{"id":581914,"date":"2023-07-08T07:00:15","date_gmt":"2023-07-08T04:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/water-tech-could-be-the-next-gold-rush-for-european-vcs\/"},"modified":"2023-07-08T07:00:15","modified_gmt":"2023-07-08T04:00:15","slug":"water-tech-could-be-the-next-gold-rush-for-european-vcs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/water-tech-could-be-the-next-gold-rush-for-european-vcs\/","title":{"rendered":"#Water tech could be the next gold rush for European VCs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3894dda2578\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3894dda2578\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/water-tech-could-be-the-next-gold-rush-for-european-vcs\/#Doing_more_with_less\" >Doing more with less<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/water-tech-could-be-the-next-gold-rush-for-european-vcs\/#Liquid_data\" >Liquid data\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/water-tech-could-be-the-next-gold-rush-for-european-vcs\/#Finding_new_sources\" >Finding new sources\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/water-tech-could-be-the-next-gold-rush-for-european-vcs\/#Capital_flows\" >Capital flows<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While many of us in Europe take it for granted, access to freshwater today, and in the future, is far from guaranteed. Demand is skyrocketing but supply is diminishing. Many of the ways in which water is used are inefficient and antiquated, and climate change is making the entire problem a lot worse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Europe just had its most severe drought in 500 years. Industries are being forced to shut down or <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/2081f8af-3776-43d5-bad8-be8d0f406886\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">divert<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> water from other sources to maintain operations, while protests have broken out over shortages, most recently in France and Spain. Experts predict that global freshwater <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2023\/mar\/17\/global-fresh-water-demand-outstrip-supply-by-2030\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">demand<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will outs<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> supply by 40% by the end of this decade.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water technologies \u2014 from pulling water from thin air to transforming saltwater into fresh, and everything in between \u2014 will be critical in helping industry and society adapt to this new reality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, water tech still receives a small fraction of the total climate tech funding. Out of some \u20ac<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">50bn <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/professional\/blog\/venture-capital-pe-invest-53-7-billion-in-climate-tech\/#:~:text=The%20push%20to%20lower%20global,to%20our%20latest%20Investment%20Radar.\">invested<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in climate tech globally in 2021, just \u20ac430m \u2014 less than 1% \u2014 was <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">allocated<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for water tech.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The &lt;3 of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>? There is an emerging cohort of\u00a0 tech <span style=\"color: #000000;\">startups<\/span>\u00a0working to prevent the impending water crisis, and investors are beginning to catch on.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Doing_more_with_less\"><\/span><b>Doing more with less<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From source to treatment to tap \u2013 a lot of money, energy, and resources go into supplying the water we use each day. Shockingly, up to half of this water is <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.technologynetworks.com\/applied-sciences\/news\/up-to-50-of-water-lost-to-leaks-in-us-heres-how-we-stop-it-331459\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lost<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to leaky pipes. Another big chunk is lost due to inefficient use, and in most countries, water is never reused. But as water scarcity increases, so does the need to start doing more with less.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One company catering to an up-and-coming segment of water-conscious homeowners is Sweden-based Orbital Systems. The startup, which has <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/organization\/orbital-system\/company_financials\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">raised<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u20ac65m to date,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has developed a shower system inspired by NASA that reuses water in a closed loop. But don\u2019t worry, the shower is equipped with sensors that detect urine or other unsavoury liquids, which get filtered out before the water is reused \u2014 thank god.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The company claims its \u201cshower of the future\u201d saves 90% of water and 80% of energy compared to a regular unit. While the systems aren\u2019t cheap \u2014 at $4k <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u20ac<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3,680)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a pop \u2014 Orbital says that homeowners could save $1,100 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u20ac<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1,011)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> per year in water bills.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1398052 size-full js-lazy\" alt=\"water-tech-venture-capital-investment\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1408\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-245x210.jpg 245w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-157x135.jpg 157w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-314x270.jpg 314w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-1536x1319.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-796x683.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-1592x1367.jpg 1592w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fecosystems%2F2023%2F07%2F08%2Fwater-technology-investment-europe-startups%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Orbital Systems\u2019 \u2018shower of the future\u2019 can cut water consumption by 90% compared to a regular shower. Credit: Orbital Systems\" data-title=\"Share Orbital Systems\u2019 \u2018shower of the future\u2019 can cut water consumption by 90% compared to a regular shower. Credit: Orbital Systems on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Orbital Systems\u2019 \u2018shower of the future\u2019 can cut water consumption by 90% compared to a regular shower. Credit: Orbital Systems on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Orbital Systems\u2019 \u2018shower of the future\u2019 can cut water consumption by 90% compared to a regular shower. Credit: Orbital Systems<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1398052 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower.jpg\" alt=\"water-tech-venture-capital-investment\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1408\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-245x210.jpg 245w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-157x135.jpg 157w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-314x270.jpg 314w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-1536x1319.