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Imagine H2O Asia

Imagine H2O Asia builds solutions to Asia-Pacific’s water challenges with the world’s best entrepreneurs.

Meet IH2O Asia at Singapore International Water Week 2024

Meet Cohort 5

Imagine H2O Asia unlocks access to water innovation across the region— connecting global startups to new markets, partners, and pilot support from our Singapore hub

Communities across Asia are on the front lines of the global water and climate crisis. In response, the region is embracing innovative water solutions. Imagine H2O Asia helps startups capture these opportunities.

We maintain a dual focus: we build water technology startups based in Singapore and the region, as well as help global entrepreneurs enter and scale their solutions across South and Southeast Asian markets for the first time. 


Solar Water Solutions

Solar Water Solutions

Remote Drinking Water Access

Solar Water Solutions provides safe drinking water to off-grid communities with its solar-powered water purification and desalination units.

Its patented technology has demonstrated more than 80% OPEX savings in ongoing installations in Pacific Island communities, as compared to conventional diesel-powered desalination systems. 

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

SmartValve

SmartValve

Network Management

SmartValve provides real-time guidance for utility field operators through a mobile application that manages manual assets in clean water networks and documents operational workflows. 

In the last seven years, SmartValve has helped its utility customers regulate transient pressure in the network, saving $1.9 million in water quality fines and $9.5 million in repairs from reduced pipe bursts.

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

NatureDots

NatureDots

Water Quality Monitoring (Freshwater Bodies)

NatureDots provides real-time water quality monitoring of freshwater bodies and maps present and future risks to water health using digital twins.

To date, NatureDots has deployed with aquaculture farms in India to optimize fish production as well as with municipalities to support watershed reporting and planning. 

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Ontoto

Ontoto

Groundwater Management

Ontoto monitors groundwater usage for businesses and governments using a cost-effective, cloud-based telemetry logger that transmits groundwater data via satellites. 

Significant traction has been gained working with industries and regulatory authorities to ensure reporting obligations on groundwater usage are met across Australia. Ontoto’s devices also help customers save 60% in costs when compared to manual sampling.

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Aumsat Technologies

Aumsat Technologies

Groundwater Management

Aumsat Technologies uses earth imaging and satellite-based hydrological analysis to map groundwater zones, track shifts in groundwater levels and predict its water balance. 

Both farmer organizations and government agencies have worked with Aumsat to identify appropriate borewells for farmers as well as potential locations for water recharge infrastructure. Their solution pinpoints underground water more efficiently, cutting costs by 75%.

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Movements

Movements

Infrastructure Management

Movements Inc. offers an end-to-end smart construction solution with its proprietary AR and digital twin for underground utilities management. 

By synthesizing real-time data from various stakeholders across a project’s lifecycle, Movements has helped municipal users in South Korea save more than 60% of 3D-modeling design costs compared to conventional BIM products and decrease construction time by 30%.

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Aquamonitrix

Aquamonitrix

Wastewater Treatment Process Optimization

Aquamonitrix provides in-situ sensing of nitrite and nitrate using rapid ion chromatography and UV detection to optimize aeration processes in municipal wastewater treatment. 

An improved understanding of nitrous oxide and nitrite has allowed utilities to not only reduce their energy consumption and costs through more streamlined aeration processes, but also lower the production of nitrous oxide – a highly potent greenhouse gas.

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Atera Water

Atera Water

Drinking Water Treatment

Atera Water pre-treats water cost-effectively using a nanocomposite polyolefin membrane that extends the longevity of nanofiltration and microfiltration systems. 

In early ongoing field trials, their membranes are shown to perform in fluctuating conditions and high turbidities of up to 300 NTU, with no chemical addition. The membranes are also environmentally friendly due to their solvent-free production process.

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

UrbanBlue Technologies

UrbanBlue Technologies

Wastewater Treatment Process Optimization

UrbanBlue Technologies automates microbial sampling and analysis in wastewater management using robotics and AI to prevent operational delays and plant downtime. 

Pilots with industrial wastewater treatment plants have demonstrated up to 50% improvements in incident response time and up to 60% reduction in labor hours.

