Our Mission
Empowering the future of water through innovation, collaboration, and strategic action.
People Who Move Systems
We convene founders, scientists, investors, policymakers and operators who challenge convention, work across disciplines and have the conviction to act.
Strategic Capacity
We equip cities, organisations and countries with the knowledge, tools and partnerships to strengthen resilience, modernise water systems and make better decisions for the future.
Ecosystems That Scale
We connect policy, technology and capital so that proven solutions can move faster, scale further and deliver durable outcomes across the water cycle.
Securing our water future through innovation, investment, and impact.
Water's Triple Challenge
The Water Foundation is set up to tackle a core blind spot of humankind: despite its existential importance, water remains misunderstood in many global agendas, under-prioritised, underfunded, and under-strategised.
The core blind spot of humankind manifests in three critical dimensions.
Three dimensions, one system.
Under-Prioritised
Water security remains fragmented across global agendas. Owned by everyone, led by no one.
Underfunded
Only around 3% of global climate finance went to water-related projects between 2016 and 2020.
Under-Strategised
The world doesn't lack water solutions, it lacks scalable pathways to deploy and finance them where they matter most for water resilience and security.
Why Now
The convergence of crisis and opportunity in the world's most critical resource.
Water is not only the world's most vital resource, it's also the one where capital can affect the most change. Water is the last big scarcity play.
Human Lives That Could Be Saved
1.4 million
preventable deaths every year from unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
WHO, 2023 and 2024 395,000
preventable deaths among children under five in 2019
WHO, 2023 and 2024 74 million
healthy years of life lost (DALYs) to unsafe WASH in 2019
WHO, 2023 over 1 million
deaths from diarrhoeal disease attributable to unsafe WASH in 2019
WHO, 2023 69%
of the total diarrhoeal disease burden attributable to unsafe WASH in 2019
WHO, 2023 2.1 billion
people still lacked safely managed drinking water in 2024
WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2025 3.4 billion
people lacked safely managed sanitation in 2024
WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2025 1.7 billion
people lacked basic hygiene services at home in 2024
WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2025 106 million
people still drank directly from surface water in 2024
WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2025 354 million
people still practised open defecation in 2024
WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2025 3,800+
lives every day
14 million+
potential lives over a decade if no comprehensive action taken
The Burden Across Geographies
510,000
WASH-attributable deaths in the WHO African Region in 2019
WHO, 2023 593,000
WASH-attributable deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2019
WHO, 2023 33,000
WASH-attributable deaths in the WHO European Region in 2019
WHO, 2023 over 75%
of all WASH-attributable deaths occurred in the WHO African and South-East Asia regions in 2019
WHO, 2023
Key Global Indicators
Water is quickly becoming the world's most critical resource. As scarcity and contamination rise, so does the urgency for bold, scalable solutions.
Critical
2.1 billion
people still lack access to safely managed drinking water
Among the 2.1 billion people still lacking access to safely managed drinking water in 2024, two thirds (1.4 billion) had a basic service, 287 million used limited services, 302 million used unimproved sources and 106 million still used surface water (61 million fewer people used surface water than in 2015).
WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2025 Critical
3.4 billion
lacked safely managed sanitation in 2024
Of them, 1.9 billion have basic services, 560 million limited, 555 million unimproved and 354 million practise open defecation.
WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2025 Severe
over 80%
of the world's wastewater returns to the environment untreated
UNESCO and UN-Water, 2017 and restated 2023 Severe
$260 billion
in economic losses annually from inadequate water supply and sanitation in low- and middle-income countries
WHO, 2012, Global costs and benefits of drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions; estimate covering 136 low- and middle-income countries, based on 2010 data Critical
74%
of all natural disasters between 2001 and 2018 were water-related
UNESCO and UN-Water, 2020 Opportunity
$1 trillion+
water technology market by 2030
The Investment Opportunity
The convergence of breakthrough technologies, compelling returns, and measurable impact creates unprecedented investment potential in water innovation.
Innovation
Breakthrough technologies in water treatment and management, from frontier research to the plant that runs on it.
Investment
Compelling returns, across a capital stack that runs from catalytic seed to patient private equity.
Impact
Measurable impact, counted in the resilience and the access a project actually delivers rather than in intent.
The Investment Surge Is Here
Water innovation is becoming the most compelling investment opportunity of our time.
Infrastructure
To achieve Sustainable Development Goals connected to water, the world must invest:
$114 billion
a year in capital investment is what meeting the drinking water and sanitation targets alone needs, on a range of $74 to $166 billion.
World Bank Water and Sanitation Program, 2016 Institutional Entry
10.5% against 9.0%
The water index has outperformed global utilities over the decade, by one and a half points a year once dividends are counted. Water is now an investable asset class: the S&P Global Water Index tracks 100 listed water companies worldwide, split equally between utilities and infrastructure, and equipment and materials. Exchange-traded funds from Invesco and iShares give investors direct exposure to it.
Ten-year annualised total return, in US dollars, to 31 August 2026.
S&P Dow Jones Indices, 2026 Venture Capital Momentum
$1.7 billion
in water tech VC investment in 2022, a record, up from $283 million in 2017: a sixfold increase in five years.
Dealroom, 2025 Technology Interest
+247%
In 2024, investor interest surged in technologies like desalination, advanced treatment, and PFAS destruction, solutions that are vital for environmental resilience and rich with market potential.
Desalination Technologies
Advanced desalination technologies addressing water scarcity and expanding alternative water supply.
