Fall 2026
Mechanical Engineering Intern
Vital Lyfe
11-50 employees
Portable autonomous water purification engine
Compensation Overview
$30 - $33/hr
Los Angeles, CA, USA + 1 more
More locations: Torrance, CA, USA
In Person
Must work 100% on-site in Torrance, California.
Bachelor's
 Mechanical Engineering (1) |
|---|
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- Currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
- Experience or coursework in relevant fields such as fluid dynamics, circuit design, thermodynamics, and material science.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
- Ability to perform hands-on work on development hardware.
- Ability to stand, crouch, and walk for long periods.
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
- Ability to work 100% on-site in Torrance, California.
- Collaborate on the design and optimization of high-pressure systems.
- Assist in prototyping, testing, and refining lightweight, energy-efficient mechanical components.
- Analyze materials and system designs to ensure reliability and performance.
Vital Lyfe makes portable, autonomous water-purification machines that work without traditional water infrastructure. Their compact purification engine combines mechanical components, advanced membrane science, and smart power management to clean water from seawater, brackish water, or contaminated sources. The system is modular and self-optimizes its purification process to adapt to different water sources, delivering on-demand potable water with a smaller environmental footprint than large desalination plants. The company builds on aerospace engineering know-how from SpaceX veterans to create off-grid, field-ready units for maritime groups, disaster relief, and other communities with limited water access, with consumer-ready products planned for 2026 and funding to scale manufacturing and deployments.
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Seed
Total Funding
$24M
Headquarters
Hawthorne, California
Founded
2024
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- March 2026 Tierra Bomba testing showed seawater-to-drinking-water performance for about 40 families.
- John John Florence partnership and April 2026 preorders expand consumer and maritime awareness.
- December 2025 raised $24 million from General Catalyst and Interlagos, funding manufacturing scale-up.
What critics are saying
- Access preorders at $749 started April 2026, but commercial deliveries still define credibility.
- A 38,000-square-foot Torrance plant opened March 2026; underutilization burns capital fast.
- One failed field deployment, membrane defect, or energy overrun destroys maritime and disaster-relief demand.
What makes Vital Lyfe unique
- Ex-SpaceX founders Jon Criss and Andrew Harner bring aerospace manufacturing discipline to water systems.
- Vital Lyfe targets seawater, brackish water, and contaminated sources with one modular platform.
- The Torrance factory centralizes engineering, testing, and production for high-rate hardware iteration.
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Benefits
Company Equity
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 17%1 year growth
↑ 17%2 year growth
↑ 17%Vital Lyfe, a water technology company, has partnered with world champion surfer John John Florence to promote Access, its portable water filtration system designed for off-grid living and ocean exploration. The system enables users to generate filtered water from natural sources, including seawater, through a simple push-button process. Florence, known for his global sailing expeditions, currently uses expensive desalination systems for remote travel. He recognised Access's potential for adventurers and broader water accessibility applications. Access is available for pre-order at $749, with an $8 deposit. Deliveries are expected later this year. The system targets maritime use, off-grid exploration, rural living, and emergency response applications.
Vital Lyfe, a water technology company, has opened a 37,000-square-foot manufacturing headquarters in Torrance, California. The facility will serve as the company's primary hub for production, engineering and operational growth ahead of its first product launch this summer. The company is developing a universal portable water filtration device capable of converting seawater and naturally occurring water sources into drinking water. CEO Jon Criss said the production line is designed to manufacture more desalination units monthly than currently exist worldwide. The move follows Vital Lyfe's successful capital raise last year. The company is actively hiring across engineering, sales and production roles as it scales operations domestically and internationally. The Torrance facility will support global market expansion and serve as the centre of its long-term production and innovation strategy.
Vital Lyfe, a water technology company specialising in universal water filtration, has opened a 38,000 square foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Torrance, California. The move follows a successful capital raise last year and positions the company ahead of its first product launch this summer. The facility will serve as the primary hub for production, engineering and operations as Vital Lyfe scales domestically and internationally. CEO Jon Criss said the production line is designed to manufacture more desalination units monthly than currently exist worldwide. The company is developing a universal portable water filtration device capable of converting seawater and naturally occurring water sources into drinking water. Vital Lyfe is actively hiring across engineering, sales and production roles to support its expansion.
Vital Lyfe, a water technology company, has completed a multi-day field demonstration of its decentralised desalination system on Tierra Bomba, a small island off Cartagena, Colombia. Conducted with local NGO Amigos Del Mar, the deployment tested the system's ability to produce drinking water from seawater under real-world conditions. Approximately 40 families observed or interacted with the demonstration. The island relies almost entirely on boat-delivered water, which is expensive and inconsistent. Pedro Salazar, president of Amigos Del Mar, said community members were impressed with the water quality and the system's simplicity and reliability. The system operated solely on local seawater without external inputs or backup infrastructure. Vital Lyfe views the demonstration as an early step in evaluating how low-cost, decentralised water technologies can support coastal communities.
Vital Lyfe, a Hawthorne, CA-based personal water-making technology company, raised $24M in Seed funding