HCL Group and UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s innovation platform, have announced the winners of the 2025 Tackling Water Pollution Challenge. This marks the third in a series of five challenges under the CHF 15 million Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative, launched by HCL Group to address global freshwater challenges.
The winners, revealed in Davos by Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Group, include ten “Aquapreneurs” from nine countries, selected from over 270 submissions spanning 60 nations. Their innovative solutions target critical issues such as filtration, wastewater treatment, industrial water reuse, and water quality monitoring. These trailblazing ventures will share a CHF 1.75 million financial award and gain access to mentorship, global networks, and exclusive resources.
Transformative Solutions
The winning projects highlight the transformative power of innovation in addressing water pollution, a crisis that sees 80% of untreated wastewater discharged into rivers, lakes, and oceans globally. This pollution causes an estimated 485,000 premature deaths annually and costs the global economy $260 billion each year.
Among the winners are projects that offer groundbreaking technologies:
- Aquagga (USA): PFAS destruction through Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment.
- Digital Paani (India): Scalable water treatment for underserved areas.
- Oxyle (Switzerland): Eliminating “Forever Chemicals” from water.
- Mimbly (Sweden): Advanced laundry water recycling solutions.
Championing Sustainability
Speaking at the event, Roshni Nadar Malhotra said: “Water scarcity and pollution are existential threats. The Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative identifies and supports start-ups tackling these pressing issues. The winners from previous years have collectively saved 12 billion litres of water in 2024 and treated three billion litres of wastewater. These achievements underscore the potential of collaborative innovation to deliver impactful results.”
Olivier Schwab, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, added: “HCL and UpLink are driving significant progress in safeguarding freshwater ecosystems. This partnership sets a global benchmark for how innovation can tackle large-scale environmental challenges and deliver a sustainable future.”
Building on Success
The initiative has already helped its 20 previous winners scale their ventures, enabling them to expand into new markets, secure pilot projects, and raise $70 million in funding. This year’s winners are poised to continue this momentum, driving advancements in water conservation, pollution control, and climate resilience.
HCL Group and UpLink’s ongoing collaboration highlights the urgency of addressing freshwater challenges as industrialisation and chemical contamination, including microplastics and PFAS, threaten global water supplies.
The winners will also participate in World Economic Forum-led events, providing a platform to expand their initiatives and collaborate with global stakeholders.
The Tackling Water Pollution Challenge underscores the importance of innovation in creating sustainable solutions to one of the world’s most pressing issues.