Advanced Treatment
16.3%
projected annual growth from 2025 to 2030 in the global market for next-generation municipal water treatment technologies.
BCC Research, Advanced Technologies for Municipal Water Treatment: Global Market, 2026 PFAS Destruction
+340%
growth in 2024, in eliminating forever chemicals from water.
Blended Finance and Philanthropy
Catalytic capital is accelerating, with concessional and blended capital moving into water innovation.
How We Came Together
From a shared vision at COP29 to a global network and a three-pillar strategy.
The Beginning
A group of systems thinkers met at COP29, united by a shared vision to address the global water crisis through innovation and collaboration.
The Commitment
We committed to advancing SDG 6 and improving the lives of 1 billion people through resilient, equitable access to clean water.
Teams in Place
Established teams to create a truly global impact network for water innovation.
Unsiloed Finance
Set out a three-pillar strategy, to address water challenges at every stage.
First Principles
Our guiding principles that shape everything we do.
Water Is Essential, but Mispriced.
Align capital with access and risk.
Resilience Is the True Return.
Build for long-term, systemic stability.
Complexity Is the Alpha.
Step in where others hesitate.
Tech Must Meet Governance.
Fund tech, policy and community capacity.
Value Compounds Across Sectors.
Track and multiply co-benefits.
Our Charter
What the Foundation holds to, and the divisions it works across.
Water as a Human Right
We believe water is a fundamental human right and a critical resource for global stability.
Saltwater and Freshwater
We integrate freshwater and ocean strategies for holistic water solutions. Freshwater and saltwater are often treated as separate domains: rivers, lakes, and aquifers on one side; oceans, estuaries, and coasts on the other. In reality, they are part of a single, dynamic system.
For-Profit and Non-Profit
We operate at the intersection of for-profit and non-profit to maximise impact.
Private and Public Sectors
We bridge private and public sectors through blended finance instruments. We believe in the power of collaboration between private enterprise and public institutions to create comprehensive water solutions.
How the Capital Is Arranged
We accelerate the transition from water innovation to global resilience by turning bold ideas into bankable infrastructure and lasting equity.
Non-Profit
We accept donations and employ best practices in blended finance for development and impact, enabling us to drive sustainable change through charitable initiatives and strategic partnerships.
For-Profit
We accept direct capital investments into closed-end venture and PE funds, as well as participate with our principals in an evergreen structure, creating opportunities for financial returns alongside impact.
Bridging the Valley of Scale
From frontier innovation to investable water infrastructure.
We connect the early-stage innovation ecosystem with institutional capital and the operational maturity required for large-scale water infrastructure.
Unsiloed Finance
Three integrated approaches to water investment from first idea to established market leader.
01
Venture Builder
We identify the most promising water IP and ideas, build teams around them and back them with capital.
02
VC Fund
We invest in the strongest existing teams and technologies, connect them to our ecosystem and help them scale.
03
PE Fund
We acquire established players and hidden champions along the water cycle and build them into something bigger.
What Sets Us Apart
We're not just another consultant, accelerator, think tank or fund: we are the bridge between innovation and scale, aiming to catalyse an end-to-end innovation and investment ecosystem, spanning policy, technology and capital.
Cross-Capital Stack
From catalytic seed to patient PE, we work across the entire capital spectrum. We don't just fund, we build sustainable financial pathways.
Ecosystem Approach
We support people, places, and policy ecosystems that turn belief into practice. It's not just about the technology, it's about the entire ecosystem.
Infrastructure Focus
We focus on scalable, bankable water infrastructure, assets built to last for decades, not cycles. We build what lasts, not what's trendy.
How We Govern
Five boards, and the trustees and mission boards that sit with the fund structures.
Foundation Board
The Foundation Board provides strategic governance and oversight for The Water Foundation, ensuring alignment with our mission to bring water independence to 1 billion people while maintaining the highest standards of organisational excellence.
Investor Board
The Investor Board oversees our investment strategy and portfolio management, ensuring that capital deployment aligns with our mission while generating sustainable returns for stakeholders.
Donor Board
The Donor Board oversees our philanthropic initiatives and ensures that charitable contributions are deployed effectively to maximise impact in water access and resilience projects worldwide.
Ethics Board
The Ethics Board ensures that all Water Foundation activities adhere to the highest ethical standards. We provide guidance on responsible innovation, sustainable practices, and equitable access to water resources.
Tech Board
The Tech Board provides strategic oversight for all technology initiatives within The Water Foundation.
Fund Trustees
Different fund structures are managed by professionals with proven track records in their specific fund structure, supported by experienced trustees. Trustees ensure alignment with mission and values while generating outstanding impact and financial returns relative to alternatives.
Mission Boards
Special advisory boards initiate and oversee collective impact on specific challenges or efforts. Managing Partners form strategic coalitions across fund structures to address specific challenges, facilitated by Mission Boards and aligned with organisational goals.
The Artesians
A select group of influential supporters of The Water Foundation.
The Artesians are the Foundation's Circle of Inaugural Founding Supporters.
Bringing the network to network capital.
Our Belief
Equitable access to water is foundational to dignity, opportunity, and planetary stability.
Partner with usExplore Further
- Investment StrategyThe first principles behind our investment strategy, and the three vehicles it works through.
- Water DashboardWhat the world loses each year, what meeting the targets needs, what actually reaches water, and who is still not served.
- Our PeopleMeet the individuals bringing water independence to 1 billion+ people.