Imagine H2O
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Imagine H2O firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Imagine H2O
- Legal name
- Imagine H2O
- Website
- https://imagineh2o.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Imagine H2O industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Innovation Accelerator Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Energy & Water Efficiency Programs (Corporate Resource Management) (EUAHAJAG)
Keywords
Where Imagine H2O is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Imagine H2O business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Grants and Donations: Imagine H2O operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that generates revenue through grants and donations from foundations and corporate sponsors. Partners include The Coca-Cola Foundation, Oceankind, and other major philanthropies. The organization runs on a zero-equity model for startups, meaning it does not take equity in exchange for program participation.
- Pilot Fund Management Fees: The Water Innovation Pilot Fund provides recoverable grants and loans to startups, with funding from philanthropies like The Coca-Cola Foundation and Oceankind. The organization manages the fund and provides technical assistance.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Imagine H2O product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Imagine H2O operates a global nonprofit accelerator platform for early-stage water technology startups, providing zero-equity accelerator programs (Accelerator, Imagine H2O Asia), catalytic pilot funding through the Water Innovation Pilot Fund (recoverable grants up to $150K), mentorship from 85+ industry experts, market access via a network of 30+ Tech Adopter utilities and corporates, and annual showcase events. The organization does not develop water technologies itself; it identifies, develops, and scales external startups by removing barriers to first customers, capital, and proof points.
Product overview
Imagine H2O is a nonprofit water innovation accelerator that operates a platform of programs rather than a single software product. The core offerings include the global Imagine H2O Accelerator (zero-equity program for early-stage water startups), Imagine H2O Asia (Singapore-based market access accelerator for Asia-Pacific), and the Water Innovation Pilot Fund (recoverable grants up to $150k for pilot projects). These programs are complemented by the Tech Adopter Network, mentorship from 85+ industry experts, and annual showcase events including the Water Innovation Summit and Demo Day. The organization supports startups across focus areas including PFAS treatment, water reuse, resource recovery, AI-driven system optimization, and water quality monitoring, connecting them to utilities and industrial water users for pilot deployment and commercial adoption.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Imagine H2O Accelerator Flagship zero-equity accelerator program for early-stage water technology startups worldwide, equipping selected founders with mentorship from 85+ industry experts, market access via a network of 55+ technology adopters, ecosystem introductions to 100+ investors, and visibility at major water industry events such as WEFTEC. Designed for water technology companies less than 7 years in operation, less than $5M revenue, and less than $10M equity investment.
- Imagine H2O Asia Singapore-based regional market-access accelerator that unlocks access to water innovation across the Asia-Pacific region. Connects startups to new markets, partners, and pilot support through a hub at PUB's Singapore Water Exchange, providing in-country advisors, introductions to 30+ regional utilities and businesses, and pilot support for Asia-Pacific startups and global startups entering the region.
- Water Innovation Pilot Fund Catalytic funding special-purpose vehicle that provides recoverable grants and loans (up to $150K) to water technology startups for pilot projects with trusted utilities and corporates. Pairs catalytic funding with end-to-end technical assistance to maximize project success and mobilize follow-on private investment. Since 2023 has designed and funded 29 projects globally.
- Imagine H2O Water Innovation Summit Annual flagship gathering held during San Francisco Climate Week that convenes leading investors, utilities, corporate water users, and policy leaders to explore the future of water at the intersection of climate and technology.
- Accelerator Demo Day Annual virtual showcase event where accelerator cohort companies present their water technologies to investors, corporates, and utilities, featuring audience choice awards and networking opportunities.
- Imagine H2O 2025 Accelerator Cohort The 2025 cohort of the Imagine H2O Accelerator, comprising ten selected water technology companies representing innovations in PFAS destruction, wastewater treatment, smart agriculture, and water infrastructure management.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% startup survival rate among accelerated companies
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Imagine H2O
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Imagine H2O technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability12 records
Feature1 record
Imagine H2O partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Kurita Water IndustriescorePartnership announced September 2024 to commercialize and scale water solutions. Water technology entrepreneurs access Kurita's state-of-the-art R&D and pilot facilities as well as new pathways to global markets through the Kurita Innovation Hub.
- UpLink (World Economic Forum)coreCollaboration to accelerate the growth of water-focused startups through the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative, delivering on vision of building a thriving innovation ecosystem with thematic funding partner HCL Group.
- Water Environment Federation (WEF)flagshipFounding leader of Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence, announced major expansion of Advisory Council including Autodesk, CDM Smith, Grundfos, HDR, Raftelis, Xylem, and nine industry associations. Initiative advances 'Water for AI' and 'AI for Water' initiatives.
- AmazonflagshipFounding leader of Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence alongside WEF, Leading Utilities of the World, and The Water Center at Penn. Initiative focuses on advancing both 'Water for AI' and 'AI for Water' technologies.
- The Water Center at PennflagshipFounding leader of Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence. Advisory Council expansion includes Autodesk, CDM Smith, Grundfos, HDR, Raftelis, Xylem, and nine industry associations spanning utilities, reuse, and smart water networks.
- BlueConduitminorPartner organization alongside Imagine H2O and SmartTerra in The Coca-Cola Foundation-funded initiative deploying advanced leak detection and predictive maintenance tools in multiple countries.
