UpLink

What UpLink does

UpLink is the early-stage innovation initiative of the World Economic Forum, headquartered in Céligny, Switzerland (with WEF domiciled in Geneva). It operates an open innovation platform that runs themed, application-based challenges — including the Aquapreneur water program, Manulife-backed longevity challenges, and an Accenture-backed Traceability for Circularity program — to identify and accelerate startups addressing global challenges in water resilience, longevity, circular economy, and food systems. Its core technology is a curated challenge infrastructure that combines open submissions (300-340 per water cycle), jury selection, and structured winners' programming; selected innovators receive prize funding (CHF 1.75 million per challenge), mentorship, and access to WEF's network of corporates, policymakers, and investors.

UpLink does not appear to be a separately incorporated legal entity but a branded initiative under WEF. Its business model is sponsorship- and partnership-driven rather than transactional: corporate and institutional partners — most prominently HCL Group (CHF 15 million over five years for Aquapreneur), Manulife ($350 million Longevity Institute through 2030), and Accenture (Traceability for Circularity) — co-fund prize pools and co-design challenges. There is no disclosed pricing for startup participants, no app or API surface, and no independent revenue line. Distribution is event-driven, anchored to WEF convenings including the Annual Meeting in Davos and the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, with winners announced on stage to capture concentrated global media coverage.

Customer concentration is bilaterally shaped: the supply side — challenge applicants — is large and globally distributed, while the demand side — corporate sponsors underwriting challenges — is concentrated among a small set of repeat flagship partners. Quantified outcomes to date across the Aquapreneur portfolio include 14+ billion liters of water saved, 1.8 billion liters of water/wastewater treated, US$125 million+ in follow-on funding raised by participants, and representation across 9 countries, which UpLink uses as primary traction metrics in lieu of standard SaaS or transaction-revenue disclosures.

Name

UpLink

Legal name

UpLink

Website

https://uplink.weforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UpLink, a World Economic Forum initiative, runs themed innovation challenges — water resilience, longevity, circular economy, and food systems — connecting selected early-stage startups with corporate sponsors (HCL Group, Manulife, Accenture), funding, mentorship, and WEF's global network at events like Davos.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open Innovation Platform

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Scholarships, Grants & Donor-Funded Awards Management (EDALAJAB)

Keywords

• Open innovation platform
• Innovation challenges
• Startup acceleration program
• Corporate innovation partnerships
• Sustainability venture funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Céligny

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Partnership and sponsorship model: UpLink generates value through strategic partnerships with corporations (HCL Group, Manulife) and organizations, facilitating innovation challenges with pooled funding. The platform appears to be funded through the World Economic Forum and partnership commitments rather than direct revenue from startups.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UpLink runs structured, application-based global innovation challenges that source early-stage startups with solutions to pressing sustainability, water, longevity, circular economy, and food systems challenges. Selected winners receive prize funding (e.g., CHF 1.75 million per challenge pool), mentorship, and access to the World Economic Forum's network of policymakers, corporate partners, and investors to help scale their solutions.

Product overview

UpLink is the World Economic Forum's early-stage innovation initiative that operates as a platform connecting entrepreneurs with organizations to solve global challenges through innovation challenges. The offering consists of periodic innovation challenges focused on specific thematic areas (water resilience, longevity, circularity, food systems) delivered in partnership with corporate and institutional sponsors. The Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative, in partnership with HCL Group, represents the flagship multi-year water-focused challenge program with CHF 15 million in funding commitments over five years. Challenges operate on an application-based model where selected winners receive funding, mentorship, and access to global networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative A five-year, CHF 15 million global innovation challenge program in partnership with HCL Group that builds an innovation ecosystem for freshwater solutions, addressing water supply reliability, water-intensive industrial processes, and water system intelligence by supporting water-technology innovators.
• Water Resilience Challenge A global innovation challenge under the Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative that selects water-technology startups to share CHF 1.75 million in prize funding along with mentorship and access to global networks, with the aim of scaling water efficiency, treatment, and infrastructure resilience solutions.
• Shaping Canada's Longevity Advantage Innovation Challenge An innovation challenge launched in partnership with Manulife that develops practical longevity solutions for Canada, addressing financial resilience, healthy aging, and social connection for Canada's aging population.
• Traceability for Circularity Innovation Challenge An innovation challenge launched with Accenture that selected 13 startups as Top Innovators to develop solutions for tracking products and materials across circular economy supply chains, leveraging technologies such as blockchain, AI, and IoT.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants have collectively raised over US$125 million in follow-on funding
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• ManulifeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026Manulife partnered with UpLink and WEF's Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems to launch the 'Shaping Canada's Longevity Advantage Innovation Challenge' focused on financial resilience, healthy aging, and social connection for Canada's aging population. The challenge is part of Manulife's $350 million Longevity Institute commitment through 2030, marking the third challenge in their global collaboration following US and Asia challenges.
• HCL GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026HCL Group and UpLink launched the fifth global Aquapreneur Innovation Challenge 'Transforming Water Systems' with CHF 1.75 million in awards for top 10 winners. This is part of a five-year, CHF 15 million collaboration under WEF's Food and Water Initiative, building a global innovation ecosystem for freshwater solutions. Previous iterations saved 14+ billion liters of water and unlocked $125M+ in follow-on funding.
• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2025UpLink and Accenture launched the Traceability for Circularity Innovation Challenge, selecting 13 startups as Top Innovators to develop solutions for tracking products and materials across circular economy supply chains. The initiative addresses findings that over half of CEOs prioritize enhanced sustainability data collection, yet nine out of ten face inadequate technology barriers.
• World Economic ForumcoreOthersUpLink is the early-stage innovation initiative of the World Economic Forum, operating under the WEF umbrella to identify and support innovative solutions to global challenges through structured challenge programs at WEF events.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UpLink