# Alex Rappaport

> Alex Rappaport is the CEO and co-founder of ZwitterCo, a Massachusetts membrane-technology company built around Tufts University research. A former Potomac River guide and Tufts-trained environmental engineer, he helped turn zwitterionic polymer science into commercial membranes for difficult industrial wastewater and process streams, guiding the company from student venture competitions to global installations and a $58.4 million Series B round in 2024.

- **Role:** CEO and Co-Founder at ZwitterCo
- **Organizations:** ZwitterCo, Tufts University, Tufts Venture Lab, Greentown Labs, Imagine H2O
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. in Environmental Engineering; minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies, Tufts University, M.S. in Innovation and Management, Tufts University Gordon Institute
- **Known for:** Co-founded ZwitterCo and helped secure an exclusive license to Tufts-developed zwitterionic membrane technology., Won the 2018 Tufts $100k New Ventures Competition., Received the 2018 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Water Catalyst Challenge award.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2013** — Worked for six years as an adventure camp counselor and instructor, teaching whitewater stand-up paddleboarding, rafting, kayaking, climbing, and other outdoor activities near the Potomac River.
- **2013-2017** — Studied at Tufts University, switching from chemical engineering to environmental engineering and completing an entrepreneurship minor.
- **2017** — Helped establish Tufts Venture Lab and entered the university's M.S. in Innovation and Management program.
- **2017-2018** — Connected with Professor Ayse Asatekin's zwitterionic polymer research, pursued customer discovery, and developed the commercialization plan that became ZwitterCo.
- **2018** — Co-founded ZwitterCo; the team won the Tufts $100k New Ventures Competition and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Water Catalyst Challenge.
- **2019** — Joined the Imagine H2O accelerator after working from Greentown Labs.
- **2021** — ZwitterCo announced a $5.9 million seed financing.
- **2022** — ZwitterCo announced a $33 million Series A; Rappaport was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing & Industry for 2023.
- **2023** — Named to the Boston Business Journal's 40 Under 40; ZwitterCo prepared to open a 30,000-square-foot innovation center in Woburn.
- **2024** — ZwitterCo closed a $58.4 million Series B led by Evok Innovations.
- **2025** — ZwitterCo expanded its commercial membrane portfolio with the Elevation, Evolution, and Expedition families.

## Achievements

- Co-founded ZwitterCo and helped secure an exclusive license to Tufts-developed zwitterionic membrane technology.
- Won the 2018 Tufts $100k New Ventures Competition.
- Received the 2018 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Water Catalyst Challenge award.
- Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing & Industry for 2023.
- Named to the Boston Business Journal's 40 Under 40 in 2023.
- Led ZwitterCo through a $33 million Series A in 2022 and a $58.4 million Series B in 2024.
- Helped take ZwitterCo from university commercialization work to customers in more than 20 countries, according to Tufts Gordon Institute reporting.

## Latest updates

- **2025-12** — ZwitterCo reported a year of commercial expansion across its Evolution, Elevation, and Expedition membrane families.
- **2025-09** — ZwitterCo commercially launched its Evolution membrane family for dairy and food processing.
- **2025-07** — ZwitterCo unveiled the Elevation, Evolution, and Expedition product families across industrial water reuse, process separation, and challenging wastewater applications.
- **2025-06** — Rappaport joined ZwitterCo leadership in a public discussion of industrial water resilience in the Middle East.
- **2024-07** — ZwitterCo closed an oversubscribed $58.4 million Series B led by Evok Innovations.

## Links

- Website: https://zwitterco.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-rappaport
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/zwitterco
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/ZwitterCo/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/alex-rappaport
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-25