Deadline: June 4, 2026
Applications are open for the Transforming Water Systems Challenge 2026. This is a call for scalable, next-generation solutions, including AI and advanced technologies, that overcome systemic issues, enhance circularity, reduce dependencies in critical industries and strengthen supply reliability.
Global water systems are under mounting strain from climate volatility, pollution and rising industrial demand, increasingly characterized by “too little, too much and too polluted” water. Utilities are struggling to ensure reliable supply, while water-intensive sectors such as manufacturing, energy and data centres face rising operational and financial exposure. Despite continued infrastructure investment, systems remain fragmented and reactive, constrained by delivery bottlenecks, capacity gaps and complex governance. As pressures intensify, water is emerging as both a systemic risk to economic resilience and a significant investment opportunity, requiring a structural shift in how water is sourced, managed, reused and governed.
The Transforming Water Systems Challenge responds by mobilizing early-stage innovation across three priorities: next-generation AI solutions to transform water systems, reducing freshwater dependence in critical industries and securing water supply reliability. Together, these innovations aim to accelerate the transition towards integrated, circular and resilient water systems.
Focus Areas
- Transforming water systems using next-generation AI and digital technologies: Solutions that address systemic constraints in the water sector, including infrastructure delivery, regulatory and permitting bottlenecks, innovative financing, risk management, cybersecurity and institutional capacity challenges, enabling more efficient, resilient and future-ready water systems.
- Lowering freshwater intensity across water-intensive industries: Solutions that enable circular water use, improve industrial efficiency and reduce primary freshwater withdrawals, strengthening operational resilience and supporting resilience across high-demand sectors such as data centres and AI infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing and energy production.
- Strengthening the reliability, quality and continuity of water supply systems: Solutions that enhance system resilience under climate volatility, contamination risk and rising demand by diversifying supply, improving treatment performance and reinforcing infrastructure to ensure safe, reliable and continuous water delivery.
Benefits
Approximately 10 submissions will be selected as winners, recognized as UpLink Ventures and become part of the UpLink Innovation Ecosystem, a curated programme designed for Founders, CEOs, Executive Directors, etc.,
which provides:
- Access: Participation in World Economic Forum and partner-led events, projects and communities.
- Visibility: Global exposure via the Forum’s and UpLink’s digital media channels.
- Connections: Strategic introductions to select organizations in the Forum’s and UpLink’s network.
- Targeted support: Programming and support on technical, business and operational matters.
- Prize money: 175,000 CHF in prize money to each winner, generously made available by HCL Group.
Eligibility
UpLink is looking for ventures that:
- Operate as a for-profit entity
- Are at the pre-seed, seed or Series A stage
- Have raised less than $50 million in total funding
- Demonstrate credible advantages that are hard to copy
Application
For more information, visit Transforming Water Systems Challenge.
