EnWave Corp (TSX-V:ENW, OTC:NWVCF, FRA:E4U) CEO Brent Charleton talked with Proactive about the company’s newly announced contract with Bowen Gumlu in North Queensland, Australia.
This deal represents a significant step for EnWave as it opens access to multiple new potential adopters of its vacuum microwave drying technology, particularly in the processing of fruits and vegetables.
Proactive: All right. Welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom. And joining me now is Brent Charleton. He is the CEO of EnWave Corp. Brent, great to see you again. How are you?
Brent Charleton: Usual. I’m great.
Good, good. Big news out from the company today — talking about yet another contract. You had hinted that there were a lot in the pipeline for 2026. You’re out early with another one. And this one is an interesting one because it comes from North Queensland in Australia.
That’s right. I think this is the first deal that’s ticked over the signature line. We expect more to come in the coming months. This particular deal allows us to connect with a number of new potential adopters of this technology for the processing of fruits and vegetables in Australia. As you’ve mentioned, Bowen Gumlu is the industry association that tries to drive new business and economic growth for traditionally more, you know, fresh or frozen agricultural companies. And this opens up a path to integrate a dried product offering within those portfolios.
This particular area is well known for that AU$650 million annual farmgate production that they have — a lot of areas like tomatoes and beans and corn and things like that. Stuff that I think would be right up the alley of what you’re looking at?
I absolutely agree. I think that this deal is a testament to the value proposition of what vacuum microwave technology can bring to the table versus other incumbent technologies like air drying and freeze drying. We’re hoping that the utilization of our technology will allow, again, those different foodstuffs that you’ve just mentioned to be brought to market in different forms — in terms of snacks or ingredients — not only for the domestic market, but they foresee this as a launch point to allow for different types of products to be exported into their neighboring Asian countries.
Now, I noticed in this deal also, Brent, it talks about a machine as well — buying a machine. So is that for people to use and test out? Because there are a number of different companies that work within this organization.
Correct. That’s exactly it. The ten-kilowatt unit that’s being procured by Bowen Gumlu will be made available to all of their industry association partners. Also, we have boots on the ground in Australia with a third-party machine reseller, Cytek, who also has the technical capabilities to assist with a lot of that product and process development, which we then hope will spur on, again, additional REV orders in the large-scale variety, as well as a fulsome commitment to buy another upstream and downstream manufacturing equipment.
