HCL Group and UpLink Announce Water Pollution Challenge Winners, the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation platform, have revealed the winners of the ‘Tackling Water Pollution Challenge,’ the third challenge in a series of five under the five-year, CHF 15 million Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative. This collaboration marks a major milestone in addressing one of the world’s most pressing issues: the pollution of freshwater resources.
After an extensive evaluation process that involved over 270 submissions from 60 countries, 10 groundbreaking Aquapreneurs have been selected as winners for their innovative solutions in the freshwater sector. This year’s winners come from nine different countries and represent a wide range of expertise and solutions, showcasing the transformative potential of innovation to address water pollution across the globe. The chosen Aquapreneurs will receive a collective financial award of CHF 1.75 million to help scale their initiatives and expand their impact. In addition to the financial support, they will gain access to a wealth of resources, mentorship, and global networks facilitated by HCL Group and UpLink.
The focus of this year’s challenge was to find solutions to fresh Water Pollution Challenge issues, particularly water pollution, which continues to be a significant global challenge. Water Pollution Challenge of the have introduced solutions that include state-of-the-art filtration systems, wastewater treatment innovations, industrial water reuse technologies, and advanced water quality monitoring solutions. These innovations demonstrate how entrepreneurship and collaboration can bring about real, impactful change in tackling one of the most significant environmental issues of our time.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Group, emphasized the importance of tackling Water Pollution Challenge and scarcity, which pose existential threats to both humanity and biodiversity. She stated, “The Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative, launched a couple of years ago, aims to discover and support the most innovative startups and scale-ups tackling the world’s most pressing Water Pollution Challenge In the last two years alone, the 20 pioneering startups that were previous winners have achieved remarkable success. In 2024, they collectively saved over 12 billion liters of Water Pollution Challenge—equivalent to Switzerland’s entire water footprint for the year. They also treated 3 billion liters of wastewater. These winners have gone on to expand to new markets, deploy pilot projects, and scale up their operations, with the financial support provided by HCL enabling them to raise US$70 million in funding. Congratulations to the ten winners of this year’s challenge. I am already looking forward to next year’s event in Davos to share their ongoing success.”
Olivier Schwab, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, also stressed the significance of this ongoing collaboration, saying, “As water challenges become more urgent, HCL Group and UpLink’s continued commitment underscores the critical need for collaborative innovation to safeguard freshwater ecosystems. The Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative is not just driving immediate solutions, investment, and multi-stakeholder partnerships—it is paving the way for a future where clean, accessible Water Pollution Challenge is a reality for everyone. By supporting bold, scalable solutions, we are making an essential contribution to addressing one of the most significant global challenges of our time. The partnership between HCL Group and UpLink continues to set a global benchmark for how innovation can drive large-scale, lasting change.”
The Global Crisis of Water Pollution Challenge
Water Pollution Challenge remains a significant issue worldwide. Currently, about 80% of the world’s untreated wastewater is discharged directly into rivers, lakes, and oceans. This results in devastating consequences for both ecosystems and human health, contributing to the premature death of 485,000 people each year and costing the global economy $260 billion annually. The situation worsens as industrialization increases, with chemical contamination, such as microplastics and PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals”), further compromising freshwater supplies. These Water Pollution Challenge pose serious risks to public health, ecosystems, and economies around the world.
The 2025 Winners: A Diverse Set of Innovative Solutions
The winners of the 2025 ‘Tackling Water Pollution Challenge’ represent a wide array of innovative solutions aimed at addressing different aspects of water pollution. Below are the 10 selected innovators:
- Aquagga (USA): Focuses on innovative PFAS destruction using its Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment (HALT) technology. This advanced method offers a sustainable approach to environmental remediation and wastewater treatment.
- Digital Paani (India): Aims to enhance operational excellence in water treatment systems, providing scalable solutions to address water scarcity and Water Pollution Challenge, particularly in under-resourced regions.
- Fluidion (France): Specializes in water intelligence and introduces cutting-edge sampling solutions that monitor water pollution and quality across various urban, natural, and industrial environments.
- FREDsense (Canada): Offers in-field, lab-based water quality testing solutions, empowering utilities and environmental consultants with real-time, accurate data for effective water management.
- Fungi Life (Colombia): Utilizes fungal biotechnology to create sustainable ingredients while achieving net-zero emissions. Their work revalorizes agro-industrial waste to promote environmental sustainability.
- Mimbly (Sweden): Develops innovative recycling and filtration systems for the laundry industry, enabling water conservation and promoting sustainability through advanced water-saving technologies.
- Oxyle (Switzerland): Offers an economical and sustainable solution to PFAS contamination by completely eliminating these harmful substances from water, providing a vital tool for industrial and environmental remediation companies.
- SENTRY (Canada): A biological activity and Water Pollution Challenge quality monitoring platform that employs unique bio-electrode sensor technology for real-time microbial performance monitoring in wastewater treatment systems.
- Syrinx (Australia): Delivers nature-based water treatment solutions with its ‘Wetland-in-a-Box’® (EnPhytoBox), which not only addresses water pollution but also enhances climate resilience, particularly in agricultural sectors.
- WASE (United Kingdom): Provides onsite industrial wastewater treatment solutions that help customers comply with regulations, maximize bioenergy generation, and decarbonize thermal energy demands through sustainable, economically viable processes.
Each of these winners will receive financial support, mentorship, and access to global networks, empowering them to scale their solutions and expand their reach. Furthermore, they will have opportunities to participate in events and projects organized by the World Economic Forum, which will further support their efforts to create lasting change.
The Impact of the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative
Since its launch, the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative has made significant strides in addressing global Water Pollution Challenge. The initiative has empowered winners to develop and scale up their innovations, which has led to significant advances in water conservation, wastewater treatment, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, it has created job opportunities and opened new markets for water solutions.
In the years since its inception, the winners of the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative have raised over $70 million in funding, which has enabled them to expand operations, deploy pilot projects, and reach new customers. These achievements demonstrate the initiative’s effectiveness in driving meaningful change in the global water sector.
HCL Group and UpLink’s ongoing partnership underscores their shared commitment to sustainability and innovation. Through this collaboration, they continue to pave the way for a future where freshwater resources are managed responsibly and effectively. By supporting these innovative Aquapreneurs, they are making a critical contribution to solving one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time. With continued investment and innovation, the future of freshwater management looks brighter than ever.
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