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

N&E Innovations

N&E Innovations

Wastewater Treatment

N&E Innovations valorizes food waste into a natural anti-microbial agent that can potentially treat wastewater with lower sludge production. 

While N&E’s traction has primarily been in surface disinfection and sanitisation, early trials have been conducted to explore the material’s efficacy in wastewater treatment.

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

MIPS Innovations

MIPS Innovations

Water Quality Monitoring

MIPS Innovations develops specialized water quality sensors based on their Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) coating technology that quantifies target analytes rapidly. 

Mining, solid waste companies, universities as well as government agencies have partnered with MIPS to detect heavy metals and biotoxins for both in-process and waste discharge monitoring.

Cohort

5

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Teredo Analytics

Teredo Analytics

Non-Revenue Water and Leak Detection

Event-based anomaly detection system using acoustic monitoring technology, with applications in pipeline inspection as well as water plant machinery to identify leaks and machinery faults. Four ongoing projects in Singapore, with approximately 100k litres of water saved and $280k savings from equipment monitoring and accident prevention.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Solinas Integrity

Solinas Integrity

Sanitation

Suite of robotic solutions in the pipeline and sanitation industry which include semi-automated septic tank cleaning robots that homogenise hard sludge to create a pumpable slurry to minimize human interaction with waste. System can reach tank depths between 5-7m, and reduce slurry particle size to 40-50mm. Other solution offerings include water leak reduction and pipeline condition monitoring.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Createch 360

Createch 360

Process Optimization

Advanced process control solutions that optimizes processes in water and wastewater treatment plants and ensures effluent quality compliance throughout the plant’s lifecycle. Process intelligence platform includes self-customization features and is hosted locally onsite using a PC server. Up to 50% in aeration energy savings, and up to 40% reduction in chemical use. 150+ global installations, with 9 projects in Asia over the last two years.

Cohort

Cohort 4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Ossus Biorenewables

Ossus Biorenewables

Climate Resilience & Adaptation

Combined electrical and biological process in a novel, single reactor producing green hydrogen directly on-site using waste carbon from effluents or wastewater. Reactors are autonomously controlled, easily retrofittable into existing plants and can be scaled up in capacity. Applications in steel, O&G, chemical and textile industries. Pilot set up in India with a steel manufacturer recycled 97% of effluents and produced 30 kg of hydrogen gas from 6000L of effluents per day.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Komunidad

Komunidad

Climate Resilience & Adaptation

Climate risk decision support tool that integrates multiple weather data sets with local environmental data to generate precise, customizable and community-specific insights and alarms for improved climate adaptation and resilience. Multiple projects in Philippines and India working with local governments for disaster risk management, as well as across a range of sectors including energy, agriculture, transport and banks.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Ekatvam Innovations

Ekatvam Innovations

Climate Resilience & Adaptation

Community-level water governance tool that gathers and integrates locally-gathered data on groundwater levels, water-intensity of crops and satellite imagery to inform climate adaptation strategy for NGO-led projects in villages across India.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Power & Water

Power & Water

Water & Wastewater Treatment

Patented, modularised sono-electrochemical treatment process that combines the power of ultrasound and electrolysis to directly address passivation and reduce energy consumption, while demonstrating lower costs than liquid chemicals for electro-coagulation. Secured commercial contracts across the municipal and industrial sector including O&G, construction and aquaculture in the UK. Ongoing projects in carbon capture through AOP with utilities in Asia and the US.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

H2MO

H2MO

Water & Wastewater Treatment

Biomimetic hollowfibre RO membranes (without Aquaporin). Bio-programmable membranes (BPM) drastically increase throughput by 3x while meeting effluent quality. Improved fouling resistance and lifespan of the BPM-RO has been demonstrated through multiple pilots in Singapore demonstrating 50% savings in energy consumption and over 80% reduction in chemical cleaning due to reduced maintenance requirements.  

