HCL Group and UpLink Announce Winners of ‘Water Resilience Challenge’ Under the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative

HCL Group, a leading global conglomerate, and UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation initiative, have announced the winners of the ‘Water Resilience Challenge,’ the fourth in a series of five challenges under the five-year, CHF 15 million Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative launched by HCL Group. The announcement marks a significant step in the ongoing mission to address global water challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260121697759/en/

After evaluating over 300 submissions from around the world, 10 Aquapreneurs from nine countries were selected for their innovative solutions in the freshwater sector. This year’s winners, termed ‘UpLink Ventures and Aquapreneurs,’ represent a diverse set of approaches demonstrating the potential of innovation to strengthen water resilience across regions and industries. The winners will share financial support from a CHF 1.75 million fund, enabling them to scale their initiatives and amplify impact. In addition to funding, the winners will gain access to exclusive resources, mentorship, and global networks provided by HCL Group and UpLink.

The Water Resilience Challenge was dedicated to identifying scalable and pioneering solutions that enhance the resilience of water systems facing mounting pressures from climate change, pollution, and rising demand. Submissions focused on three priority areas: strengthening infrastructure resilience, rethinking water use in agri-food systems, and optimising water efficiency across the technology and energy sectors.

“As water risks intensify across regions and industries, pressure on water systems is accelerating – driven by climate impacts, urban growth, and the expansion of water-intensive technologies central to today’s economy,” said John Dutton, Head of UpLink at the World Economic Forum. “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. Working alongside HCL Group and other partners, UpLink is backing these ventures with the access, resources and connections they need to deploy solutions that support sustainable growth and long-term water resilience.”

Highlighting the role of the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative in combating challenges related to freshwater, Sundar Mahalingam, President of Strategy at HCL Group, said: “Through the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative, HCL Group is focused on enabling solutions that can deliver measurable impact at scale. With global water demand projected to rise by up to 30% by 2050, strengthening the resilience of freshwater systems is no longer optional. This year’s Water Resilience Challenge attracted a diverse and compelling set of applications from across the world – spanning improvements in agricultural water use to cutting-edge technological interventions. 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.”

Water stress and pollution remain pressing global challenges. Nearly 80% of the world’s wastewater is discharged into the environment without adequate treatment, contributing to ecosystem degradation, public health risks, and economic losses estimated at US$200 to 300 billion annually. Emerging contaminants such as microplastics and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) – often referred to as “forever chemicals” – further heighten risks to freshwater systems worldwide.

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): Cleantech 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): Water-tech company delivering energy-efficient wastewater treatment via vortex-based aeration systems.

• Xatoms (Canada): Cleantech startup using AI and quantum chemistry to design light-activated photocatalysts for water purification.

In addition to financial awards, the winners will have opportunities to participate in events and initiatives led by the World Economic Forum and its partners, providing critical support to scale their ventures and expand global reach.

Since its inception, the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative has enabled innovators to scale production, expand into new markets, and advance solutions across water conservation, wastewater treatment, emissions reduction, and job creation. To date, participating innovators have collectively raised over US$125 million, saved more than 14 billion litres of water, and treated approximately 1.8 billion litres of water and wastewater while scaling their innovations globally.

HCL Group and UpLink’s continued collaboration underscores their shared commitment to sustainability and innovation, helping pave the way for a future where freshwater resources are managed responsibly and effectively.

About UpLink

UpLink is the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation engine that co-creates ecosystems to help purpose-driven entrepreneurs scale solutions for the markets and economies critical to a resilient, nature-positive and equitable future.

For more information, visit https://uplink.weforum.org.

About HCL

Founded in 1976 as one of India’s original IT garage start-ups, HCL Group is a pioneer of modern computing with many firsts to its credit, including the introduction of the 8-bit microprocessor-based computer in 1978, well before its global peers. Today, the HCL Group has a presence across varied sectors that include technology, healthcare and talent management solutions and comprises three companies – HCL Infosystems, HCLTech and HCL Healthcare. The enterprise generates annual revenues of over US$14.5 billion with 226,300 employees operating across 60 countries. For further information, visit www.hcl.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260121697759/en/