‘Aquapreneurs’ delivering innovative solutions to enable water resilience share £1.6m prize at Davos

Startups providing software optimising irrigation for agriculture, systems to remove and recover metals from industrial wastewater and safe water to off-grid communities were among the winners of the 2026 Water Resilience Challenge.

The 10 winners of the challenge – dubbed “aquapreneurs” by the organisers – were announced on Wednesday during a session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. 

The Water Resilience Challenge aims to identify scalable and pioneering solutions that enhance the resilience of water systems facing mounting pressures from climate change, pollution and rising demand.

Belgian environmental technology company iFLUX was one of the 10 winners, recognised for its real-time groundwater and contaminant flow monitoring solutions. 

Christian Montag, CEO of iFLUX (pictured), said: “Thanks to the WEF UpLink award, it becomes more and more clear that the world recognises the impact our technology can make. As groundwater becomes increasingly scarce while demand rises, we cannot afford to manage this critical resource blindly. Groundwater monitoring is the foundation of proactive policy.”

The Water Resilience Challenge is run by UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation engine and global conglomerate HCL Group, which provided the £1.6m prize pot, to be split evenly between the winners. 

John Dutton, head of UpLink, said: “From data centres seeking more efficient cooling to agricultural systems under strain, innovation is no longer optional. What’s needed is early-stage innovation that supports economic growth without undermining natural resources. These Aquapreneurs show what’s possible, developing scalable solutions across infrastructure, agriculture and industry.”

Helping communities adapt to growing water stress

Water pollution and ‘stress’ – when water withdrawals for public water supply and industry are close to exceeding available supplies – remain pressing global challenges.

Nearly 80% of the world’s wastewater is discharged without adequate treatment, and contaminants like microplastics and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), often referred to as “forever chemicals”, exacerbate risks to freshwater systems worldwide.

Water resilience refers to the capacity of water systems (natural and built) to anticipate, absorb, adapt to and recover from shocks and stresses while continuing to provide essential services.

There were 340 submissions to the 2026 Water Resilience Challenge, which focussed on three priority areas identified by the organisers: strengthening infrastructure resilience, rethinking water use in agri-food systems, and optimising water efficiency across the technology and energy sectors.

Sundar Mahalingam, president of strategy at HCL Group, said: “This year’s Water Resilience Challenge attracted a diverse and compelling set of applications from across the world. The selected winners reflect this breadth, representing digital tools, biological innovations, advanced hardware, deep-tech design and community-driven models that can improve water efficiency, reduce pollution and help communities and industries adapt to growing water stress.”
 

The 2026 Water Resilience Challenge Winners

• Desalytics (UAE | Pan-Africa): Provider of water testing equipment, treatment technologies, and technical support across African markets.
• EarthFokus (India): Water-tech company enabling real-time water management and efficiency for buildings and industries.
• ElectraMet (USA): Company using electrochemical systems to remove and recover metals from industrial wastewater.
• Flocean (Norway): Climate-tech company developing low-energy subsea desalination using deep-ocean pressure.
• Hohonu (USA): Climate-tech startup providing real-time, hyperlocal flood and water-level monitoring through connected sensors.
• iFLUX (Belgium): Environmental technology company offering real-time groundwater and contaminant flow monitoring solutions.
• NoorNation (Egypt): Renewable energy and water-tech startup delivering solar-powered electricity and safe water to off-grid communities.
• SWAN Systems (Australia): Cloud-based software optimising irrigation, nutrient, and water management for agriculture.
• Vortech Water Solutions Ltd (Ireland): Company delivering energy-efficient wastewater treatment via vortex-based aeration systems.
• Xatoms (Canada): Startup using AI and quantum chemistry to design light-activated photocatalysts for water purification.

Top image: iFLUX sampler used by a laboratory worker (courtesy of iFLUX)