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

SideStroem

SideStroem

Water & Wastewater Treatment

Novel nanofiltration-type forward osmosis membrane technology demonstrating superior water flux and salt extraction efficiency compared to conventional FO membranes. Looking to scale technology for industrial production with a focus in textile, tannery and fermentation industries.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Similie

Similie

Digitizing Operations

End-to-end solution that digitizes rural water management systems by deploying sensors, gathering data on water flow, levels, quality and more, and generating insights for municipalities to monitor community water resources and supply. Two ongoing projects in Timor Leste.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

TeamSolve

TeamSolve

Digitizing Operations

Digital knowledge companion that integrates institutional SOPs, workforce knowledge and field reports to generate problem-solving insights during daily operations, incident troubleshooting and management through a conversational AI platform.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

WeavAir

WeavAir

Digitizing Operations

Predictive solution for operations and management teams looking to reduce energy in buildings and facilities through the holistic tracking, diagnosis and detection of anomalies using data.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia

Aprisium

Aprisium

Water Quality Monitoring

IOT-enabled electrochemical sensors for on-site contaminant profiling and early-warning detection and insights for industries. Currently available to profile heavy metals and VOCs with plans to increase profiling suite and capabilities.

Cohort

4

Programs participated

Imagine H2O Asia


Benefits

All-in partnership for market access and acceleration, tailored for the complexities of this region

Since our launch in 2019, our program has helped 40 water startups secure projects across twelve countries in the region. In addition to mentorship and network access, we provide our startups with pilot and customer acquisition opportunities through co-funding awards and on-the-ground support.

Market Access

  • Access in-country advisors across four ASEAN markets to identify new customers
  • Receive introductions to network of 30+ regional utilities and businesses
  • Participate in 1-on-1 customer meetings in Singapore and receive exhibition support at major regional tradeshows
  • Utilize IH2O Asia’s hub at PUB’s Singapore Water Exchange for local and regional industry engagement.
Read more about IH2O's recent program in Vietnam

Startup Development

  • Receive tailored pitch coaching and deck design support
  • Access dedicated mentors to adapt and localize solution and business model
  • Participate in topical sessions led by IH2O alumni and industry experts to build your business (e.g. sales strategy, fundraising and team management)
  • Learn about new customer segments through market deep dives

Pilot Funding & In-Country Support

  • Apply for pilot co-funding awards (up to $25k) to deploy in Singapore and the region through partnerships with ADB and Singapore government. Funding upwards of $100k is available via other IH2O pilot funding channels
  • Receive customer sourcing, project design and implementation support in addition to funding
  • Apply for other pilot funding initiatives on an ongoing basis as an alumni. 
Learn more about our pilot funding work

Pilot Support

Co-funding and implementation support to jumpstart innovation pilots

Imagine H2O Asia deploys catalytic capital and implementation support to help startups de-risk their technologies in water-stressed communities.

Catalytic Capital

  • Targeted co-funding grants between $25,000 – $100,000
  • Milestone-based recoverable grants and/or impact loans

Implementation Support

  • End-to-end project advisory from customer outreach to on-the-ground support
  • Impact monitoring and evaluation throughout project

In 2023, 11 out of the 17 projects supported by Imagine H2O globally were in the Asia-Pacific region. Partners include the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, The Coca-Cola Foundation and Enterprise Singapore. Learn more here.

Eligibility

Is Imagine H2O Asia right for you?

Our program is open to different profiles of startups and your experience will be customized based on your technology readiness and status in the region. Learn more about our two-track approach here

Eligible startups must be less than 12 years in operation, generating less than $5M revenue and have raised less than $20M in equity. 

Global startups with solutions validated outside of the Asia-Pacific
  • While successful applicants may be new to the Asia-Pacific, they must demonstrate a commitment to testing and deploying their solution in the region.
Asia-based startups seeking to launch and build their businesses
  • Singapore and regional startups at different stages of development seeking mentorship, network access and pilot support.
Still not sure if this is the right fit?
  • Reach out to us at singapore@imagineh2o.org
Our Track Record

The region’s first accelerator dedicated exclusively to water tech startups

 

40
startups
12
countries
20%
of non-Singapore startups now piloting in Singapore through IH2O Asia
Secured customers in
7
new countries in Asia within 12 months
35
regional end-users as Ecosystem Partners
S$400k
in pilot funding and other awards deployed (Cohort 1 and 2)

Our supporters

Imagine H2O Asia is supported by global and Singapore-based organizations that seek to connect water innovation with the people in the region who need it most.
Kubota logo


Our regional impact

Active Projects in South and Southeast Asia
Our companies have an extensive reach throughout the region, with support from IH2O Asia in-country advisors in Philippines, Vietnam and more to source, identify and deploy with local companies.
Our Startups' Presence
Our portfolio spans across the globe. Startups from around the world are invited to apply for the Imagine H2O Asia program.

