About

A Guatemalan-international team turning a circular idea into reality.

Our story

Mosan began in 2018 in Guatemala, developing an off-grid ecological sanitation service: a moderndry toilet and a system to safely collect and treat human excreta in densely populated, challenging environments. From the start, the goal was circular — capturing nutrients where they are harmful and returning them to the soil where they are needed.

That sanitation work taught us socio-cultural awareness, pyrolysis processes, biochar formulation, and the science of nutrient recovery. Over the years the system grew into something larger: a way to transform multiple waste streams into regenerative soil solutions, and to connect this system with global supply chains. The toilet was the beginning of the loop. Today we close it at landscape scale.

Innovation timeline
2018

Operations begin in Guatemala; off-grid sanitation and pyrolysis R&D (SDC-funded); first toilet pilot with families in Santa Catarina Palopó.

2019

First community and school sanitation services; co-creation with local families.

2021

ETH Zurich Collaboration: Scientific biochar research on maize; urine-enriched formula; Springer publication (link).

2022

Presented to Guatemala’s Vice-President; start of municipal partnerships and collaboration with AMSCLAE (governmental authority for sustainability)

2023

Biochar trials on zucchini, coffee, banana; coffee partnership with the cooperative “La VOZ”; REPIC ressource-efficiency project in partnership with ZHAW and GenerationCarbon, start of sewage sludge treatment research

2024–2025

MAGA - Ministry of Agriculture Partnership: coffee nursery trials; coffee field trial, biochar product launch, first biochar sales.

2026 →

Upscaling operations and farmer partnerships, construction of the new industrial Transformation Center with continuous pyrolysis process

The Mosan System integrates multi-waste processing, contamination prevention, and direct farmer collaboration into one circular system.

We transform “difficult” waste streams — sewage sludge, fecal matter, agricultural residues — into high-performance biochar with a strong carbon mitigation profile. Our foundation is a system of partnerships and creative collaboration, built over years and rooted in place and culture.

The team

A highly diverse, intercultural, and multidisciplinary team — bringing together local agricultural, environmental engineering, carbon and climate science, design expertise, and socio-cultural know-how.

MM

Mona Mijthab

Founder of Mosan & CEO; strategy, innovation, design

OC

Omar Crespo

Founder of Association for Innovation; strategy and culture

RA

Raluca Anisie

Research & Impact Lead

GC

Guillermo Chavajay

Environmental engineering; Operational lead

NM

Nelson Mendoza

Leading Agronomist; formulations, field trials and farm partnerships

EA

Elsy Alvarado

Communications & Marketing

MC

Melvin Cumes

Operations & Transformation Center

TS

Torivia Salpor

Operations & Transformation Center

JR

Juan Ramos

Business & Go-to-market strategy


Our Advisors
Partners & network
Consortium Partners
Association for InnovationMosan S.A. Guatemala
Research
ETH ZurichZHAWUC DavisSLU / Sanitation360
Government
MAGAAMSCLAESDCREPICIDB
Institutions
GoldeimerContainer-based Sanitation Alliance CBSAVivamos Mejor GuatemalaCEWASVaLoo Network SwitzerlandViCAFE & ViFOUNDATION