks, as one rotation is equivalent to a one-liter consumption. With every rotation of the meter, Shayp measures the corresponding consumption. If there any irregularities, it usually means that there is a leak.

You can see all the info the device collects in Shayp’s user-friendly app. Besides warnings of possible leaks, consumers will also gain more insight into their water consumption. — Ambitious mission The founders’ objective is to drastically reduce water wastage in Flanders. By 2022, they want to save as many as 100 billion gallons a year with their water monitors. That may seem like a lot, but when you know that one in seven buildings in Flanders has one or more water leakages, you can soon appreciate the problem’s scale. Then there’s also the rising price of water. A leaking toilet can cost upwards of 7,000 euros per year.

Shayp has already come a long way since its start-up in October 2017. Initially, the focus will be on public buildings and major projects, but in the future, they want to target the private market as well. To help achieve its future plans, Shayp can rely on the enthusiastic support of multiple investors, including AMAVI, the PropTech investment fund that ION also co-founded.

From left to right: Alexandre McCormack, Zineddine Wakrim, and Grégoire de Hemptinne.

Award-winning technology

In January 2020, Shayp earned the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label for its innovative technology. Shayp’s approach is both costeffective and environmentally friendly. This is an end-to-end solution from identifying to detecting water leaks.