From intern to CEO: Yousef Yousef’s journey leading LG Sonic

It seemed that his professional pathway was set. After finishing his law studies at the University of Leiden, Yousef Yousef would have founded a legal firm with his brothers. But entrepreneurship came his way.

As an intern at LG Sonic, a water treatment company, he was tasked with restructuring the business plan. “The company could not survive selling chlorine tablets. At the same time, I was shocked by the amount of chemicals that were used to purify surface water. I understood that impact could be made by deploying the right technology,” he recalls. So, he dropped out of college, secured a loan from a relative, and embarked on a journey to give LG Sonic a new life.

14 years later, LG Sonic is a high-tech water firm. The company’s flagship product is an ultrasound wave algae control. The scaleup develops devices that send sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing and that can control algae growth. This improves reservoir water quality without the need for polluting chemicals.

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A technology with a potential

The adventure set sail with the help of microbiologist and current chief technology officer (CTO) Lisa Brand. At the same time, Yousef himself studied extensively, realizing the potential of ultrasonic waves to treat water. “Back at the time–in 2011, ed.–nobody had used this technology on such a big scale,” the entrepreneur says.

While developing, algae blooms on water reservoirs move to the surface of a water body to receive light and to the bottom to obtain nutrients. Their proliferation releases hazardous toxins into the water, contaminating the quality of reservoirs crucial for the drinking water supply. Sending ultrasonic waves through the top layer of water results in a pressure cycle around the algae cells, disrupting their movement from top to bottom as they seek light and nutrients. For this reason, algae naturally sink, decomposing without releasing harmful toxins.

The decisive push

After many setbacks, and the first potential customers calling it a scam, things started to change. “The turning point came after the first water utility company, American Water, published a research paper resulting from a one-year usage of our technology. They proved our technology was cleaning the algae and pointed out that the return on the investment was 1.8 years,” Yousef recalls.

With this credibility boost, LG Sonic embarked on an expansion journey. The firm's technology is being used across all world geographies. In addition to its Dutch headquarters, the company has branches in the United States, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates, employing 70 people.

In addition to the ultrasound technology, the company expanded its range of offerings to provide comprehensive water quality monitoring options. Their buoys measure phosphate levels, providing reservoir managers with insight into water quality in the hours and days to come.

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Tangible impact

“What makes me proudest about LG Sonic is that we held it and we made it. It was a challenging journey, but we ultimately succeeded in introducing a new technology to a conservative market. And now, I’m glad of the impact we are making: We are changing the drinking water facilities of millions of people,” says Yousef with a sense of pride.

For instance, LG Sonic tech is being used to treat the largest drinking water reservoir of the Dominican Republic, serving millions of people. Another project the CEO is exceptionally proud of is the treatment of wastewater from a nuclear plant in the UK. Additionally, there are numerous cases where LG Sonic has found applications worldwide.

Given a strong financial position, “The dreams are growing bigger,” says Yousef. As seawater quality deteriorates, LG Sonic aims to improve the quality of marine water bodies.

Sharing expertise

With over a decade of experience leading a company, LG Sonic’s CEO is now also sharing his expertise to help others. Yousef is also part of the European Innovation Council (EIC) board. When former Commissioner Carlos Moedas considered launching the agency, he was one of the first ones to be involved. “As a professional, I longed for an institution like the EIC, way before it even existed.”

The EIC is the EU’s agency focused on scaling deep tech companies. Established in 2021, it has supported many researchers and companies along the way. Still, Yousef acknowledges that much more needs to be done to keep fostering European innovation and grow more successful businesses.

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To help more companies grow, he sees the government’s role as pivotal. “There is always a role for the government to play, on the one hand, to derisk installations, and on the other, to set a legal framework to ease the adoption of new technologies,” he adds.

And he has a couple of pieces of advice for budding entrepreneurs. “Don’t be in love with your technology, be in love with your customers. At the same time, don’t be limited by the place where you live. In the Netherlands, we are fortunate to have access to water, but in Morocco, for instance, there are significant challenges related to drinking water. So, where is your customer? Climate tech often has an application anywhere,” he concludes.