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-796x683.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/orbital-systems-water-saving-shower-1592x1367.jpg 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But you don\u2019t necessarily need hardware to cut water use. Belgium-based startup Shayp\u2019s AI-powered software can detect whether a building is leaky and find the most likely source. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data from the building\u2019s existing water metres gets pulled into the Shayp platform and then AI automatically classifies leaks in order of importance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buildings, which are some of the EU\u2019s <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.odyssee-mure.eu\/publications\/policy-brief\/buildings-energy-efficiency-trends.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">biggest<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> water users, sign a five-year SaaS contract with Shayp, pay 5% of their water bill and in return, reduce their water consumption by 20% on average. \u201cBuildings can significantly reduce their usage and make huge water and cost savings simply through optimisation \u2013 no new infrastructure is required,\u201d says CEO Alexandre <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McCormack<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shayp is one of many emerging startups harnessing the power of data to help industry and society manage water more sustainably.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Liquid_data\"><\/span><b>Liquid data\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agriculture accounts for around 70% of all freshwater withdrawals globally, a whopping 60% of which is <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldwildlife.org\/threats\/water-scarcity\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wasted<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to inefficient irrigation and planting methods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Higher resolution data can go a long way in helping farmers optimise their water consumption and free up more water for other critical uses. Constellr, a spin-off from Germany\u2019s Fraunhofer Institute, raised <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$10mn in seed funding in November to do just that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Constellr\u2019s tech comprises a fleet of microsatellites equipped with thermal and hyperspectral imaging instruments that gather high-resolution land surface temperature data on a daily basis. The data is used to compile heat maps that illustrate crop stress and water availability at a sub-field level, helping farmers predict a drought ahead of time, or adjust their irrigation regimes based on water availability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Constellr launched its first <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/constellr.com\/blog.html#Funding_PR\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">satellite<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> into space last year. Within the next five years, it aims to save 60 billion litres of water while generating \u201cbillions\u201d in gross profits for farmers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1398054 size-full js-lazy\" alt=\" water-tech-venture-capital-investment\" width=\"1536\" height=\"986\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr-280x180.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr-210x135.jpeg 210w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr-421x270.jpeg 421w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr-796x511.jpeg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fecosystems%2F2023%2F07%2F08%2Fwater-technology-investment-europe-startups%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Constellr\u2019s micro-satellites monitor water availability and crop stress from space, helping the world\u2019s most water-intensive industry reduce its impact. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory\" data-title=\"Share Constellr\u2019s micro-satellites monitor water availability and crop stress from space, helping the world\u2019s most water-intensive industry reduce its impact. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Constellr\u2019s micro-satellites monitor water availability and crop stress from space, helping the world\u2019s most water-intensive industry reduce its impact. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Constellr\u2019s micro-satellites monitor water availability and crop stress from space, helping the world\u2019s most water-intensive industry reduce its impact. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1398054 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr.jpeg\" alt=\" water-tech-venture-capital-investment\" width=\"1536\" height=\"986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr-280x180.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr-210x135.jpeg 210w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr-421x270.jpeg 421w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-constellr-796x511.jpeg 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Constellr is helping farmers adapt to a lack of water, further north is a startup t<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ing AI to help businesses and governments deal with too much of it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Founded in 2020 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by a team of Norwegian data scientists and geologists, 7Analytics helps municipalities and businesses better predict flooding \u2014 a problem which causes tens of billions of euros in damages each year in Europe alone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOur platform can tell you if a flood will occur in your area of interest and issue alerts 72 hours in advance so you can take all the necessary actions to protect employees and assets,\u201d CCO and co-founder Jonas Aas Torland, told TNW in an <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">interview<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finding_new_sources\"><\/span><b>Finding new sources\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier this year, Elon Musk pronounced water scarcity a \u201cnon-issue\u201d because the \u201cworld is 70% water\u201d and \u201cdesalination is absurdly cheap.