Imagine a room full of inventors, designers, social entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and individuals passionate about water innovation—and you can begin to picture the Water Entrepreneurs Showcase 2013 hosted, fittingly, by
Imagine H2O.Innov8Social first wrote about the work of Imagine H2O in 2011, in a
video interview of one of its team members, Brian Matthay.
Imagine H2O, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is dedicated to inspiring and empowering people to turn water challenges into opportunities. For its annual gala held on March 19th 2013, the organization gathered diverse constituents together to meet finalists and announce the winners of its startup competition. The event highlighted promising innovative impact-oriented startups in the water sector based on the selected theme of the year. Past themes included: water efficiency (2009), water energy nexus (2010), wastewater (2011), and consumer water innovations (2012).
The Competition
The 2012 competition kicked off in the Fall, with a call for business plans to be submitted between September 1st and November 15th 2012. Startups worked on pitches, business strategy, and product design and a win based on judge feedback. Imagine H2O Showcase winners receive cash prizes, free software, mentorship and a spot on Imagine H2O’s exclusive Accelerator Program.
The Venue
The Water Entrepreneur’s Showcase was held in the beautiful gallery of Autodesk building in downtown San Francisco.
Autodesk is one of the headlining sponsors of Imagine H20 and itself has a vibrant
Clean Tech Partner Program within its division for Sustainable Design. The gallery showcases incredible innovations in design (including the crowd favorite, a life-sized motorcycle suspended with cables—that was printed from a 3D printer…see below for a tweeted photo)
Winners
Finalists were divided into two broad groups depending on their stage of development and production. The Pre-Revenue track included those startups in their early stages of operations, with a strong business plan, measurable methods of impact, but no operating revenue.
The second broad group, the early revenue track includes startups that are farther along in their product development and sales but still relatively new in the entrepreneurial space.
Below you will find the winners and finalists along with descriptions of the startup ventures, as displayed on the official Imagine H2O finalist page.
Pre-Revenue Track Winners of Imagine H2O Showcase 2013
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Leak Defense Alert Founder Scott
Pallais holding his award. |
Leak Defense Alert combines an easy-to-install sensor and transmitter that automatically identifies home leaks and notifies the homeowner that there is an issue requiring attention – essentially creating a “smoke detector” for water leaks.
Led by a team of Haitian and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and investors, Dlo Haiti offers a market-based solution providing safe drinking water in Haiti at a price average Haitians can afford. Dlo Haiti seeks to replace centralized water purification and delivery by truck with a decentralized approach to lower costs and improve water quality.
By matching the flow of water to lawn outlines, Innogation’s SMARTRotor™ dramatically reduces water used for outdoor irrigation while providing up to 98% distribution uniformity.
Early Revenue Track Winners of Imagine H2O Showcase 2013
- Winner: PaveDrain
PaveDrain is an innovative paving system made up of arched concrete blocks that feature internal store chambers to absorb storm-water runoff while still maintaining a tough rugged exterior able to withstand extreme weather conditions, heavy vehicle loads, and storm downpours. The PaveDrain system is comprised of interlocking paving stones that are visually appealing, water saving, and highly functional. The PaveDrain system can be be used in a multitude of settings including driveways, city streets, sidewalks, and parking lots.
Finalists
Pre-Revenue Track Finalists
This stainless steel retrofit toilet flapper is designed to address a very basic, yet large, source of lost water. According to the American Water Association, one out of five toilets are leaking today because of faulty toilet flappers.
A biomimicry and nanotechnology company that harvests water from the air, NBD Technologies employs materials science and chemical engineering innovations to create water from the air.
ReFresh
A provider of water on the go, ReFresh’s water distribution machines provide bottled water and accept used bottles for a partial refund making drinking water cheaper, more convenient, and more environmentally friendly.
Early Revenue Track Finalists
Jompy
The Jompy water boiler is a simple, easy to use device that allows the user to cook food and boil water simultaneously, so saving on fuel and time spent over an open fire. The Jompy will pasteurize contaminated water reducing the chance of water borne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera.
The HighSierra Showerhead combines a low-profile design that uses 40% less water and a flow control that maintain the feel and experience of a conventional showerhead even at varying pressures.
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