Ethiopian water network management startup Triple Bottom Line Enterprises has been accepted into the Silicon Valley-based water innovation accelerator ImagineH2O, where it will receive mentoring and networking opportunities to help it grow.
Imagine H2O aims to help startups develop and deploy innovative solutions to global water challenges, and provides water entrepreneurs with the resources, insight and visibility to launch and scale their businesses.
The accelerator provides access to a global network of industry leaders, and partners with leading utilities, corporations, investors, academic institutions and associations committed to advancing water innovation.
Ethiopia’s Triple Bottom Line Enterprises is one of 12 startups chosen from 180 applications from across the world to take place in this year’s ImagineH2O programme. The company, incubated at iceaddis in Addis Ababa, has developed smartphone-enabled tools for land surveying, pipeline design and network management to develop affordable piped water infrastructure in rural communities.
The startup’s latest product, Flowius, combines analytics with a radically affordable design methodology to improve access to water for households and farms.
Triple Bottom Line Enterprises and the other 11 startups accepted into the cohort showcased their solutions at the WaterGala ‘17 event, attended by over 350 industry executives, investors, utility managers, government officials and sustainability experts.
All 12 companies will now benefit from cash awards, mentorship, industry exposure and introductions to customers and investors during the programme. Imagine H2O’s 2016 portfolio companies are on the path to raise over US$30 million in financing and have secured a host of customer deployments with the organisation’s Beta Partners, a network of over 50 municipal, agricultural and industrial end-users.
“Data innovation is fundamental to improve how we manage water,” said Chris Morrison, assistant vice president of Ecolab (Water) Global Technology Partnerships, who served on the judging panel.
“The 12 companies advancing to Imagine H2O’s 2017 accelerator represent the kind of business innovation, visionary talent and technological know-how required to advance resource sustainability.”
