It's a promising year for water innovation. Technology advancements, increased investment, expanding awareness, collaboration and favorable policy are creating a fertile ground for water innovation to grow — allowing for new solutions to address the world's water challenges.
This year, hundreds of entrepreneurs applied to the Accelerator and Urban Water Challenge programs. With a rigorous selection process, the latest cohort of 15 startups represents the best in water innovation. These entrepreneurs are solving critical water issues by increasing efficiency, expanding equity, tackling climate change and improving health. Their individual bios, websites and projects are listed below.
“The 2023 cohort highlights the wide range of solutions that will transform how the world manages water,” says Kelly Trott, vice president of Imagine H2O “With our programs, they will gain key connections and mentorship to help them solve the water crisis.”
As a leading innovation program for water startups, Imagine H2O recognizes the hallmarks of successful solutions in water, and the defining traits of the leaders who bring them to light. Their zero-equity programs equip entrepreneurs with the resources, market insight and visibility to launch and scale their solutions. Imagine H2O has fostered more than 170 startups over the last 13 years. This legacy boasts a 90% survival rate of cohort alumni in the water technology space.
Learn more about Imagine H2O’s accelerator programs by visiting its website.
The Imagine H2O Accelerator
The Imagine H2O Accelerator is working with 11 startups looking to develop their solutions, commercialize their technologies and enter new markets. Since 2009, the program has supported over 140 startups to scale their businesses globally.
1. Ainwater of Santiago, Chile, uses AI-based algorithms to optimize water and wastewater plant operations, ensuring compliance while increasing energy efficiency by 30%.
2. Bluemethane of London captures and permanently removes methane from water, as a new source of bioenergy and revenue for asset owners.
3. CivilGrid of San Francisco compiles utility, geotech and other project planning data to create a comprehensive map that accelerates due diligence and design of water infrastructure projects.
4. iFlux of Niel, Belgium, provides visibility into groundwater dynamics through combining a network of IoT sensors, sampling technology and a real-time dashboard.
5. Kairospace Technologies of Las Vegas offers a clean-tech water treatment solution that optimizes water quality and increases agricultural outputs by utilizing physics, gasses and nanobubbles.
6. LAIIER of London offers a wireless smart tape leak detection solution that notifies property managers and owners about leakages in real time, reducing the impact of water damage and flooding events.
7. Nucleic Sensing Systems of Saint Paul, Minnesota, has a portable system that autonomously and continuously monitors biological species of concern geospatially and in real-time.
8. Ocean Oasis of Oslo, Norway, provides desalinated water to shore through wave-powered buoys.
9. OmniVis of San Francisco offers handheld technology that detects waterborne and foodborne pathogens in under 30 minutes.
10. Rainstick of Kelowna, Canada, offers a shower system that captures, circulates and cleans water in real-time, increasing water and energy efficiency up to 80%.
11. Sudoc of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is using its patented chemistry to eliminate wasted material, energy and water in textile bleaching and other water treatment applications.
Urban Water Challenge
The Urban Water Challenge is working with five finalists that are ready to pilot and scale their technologies in global cities. Since its launch in 2018, the challenge has helped 27 startups complete 36 pilots in 17 countries with over $1.5M in funding. The challenge is supported by two partners — Oceankind and 11th Hour Racing's grant program, funded by The Schmidt Family Foundation.
1. ACWA Robotics of Petreto Bicchisano, France, will deploy its smart and autonomous robot to collect condition assessment and mapping data in Dunkirk, France’s water networks, thereby optimizing infrastructure replacement and repair decisions.
2. Daupler of Overland Park, Kansas, will use its emergency response management software to simplify and automate how water and wastewater utilities collectively respond to critical issues in Northern California.
3. Ocean Oasis of Oslo, Norway, will deploy a wave-powered desalination buoy in the Canary Islands, Spain, to reduce operating costs and carbon footprint per cubic meter of water delivered to end consumers.
4. Powwater of Nairobi, Kenya, will pilot predictive systems to better connect water vendors with customers in Nairobi to ensure access to safe, reliable and affordable water.
5. Rapid Radicals of Milwaukee will install its decentralized, high-rate treatment system in Milwaukee to treat combined sewer wastewater and reduce the impact of overflow events.
