HCL Group, in collaboration with UpLink, the early-stage innovation platform of the World Economic Forum, has announced the launch of the fifth global challenge under the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative. Titled Transforming Water Systems, the challenge will accept applications from April 22 to June 4, 2026, with a total award pool of CHF 1.75 million for the top 10 winners.
The Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative represents a five-year, CHF 15 million collaboration aimed at fostering a global ecosystem for freshwater innovation. The program focuses on addressing growing water-related challenges driven by climate variability, rising industrial demand, and infrastructure constraints.
The latest challenge emphasizes a systems-level approach, moving beyond isolated issues to address interconnected risks affecting water availability, efficiency, and decision-making. It seeks solutions that can strengthen water system resilience while improving operational reliability and resource management across industries and geographies.
Participants are invited to submit innovations across three priority areas. The first focuses on ensuring water supply reliability, with solutions aimed at maintaining consistent availability and quality across facilities, cities, and regional networks amid increasing environmental and operational pressures.
The second area targets the redesign of water-intensive industrial and digital processes, encouraging technologies that reduce water dependency while enhancing system stability and efficiency. The third area centers on water system intelligence, promoting tools that enhance monitoring, predictive capabilities, and data-driven decision-making for improved resource management.
Sundar Mahalingam, President – Strategy at HCL Group, stated that water is rapidly becoming a critical infrastructure element influencing economic resilience and industrial continuity. He noted that the initiative aims to accelerate innovations that improve supply reliability, optimize industrial processes, and enable informed decision-making. He added that previous efforts under the program have already contributed to significant water savings, treatment capacity, and funding support for emerging ventures.
John Dutton, Head of UpLink at the World Economic Forum, highlighted the increasing pressure on global water systems due to rising demand from energy and production sectors. He emphasized the importance of connecting early-stage innovators with funding, partnerships, and real-world deployment opportunities to scale impactful solutions. Since its inception, the initiative has played a catalytic role in supporting startups, with many participants citing funding and ecosystem support as critical to accelerating product development, market expansion, and operational scaling.
Founded in 1976, HCL Group operates across technology, healthcare, and talent solutions, with a global presence spanning over 60 countries. Through initiatives like Aquapreneur, the group continues to support sustainable innovation and address pressing global challenges related to water and resource management.
