Swiss aquapreneurs awarded at the World Economic Forum

Access to water plays a critical role in food production, education, job creation, health and well-being and the preservation of the natural world and is vital to achieving the UN’s 2030 sustainability agenda. However, global water demand will exceed sustainable supply by 40% by 2030, with huge implications for the global economy and society.

To tackle the growing crisis, HCL Group, a leading global conglomerate, partnered with UpLink the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum that connects highly promising start-ups with the partners and funding they need to scale, to help water-focused entrepreneurs, build their skills and leadership capacity. HCL will provide $15 million over five years to accelerate the innovation agenda for water and create a first-of-its-kind innovation ecosystem for the global freshwater sector on UpLink.

As part of the Forum’s Global Water Initiative, HCL is awarding 10 aquapreneurs each CHF175,000 ($190,000). The finalists stood out from the 227 submitted solutions submitted to the challenge. Two Swiss startups also received the funding.

bNovate Technologies – developed BactoSense, the first automatic biosensor based on the startup’s proprietary industrial flow cytometry technology. The instrument can continuously monitor microbial parameters and quickly detect any change of bacterial concentration, dramatically reducing the current measurement time from several days to just minutes. BactoSense can be connected anywhere throughout the water supply network, providing automatic, online, and remote water monitoring. the system also provides alerts if bacteria reach problematic levels. The company sells its product directly to clients in 5 countries (Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg). It also has an efficient distribution network in most European countries.

Openversum – is developing a locally assembled and managed membrane filter that removes pathogens, heavy metals and pesticides from water at a high flow rate (8 L/h and low cost of 0.3c/L. Besides being biodegradable, the patented membrane filter reduces greenhouse gas emissions by cutting the need for solvents and boiling water. Through its Microfranchising model, the startup trains entrepreneurs in their local markets to manufacture and sell filters, creating ownership of the product and a sustainable business. Today, the startup has provided water to 400 users and trained over 20 entrepreneurs in Colombia and Ecuador.

(Press release/RAN)