Our Advisory Council

 

Cindy Ko
Toniic (US and Singapore)

Choon Jin Yeoh
Enterprise Singapore (Singapore)

Hugh Chapman
Aqua Analytics (Australia)

Irwan Dinata
Moya Holdings Asia Ltd (Indonesia)

Kunal Shah
Anaergia (Singapore)

Michael Reed
Family Sustainability Solutions (Singapore) 

Michael Toh
Industry & Technology Collaboration, PUB (Singapore)

Narain Madhavan
Xylem Innovation Labs (India) 

Ng Wun Jern
Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)

 

Philip Abraham
Veolia Asia (China) 

Gabriel Gabor Kicsi
Water Technology Centre, Veolia (Singapore)

Prashant Pundrik
Athena Cleantech (Singapore)

Ramon Alikpala 
FutureWater Asia (Philippines) 

Rodney Chapin
Ardurra International (Vietnam)

Ronnie Lim
TechWater Solutions, Inc. (Philippines)

Steve Kloos
Burnt Island Ventures (USA)

Stuthi Vijayaraghavan
Urban Venture Labs (India)

Tuck Wai Lee
Upconverge (Singapore)

Case Study

Leela and Shailesh worked to identify illegal industrial discharge of heavy metals entering Singapore's sewage systems

Cohort

Imagine H2O Asia 2

Focus Area

Water Quality

Environsens and SpaceAge Labs found each other through Imagine H2O Asia’s inaugural cohort, during the program’s startup bootcamp. As fellow Singaporean companies, they saw a potential collaboration: a combined solution to tackle the industrial discharge of heavy metals in Singapore’s sewage systems.

While Environsens’ biosensor could effectively monitor toxicity levels, it was unable to aggregate and transmit that data across multiple assets. SpaceAge Labs offered a low-power, wireless communications and analytics platform that could enable Environsens and PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, to view data in real-time. By improving the efficiency of wastewater monitoring and surveillance, Environsens and SpaceAge Labs were able to save the utility both time and money. At the same time, they protected Singapore’s waterways from toxic industrial discharge. The companies have installed 175 joint systems across Singapore to date.

Every aspect of the Imagine H2O Asia program was well-designed and relevant for a water startup like ours. A highlight for us was the the opportunity to hear from industry veterans and alumni who understand the unique challenges of growing and operating a water business in the region.
Leela Sriramula Chief Business Officer, SpaceAge Labs

Case Study

Reducing non-revenue water in Philippines through data analytics and AI

Cohort

Urban Water Challenge I, Imagine H2O Asia 2

Focus Area

Water Efficiency & Conservation

South and Southeast Asian utilities are struggling to tackle water leaks, under-registering meters, unauthorized consumption, and other drivers of non-revenue water—all of which contribute to losses as high as 50% in some cities in the region. With climate change and growing population demands further threatening water supply, utilities are faced with increased pressures to improve water coverage while operating under tighter budgets and financial constraints. SmartTerra’s AI-powered analytics platform helps reduce utility losses and increase revenue with no additional capital investment required. Within the first three months, Imagine H2O Asia’s team helped SmartTerra secure its first project outside of India with a Philippines utility. The project’s first phase analyzed the operator’s 15,000 connections.

Imagine H2O Asia truly enables market access. Just weeks into the program, we got our first pilot. But they didn’t stop there. Imagine H2O Asia mobilized its staff and network of in-country advisors to support the project’s implementation. We have then been invited to present to their partners like ADB and the World Bank, apply for pilot funding and showcase at events like Singapore International Water Week. The team isn’t just running a great program—they have become our best partners.
Gokul Krishna Govindu CEO, Smartterra