Water Innovation hub
about
COMMERCIALIZATION AND DEPLOYMENT OF ADVANCED WATER TECHNOLOGIES TO ADDRESS CRITICAL WATER CHALLENGES.
The Water Innovation Hub is a collaborative initiative led by ClimateHaven to accelerate the development and deployment of breakthrough water technologies. Launched in partnership with the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA) at the Yale Innovation Summit in May 2025, the Hub provides startups with real world testing environments, funded pilot opportunities, and direct engagement with utility operations.

The Hub has since expanded through strategic partnerships with Xylem, a global leader in water technology, and Continua, a firm specializing in industrial digital transformation and data integration. Together, RWA, Xylem, Continua, and ClimateHaven connect early stage entrepreneurs with the stakeholders and operational expertise needed to validate and scale new solutions, from municipal pilots to commercial deployment.

By combining utility insight, corporate leadership, digital integration expertise, and startup innovation, the Water Innovation Hub serves as a bridge between emerging technologies and real world water systems. Its mission is to help founders prove impact in operational environments, strengthen collaboration across the water ecosystem, and bring forward solutions that improve the resilience of water infrastructure.
Partners
Innovation Challenges
Each year, the Water Innovation Hub partners with utilities, corporates, and researchers to co-develop challenge themes that address real operational and market needs. By aligning innovators with end users through structured validation and pilot opportunities, the Hub accelerates technology deployment and strengthens the resilience of global water systems.
Selection Criteria
Technical Readiness: Preference for TRL 5 or higher (working prototypes tested in relevant environments)
Commercial Viability: A credible and well-articulated pathway to market adoption and demonstrated customer demand
Integration Potential:imal disruption: Founding teams with the technical and operational depth required to scale.
Team Expertise: Founding teams with the technical and operational depth required to scale.
The Opportunity
Innovation Challenge Finalists: 4–6 selected startups will participate in a structured, 2-3 month Innovation Sprint. This intensive process provides direct access to Xylem mentors to validate technical fit and refine commercial pathways. Pilot Awardees: Following the Sprint, two startups will be selected to deploy their technology in real-world testing environments.
2026 Xylem Innovation Challenge
The 2026 program marks a strategic expansion into energy recovery and supply chain security. In partnership with Xylem, we are seeking global startups building technologies that transform industrial wastewater from a cost center into a resource-rich asset by capturing unrecognized value.
Critical Minerals Recovery
Technologies that isolate and extract lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements from industrial water streams, including produced water, acid mine drainage, and desalination brines.
Energy Recovery
Solutions that capture, upgrade, store, or optimize thermal energy lost across industrial cooling loops and process wastewater.
APPLY TO THE 2026 CHALLENGE
Apply
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read request for proposals
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Applications due July 19, 2026
2025 RWA Innovation  Challenge
Our inaugural challenge, created with the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA), focused on advancing solutions to pressing municipal infrastructure challenges:

‍Rapid Water Quality Testing: Real-time detection of key contaminants.
‍Inspection Drones: In-pipe and aerial monitoring for asset health.
‍Lead Pipe Detection: Non-invasive tools to identify service lines.
2025 Innovation Challenge Winner:
Nucleic Sensing Systems
After months of applications, evaluations, and expert review, ClimateHaven’s Water Innovation Hub is proud to announce Nucleic Sensing Systems (NS2) as the winner of our inaugural Innovation Challenge. Selected from a global pool of breakthrough technologies, NS2 stood out for its transformative approach to real-time, in-situ biological monitoring which is an area where water utilities urgently need new tools to protect public health, anticipate threats, and operate more efficiently.
Driving Sectoral Transformation
Innovation in action
Validating in the Real-World
By partnering with strategic corporate and utility entities, the Hub de-risks emerging technologies through pilots that leverage industrial infrastructure, operational resources, and technical expertise to validate scalable solutions.
Accelerating Technologies
The incubator accelerates world-class academic research into commercial applications by equipping startups with the mentorship, technical resources, and investor networks necessary to scale within the water sector.
Driving Sectoral Transformation
The Hub drives ecosystem-wide transformation and informs sector investments by sharing critical insights from pilots and publications like the Water Tech Landscape Report.
Advisory council
Guided by a world-class network of cross-sector experts, the Advisory Council accelerates the commercialization and deployment of advanced technologies to solve critical water challenges.
Advisory Council
The hub thrives on cross-sector collaboration, guided by a world-class network of experts advancing innovation across the water industry. Commercialization and deployment of advanced water technologies to address critical water challenges.
Max Storto
Xylem
Konstantine Drakonakis
Connecticut innovations
Peter Yolles
Echo River Capital
Satish Rao
Tech, Venture and Industrial Advisor
Jennifer Garson
Waypoint Strategy Group
FAQ
Should I apply if my technology doesn't fit the listed focus areas?
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Yes. The focus areas are illustrative, not exhaustive. If your solution addresses energy recovery in industrial water-intensive settings and you see a credible path to engagement with Xylem's operations or customer base, apply and explain the connection in your own terms. ClimateHaven also maintains a pipeline for future program cycles that may be a better fit.
Will I retain rights to my IP?
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Yes. Startups retain full ownership of their IP throughout the program. Any collaboration or data-sharing will be governed by a mutual agreement developed prior to engagement.
What technologies are eligible?
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We welcome applications across the full spectrum of energy recovery relevant to industrial water and wastewater settings—waste heat recovery hardware, high-temperature heat pump systems, thermal optimization software, Energy-as-a-Service models, thermal battery storage, thermochemical heat transformation, and adjacent technologies. If your solution addresses thermal energy efficiency at the intersection of industrial water infrastructure, we encourage you to apply.
What stage of technology readiness are you looking for?
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TRL 5 or higher preferred which means having a working prototype or platform tested in a relevant environment. We will consider earlier-stage companies if the founding team has compelling domain expertise and a clear path to readiness.
Can international startups apply?
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Yes. Companies can be based anywhere globally. Sprint modules are conducted virtually, with an in-person kickoff encouraged. Selected Innovation Challenge Winners should expect on-the-ground availability during the Sprint kickoff and any pilot deployment. There is no long-term relocation requirement.
What does it mean to be an Innovation Challenge Winner to Xylem?
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Being selected as an Innovation Challenge Winner means Xylem and ClimateHaven have identified your company as a credible and relevant solution for challenges within Xylem's operational context or customer base. It provides structured, hands-on access through the Sprint and positions you for Pilot Awardee consideration. It is not a commercial agreement or financial commitment from Xylem.
Is the Sprint a paid engagement?
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No. The Sprint is a structured customer discovery and technical validation process. Its value lies in the depth of access, multi-customer interactions, milestone-driven coaching, and the commercial relationships it generates.
How are Pilot Awardees selected?
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Two Pilot Awardees will be selected following the Sprint based on Sprint performance, deployment use case viability, and pilot partner availability. Selection is made by a panel comprising ClimateHaven and Xylem leadership.
What if I complete the Sprint but am not selected as a Pilot Awardee?
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You will receive a documented roadmap outlining the specific conditions and milestones needed to reach pilot readiness, along with active support through partner introductions, investor connections, and future program cycles.
Latest feed
read more
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Infrastructure: The Real Constraint in Water
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February 12, 2026
From Hype to Hard Truths: Where Water Tech Investors Stand
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December 8, 2025
Announcing the Winner of the 2025 Water Innovation Challenge: Nucleic Sensing Systems
Research
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November 18, 2025

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