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\/><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It&#8217;s concerning <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@elonmusk<\/a> on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/billmaher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@billmaher<\/a> thinks &#8220;there&#8217;s plenty of water&#8221;, desalination will fix everything. To replace river basin inflows from glacial loss we&#8217;ll need ~50x more desal globally, and then in most cases have to pump it 1000+ miles inland: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1XFjuswXqa\">pic.twitter.com\/1XFjuswXqa<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Marcus Gibson (@Marcusgibson) <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Marcusgibson\/status\/1652306944911347718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 29, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, Elon, the world is covered in water, but only 0.3% of it is suitable for use. And as for desalination being absurdly cheap? Not so much. Turning saltwater into fresh remains significantly more <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/10\/22\/climate\/desalination-water-climate-change.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">expensive<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than sourcing it straight from a river, lake, or under the ground. What the Tesla boss also failed to mention is that desalination is extremely energy intensive, with most plants today being fossil-fuelled.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luckily, hot countries get a lot of sun and the price of solar power is plummeting, which has given rise to a segment of startups pushing cleaner and cheaper alternatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Desolenator, hailing from the Netherlands, has been working on this kind of tech for almost 10 years. Desolenator\u2019s system uses a \u2018hybrid\u2019 type of solar panel which is a combination of regular PV and solar thermal <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> slated to be four times more efficient than regular panels \u2014 bringing down the cost of the final product: fresh water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1398055 size-full js-lazy\" alt=\"water-tech-venture-capital-investment\" width=\"1000\" height=\"662\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech-280x185.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech-204x135.jpg 204w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech-408x270.jpg 408w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech-796x527.jpg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fecosystems%2F2023%2F07%2F08%2Fwater-technology-investment-europe-startups%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Around 300 million people already rely on desalinated water, but the process is capital intensive and mainly fossil-fueled. Solar power could provide a clean alternative.\" data-title=\"Share Around 300 million people already rely on desalinated water, but the process is capital intensive and mainly fossil-fueled. Solar power could provide a clean alternative. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Around 300 million people already rely on desalinated water, but the process is capital intensive and mainly fossil-fueled. Solar power could provide a clean alternative. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Around 300 million people already rely on desalinated water, but the process is capital intensive and mainly fossil-fueled. Solar power could provide a clean alternative.<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1398055 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech.jpg\" alt=\"water-tech-venture-capital-investment\" width=\"1000\" height=\"662\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech-280x185.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech-204x135.jpg 204w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech-408x270.jpg 408w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/solar-desalination-water-tech-796x527.jpg 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Desolenator launched its first fully operational solar thermal <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fastcompanyme.com\/news\/uaes-silal-partners-with-dutch-group-for-clean-desalination-technology\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">desalination<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> plant in Dubai last year. The system has a capacity of 20,000 litres per day and can produce potable water at less than $0.02 per litre \u2014 and these costs are expected to go down as the technology scales up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another option, especially for remote communities, is extracting water from the air \u2014 also known as atmospheric water generation (AWG). Records of AWG date back to the Incan empire, which used so-called \u2018fog fences\u2019 to capture moisture from the clouds that flow over the Andes Mountains.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aquaseek, a spin-off from Italy\u2019s Politecnico di Torino and Princeton University, is hard at work bringing a modern touch to this old-school technology. The startup has developed a prototype AWG machine that captures moisture from the air even at very low levels of humidity, like in the desert.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">T<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hanks to two exclusive patents (one held 100% by the Politecnico di Torino, the other shared equally with Princeton University), the machine can extract moisture while consuming much less energy than technologies currently in use.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1398051 size-full js-lazy\" alt=\"atmospheric-water-generation-water-tech\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fecosystems%2F2023%2F07%2F08%2Fwater-technology-investment-europe-startups%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Fog collection in Alto Patache, Atacama Desert, Chile. Startups are now putting a modern twist on this old-school technology in order to bring freshwater to some of the driest regions on earth. Credit: Nicole Saffie\/Wikicommons\" data-title=\"Share Fog collection in Alto Patache, Atacama Desert, Chile. Startups are now putting a modern twist on this old-school technology in order to bring freshwater to some of the driest regions on earth. Credit: Nicole Saffie\/Wikicommons on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Fog collection in Alto Patache, Atacama Desert, Chile. Startups are now putting a modern twist on this old-school technology in order to bring freshwater to some of the driest regions on earth. Credit: Nicole Saffie\/Wikicommons on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Fog collection in Alto Patache, Atacama Desert, Chile. Startups are now putting a modern twist on this old-school technology in order to bring freshwater to some of the driest regions on earth. Credit: Nicole Saffie\/Wikicommons<span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\/><\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1398051 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache.jpg\" alt=\"atmospheric-water-generation-water-tech\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-280x187.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-203x135.jpg 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-405x270.jpg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-796x531.