In recent years, due to climate change and population growth, responsible water management has become a top global priority. Technological transformations are digitizing conventional processes in water service companies, providing data-driven intelligence for better-informed policies.
To address water scarcity, new water management startups are driving technological trends in desalination, wastewater processing, and water-saving technologies. Additionally, advanced filtration and innovative materials are turning existing water recovery and reuse methods into sustainable and cost-effective solutions. Decentralized water infrastructure is improving access to drinking water in remote areas.
Lastly, new technologies go beyond just water conservation. For example, water management solutions combine flood prevention with security and water reuse.
Innovation Map Highlights the 8 Key Water Management Trends and 16 Promising Startups
For this in-depth research on the leading global decarbonization trends and startups, we analyzed a sample of 3,771 global startups and scaleups. This data-driven research provides innovation intelligence that helps improve strategic decision-making by giving an overview of emerging technologies and trends in the water management industry. The Water Management Innovation Map provides a comprehensive overview of the latest innovation trends and the startups impacting your business.
1. Digital Water Management
The rising global demand for water and the need to maintain aging infrastructure drive the growth of digital water management. Technologies like AI, IoT sensors, and advanced meters enable water quality and quantity monitoring, remote asset management, and responsible water usage.
Additionally, GIS systems, digital twins, and AR/VR technologies visualize and model situational scenarios to detect anomalies and prevent potential damage. 5G, blockchain, and cloud technologies ensure data speed and security for water management solutions. As a result, digital technologies improve decision-making and efficiency in water companies.
🔹 Example Startup: PipePredict (Germany)
- Solution: Digital leak detection using AI, sensors, and digital twins.
- Impact: Reduces investment costs and optimizes asset performance by predicting pipeline failures.
🔹 Example Startup: SPHERAG (Spain)
- Solution: Smart agricultural water management using IoT and cloud-based services.
- Impact: Enhances irrigation efficiency, reduces energy and water consumption.
2. Wastewater Processing
Large amounts of wastewater are discharged without proper treatment, polluting freshwater sources. Emerging wastewater treatment innovations focus on recovering used water across different industries.
Technologies like advanced oxidation, adsorption/biosorption, biological and anaerobic treatments show promising results. In combination with solar irradiation, these solutions absorb contaminants from wastewater and reduce sludge production via microbial decomposition.
🔹 Example Startup: Oxyle (Switzerland)
- Solution: A nanocatalyst reactor eliminating toxic microcontaminants in wastewater.
- Impact: More cost-effective and energy-efficient than traditional filtration methods.
🔹 Example Startup: Algaesys (Italy)
- Solution: Algae-based wastewater treatment using photosynthesis.
- Impact: Removes nitrogen, microplastics, and heavy metals while producing eco-friendly biomass fertilizers.
3. Advanced Filtration
Water scarcity is driving startups to develop innovative filtration methods. Nanotechnology advances are enabling the creation of high-performance filtration membranes that remove hard-to-capture microcontaminants.
Other important technologies include biological filtration, where bacteria purify water while generating electricity from oxidation energy. Self-cleaning natural filters also contribute to cost-effective and energy-efficient water filtration.
🔹 Example Startup: Warranium (India)
- Solution: A membrane bioreactor (MBR) combining ultrafiltration and microfiltration.
- Impact: Improves wastewater treatment efficiency for both irrigation and drinking purposes.
🔹 Example Startup: Nanoseen (Poland)
- Solution: Energy-free nanomembranes filtering contaminants using gravity.
- Impact: Converts polluted water into drinkable water within minutes.
4. Flood Prevention
Global warming is increasing the risk of extreme droughts and floods. Modern flood prevention solutions go beyond improved physical barriers (such as flood gates and levees) and integrate advanced monitoring, forecasting, and disaster modeling technologies.