- SmartTerraminorPartner organization alongside Imagine H2O and BlueConduit in The Coca-Cola Foundation-funded initiative. Deploying AI-powered leak detection and predictive maintenance tools in US, Indonesia, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.
- XylemcoreNew member of Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence Advisory Council, joining founding leaders Amazon, WEF, Leading Utilities of the World, and The Water Center at Penn.
- GrundfoscoreNew member of Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence Advisory Council, joining initiative to advance 'Water for AI' and 'AI for Water' technologies.
- AutodeskcoreNew member of Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence Advisory Council, contributing to expansion alongside CDM Smith, HDR, Raftelis, and industry associations.
- CDM SmithcoreNew member of Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence Advisory Council, contributing to expansion alongside Autodesk, Grundfos, HDR, Raftelis, Xylem, and industry associations.
- HDRcoreNew member of Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence Advisory Council, contributing to expansion alongside Autodesk, CDM Smith, Grundfos, Raftelis, Xylem, and industry associations.
- RafteliscoreNew member of Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence Advisory Council, contributing to expansion alongside Autodesk, CDM Smith, Grundfos, HDR, Xylem, and industry associations.
- PUB (Singapore National Water Agency)coreImagine H2O Asia maintains hub at PUB's Singapore Water Exchange for local and regional industry engagement. Strategic relationship enables pilot project opportunities and market access for startups.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Imagine H2O competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Water.org: Global nonprofit focused on water access and sanitation financing. A broader, much larger water-sector nonprofit that operates a different model (microfinance for water access) but shares the water-sector nonprofit mission space with Imagine H2O.
Emerging players
- Activate (formerly Cyclotron Road): Nonprofit fellowship supporting entrepreneurial scientists and engineers working on hard-tech and climate-relevant innovations. Comparable as a fellowship-style accelerator, with several fellows focused on water technologies.
Direct peers
- Aliaxis Next: Corporate venture arm of Aliaxis, a global water solutions company, that invests in early-stage water startups. Directly comparable as a water-tech venture builder; an Imagine H2O Global Advisor (Sead Bajrovic) previously served as its COO.
- UpLink (World Economic Forum): World Economic Forum's open innovation platform that surfaces and accelerates early-stage innovations, including its Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative for water. A direct strategic partner of Imagine H2O for water-focused startup pipelines.
- Burnt Island Ventures: An early-stage water technology venture fund that backs water-focused startups. Directly comparable to Imagine H2O's accelerator mission in the water sector; an Imagine H2O Global Advisor (Wayne Byrne) is a Venture Partner there.
- XPV Water Partners: Water-focused growth equity firm. An Imagine H2O Program Manager (Miguel Sibayan) previously specialized in venture investing at XPV, evidencing direct overlap in water-tech deal flow and ecosystem.
- Greentown Labs: Largest cleantech incubator in North America, supporting hardware and software startups across energy, water, and mobility. Comparable as a nonprofit cleantech startup accelerator with shared corporate sponsor base.
- Elemental Excelerator: Nonprofit climate impact accelerator that funds and scales startups addressing climate, water, and energy challenges. Closely comparable mission and structure to Imagine H2O's nonprofit accelerator model.
- Cleantech Open: World's largest cleantech accelerator. Imagine H2O board member Rebeca Hwang co-founded Cleantech Open, evidencing direct overlap in cleantech startup ecosystem development.
Regional players
- National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI): U.S. Department of Energy-funded water innovation hub focused on early-stage R&D for water reuse and desalination. Imagine H2O's President Scott Bryan sits on NAWI's Innovation and Commercialization Council, indicating close ecosystem positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Imagine H2O social profiles
Digital presenceImagine H2O financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Imagine H2O leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Imagine H2O funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Imagine H2O M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments17 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Imagine H2O
What does Imagine H2O do?
Imagine H2O operates a global nonprofit accelerator platform for early-stage water technology startups, providing zero-equity accelerator programs (Accelerator, Imagine H2O Asia), catalytic pilot funding through the Water Innovation Pilot Fund (recoverable grants up to $150K), mentorship from 85+ industry experts, market access via a network of 30+ Tech Adopter utilities and corporates, and annual showcase events. The organization does not develop water technologies itself; it identifies, develops, and scales external startups by removing barriers to first customers, capital, and proof points.
Is Imagine H2O a public or private company?
Imagine H2O is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Imagine H2O founded?
Imagine H2O was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Imagine H2O based?
Imagine H2O is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Imagine H2O make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are pilot Fund Management Fees.
Who are Imagine H2O's main competitors?
Water.org is listed as a broad incumbent. Activate (formerly Cyclotron Road) is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Aliaxis Next, UpLink (World Economic Forum), Burnt Island Ventures, XPV Water Partners, Greentown Labs, Elemental Excelerator and Cleantech Open. National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) is listed as a regional player.
Does Imagine H2O have an API?
No public API is recorded for Imagine H2O.
What industry is Imagine H2O in?
Imagine H2O's product category is Water Innovation Accelerator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated), with a secondary code of EUAHAJAG, Energy & Water Efficiency Programs (Corporate Resource Management). Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.