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/Atrapanieblas_en_Alto_Patache-1592x1061.jpg 1592w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Capital_flows\"><\/span><b>Capital flows<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mobilising private investment in this nascent water tech ecosystem will be crucial if we are to bring these solutions into the mainstream.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> But there are still a number of hurdles to overcome.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBacking startups with innovations for the so-called \u2018water industry\u2019 \u2014 meaning drinking water and wastewater utilities \u2014 has simply not been an actionable area of investment for VCs,\u201d John Robinson, partner Mazarine, a technology VC specialising in water risk, tells TNW from his office in London.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is partly to do with the fact that water sold by drinking water utilities, unlike energy, is cheap (for now), and is largely seen as a public good rather than an investment opportunity. Moreover, drinking water is typically managed by public utilities who, says Robinson, \u201clack an appetite for innovation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get the attention of VC cheque books, Robinson suggests water tech startups broaden their horizons and forge a way in industries where water quality and quantity challenges are a headache, or an operational, regulatory, or branding risk.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While water tech investment is still nowhere near the level it needs to be at, there are glimmers of hope. More and more startups are entering the space, and investment rounds are on the rise. <\/span><span>European VCs invested <\/span><span>\u20ac<\/span><span>275m into water tech startups in 2022, up from $135m in 2021.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water tech-focused funds in Europe, such as Amsterdam-based PuraTerra and Switzerland\u2019s Emerald Technology Ventures are closing bigger and bigger rounds, while across the Atlantic, US-based startup Gradiant became the first-ever water tech startup to reach <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/water-tech-firm-gradiant-hits-unicorn-status-after-225-mln-raise-2023-05-17\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unicorn<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> status last month after a $225m raise.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gradiant was co-founded by two MIT graduates, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, who have secured no less than 250 patents for their technology, which allows customers to purify and <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/9c302655-5529-47a2-ba6b-fcf296eb5327\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reuse<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> large amounts of water. The startup is tackling all verticals of water treatment \u2014 from sewage to toxic chemicals and has already secured big-name clients including<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> chipmakers TSMC and Micron, and carmakers Hyundai and BMW.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAs global manufacturing and supply chains continue to advance, they demand more and more water resources which are increasingly rare and finite,\u201d said John Arnold, Founder of Centaurus Capital, who co-led the record-breaking <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gradiant.com\/gradiant-raises-225-million-to-accelerate-business-expansion\/?_gl=1*seda1q*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTQ2OTM5NjI1MC4xNjg4MzgzMzIy*_ga_146PP2M2TR*MTY4ODM4MzMyMS4xLjEuMTY4ODM4NDE1Mi4wLjAuMA..\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">round<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> alongside BoltRock Holdings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back in Europe, things are a little bit more sluggish. Water tech startups on the continent have <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/app.dealroom.co\/lists\/15296\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lower valuations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than their US counterparts, and the EU has ringfenced little funding for water technologies, unlike the US with its landmark Inflation Reduction Act.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cInvestors are still cautious of betting on water startups,\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gaetane Suzenet, head of the European Water Tech Accelerator, tells TNW. One of the biggest barriers, says Suzenet, is the lack of major exits, which would give investors the confidence to commit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">F<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ive companies have entered the accelerator since it started in 2020. The programme aims to expand this pool to between 25 to 40 companies and make them \u201cEuropean champions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe want to make innovation the norm, explore new financing models, and encourage successful exits to show other startups and investors that water tech is a viable opportunity,\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suzenet<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accelerators like this are a step in the right direction but will be a drop in the ocean without increased government support and a change in perspective from the investment community.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While cash for water tech has historically been more of a trickle than a flood, as Europe braces for yet another drought this summer, there has never been a better time for VCs to participate in the growth stories of early-stage water tech companies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s about looking at the water in a different way,\u201d says Robinson. \u201cWater tech is not just about making utilities more efficient, it\u2019s about preparing industry and society for water-related risks as a result of our new climate reality.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/water-technology-investment-europe-startups\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While many of us in Europe take it for granted, access to freshwater today, and in the future, is far from guaranteed. Demand is skyrocketing but supply is diminishing. Many of the ways in which water is used are inefficient and antiquated, and climate change is making the entire problem a lot worse.\u00a0 Europe just&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":581915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/07\/water-tech-europe-venture-capital-investment-3.jpg&signature=1d4d531a36bcea5088b0b0e4fcb439ac","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-581914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=581914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/581915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=581914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=581914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=581914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}