FutureWater
FutureWater is a Netherlands-based water management consultancy and research firm that delivers hydrological modeling, climate risk assessments, and decision support tools to governments, development banks, and UN agencies across 102 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersWageningen, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FutureWater does
FutureWater is a Netherlands-based international research and consultancy firm, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Wageningen with a regional office in Cartagena, Spain. The firm delivers water management, climate adaptation, and hydrological modeling services to government water agencies, multilateral development banks (World Bank, Asian Development Bank), UN agencies (UNDP, FAO), the European Commission, and other international organizations, operating across 102 countries with a catalog of 864 projects and 624 publications.
The company's core technology is the SPHY (Spatial Processes in Hydrology) raster-based distributed water balance model, which it layers with satellite remote sensing, drone-based flying sensor imagery, and decision-support tools including InfoSequia (multi-layer drought early warning), GLOW (global water availability forecasting), REWEFe (Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem nexus evaluation), Croptimal (mobile irrigation advisory via WhatsApp), SOSIA, WatNEX, HiHydroSoil, and a QGIS SPHY Plugin. FutureWater integrates these with established hydrological and crop modeling platforms (WEAP, SWAT, SWAP, AquaCrop, LPJmL, HEC-RAS, RIBASIM) and external climate and Earth observation datasets (ERA5, NASA-NEX, Copernicus, GEOSS, WaPOR).
FutureWater generates revenue primarily through project-based consulting engagements sourced via competitive tendering from development banks and international institutions, complemented by tool licensing and capacity-building training programs (including the FutureWater Academy). The firm is privately held and founder-led, with a lean 13-person team of senior hydrologists, remote sensing experts, agronomists, and AI/data specialists operating from the Netherlands and Spain.
FutureWater firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FutureWater
- Legal name
- FutureWater
- Website
- https://futurewater.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FutureWater is a Netherlands-based water management consultancy and research firm that delivers hydrological modeling, climate risk assessments, and decision support tools to governments, development banks, and UN agencies across 102 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FutureWater industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Resources and Climate Adaptation Consulting
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient) (EUAHAKAF), Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Irrigation System Design & Engineering (AFACAFAA)
Keywords
Where FutureWater is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wageningen
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
FutureWater business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Research and Consulting Services: FutureWater generates revenue through research and advisory engagements with governments, development banks, UN agencies, and international organizations. Projects focus on water management, climate adaptation, and integrated watershed management.
- Tool Licensing and Software: Proprietary tools including SPHY, REWEFe, InfoSequia, and GLOW are offered through consulting engagements, training programs, and operational portals. Some tools are available via web applications (e.g., Croptimal portal).
- Capacity Building and Training: The company conducts tailor-made training programs on hydrology, water allocation modeling, remote sensing, and climate-smart agriculture for water professionals and organizations globally.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based consulting engagements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
FutureWater product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FutureWater provides consultancy and applied research in water management, climate adaptation, and hydrological modeling for governments, development banks, and international organizations. The company pairs project-based advisory services with a portfolio of proprietary tools (SPHY hydrological model, InfoSequia drought warning, GLOW water availability forecasting, REWEFe WEFE nexus evaluation, Croptimal mobile irrigation advisory, SOSIA, WatNEX, REWAS, HiHydroSoil, Follow the Water, Rapid Eye XS, and Flying Sensors drones) and tailor-made training programs delivered through the FutureWater Academy.
Product overview
FutureWater is a global research and consulting firm that develops scientifically-based solutions for water management challenges. Their product portfolio centers on the SPHY hydrological model as the core technology platform, complemented by specialized tools including InfoSequia (drought monitoring), GLOW (water availability forecasting), REWEFe (WEFE nexus evaluation), Croptimal (irrigation advisory via WhatsApp), SOSIA (satellite-based irrigation advice), WatNEX (water accounting engine), HiHydroSoil, REWAS, and Follow the Water. These tools work in concert with service solutions including hydrological modeling, satellite remote sensing, flying sensors (drones), climate risk analysis, early drought warning, and crop growth modeling to address water security challenges across watershed management, climate adaptation, irrigation optimization, and sustainable water resource planning.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SPHY: Spatial Processes in Hydrology - A spatially distributed water balance model integrating hydrological processes, flexible in scale and time.
- InfoSequia
- GLOW
- REWEFe
- Croptimal
- SOSIA
- Flying Sensors
- FutureWater Academy
Products and services
- SPHY (Spatial Processes in Hydrology) A conceptual, spatially distributed (raster-based) water balance model that simulates hydrological processes. SPHY is flexible in scale and time, adaptable to different climatic conditions, and used for understanding hydrological changes, watershed management, irrigation management, flow forecasting, land degradation and restoration, energy assessment, and hydroclimatic extremes research.
- InfoSequia Multi-layered drought early warning and monitoring system combining satellite and ground observations, hydrological and agro-climatological modeling, seasonal forecasts, and risk assessment to provide actionable insights for stakeholders from farmers to policymakers.
- GLOW (Global Water Availability) Global water availability forecasting service providing timely and easy access to current and forecasted water availability and demand information to support water security planning across river basins.
- REWEFe (Rapid Evaluation of the Water Energy Food Ecosystem Nexus) Interactive, user-friendly application for the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus that helps stakeholders assess trade-offs and synergies through different scenarios.
- Croptimal Mobile irrigation advisory tool providing crop-specific daily irrigation advice via WhatsApp and SMS, combining remote sensing, hydrological modeling, and local expertise to help farmers optimize water use.
- SOSIA (Small-Scale Open Source Satellite-based Irrigation Advice) Open-source satellite-based irrigation advice tool providing operational advisory for small-scale food producers using virtual weather stations derived from satellite data combined with crop stage and precipitation data.
- WatNEX Water Accounting Engine providing decision support for WEFE nexus management by integrating water accounting across multiple sectors (water, energy, food, environment).
- HiHydroSoil Soil hydrological properties tool providing soil water storage capacity information for water management applications.
- REWAS Water accounting system supporting comprehensive water resource assessment and accounting for stakeholders.
- Follow the Water Water tracking and spatial analysis tool for following water pathways through hydrological systems.
- Rapid Eye XS High-resolution satellite imagery service providing Earth observation data for agricultural and environmental monitoring applications.
- Flying Sensors (Drone Imagery Service) Drone-based ultra-high resolution imagery service for detecting crop stress and supporting irrigation, fertilization, and pesticide decisions, currently active in Kenya and Mozambique using local operators and agronomists.
- Hydrological Modeling Services Project-based hydrological modeling services centered on the SPHY model for diverse applications including watershed management, irrigation management, discharge forecasting, and climate impact assessments.
- Satellite Remote Sensing Services Satellite-based Earth observation services for monitoring vegetation, rainfall, and land surface temperature to understand water availability, identify trends, and support decision-making.
- Water Allocation and Planning Advisory Advisory services for water managers across time scales from daily operational management to strategic basin-level decision-making using WEAP and SPHY models.
- Climate Risk Analysis Services Climate risk assessment services for investment projects, including top-down approaches using climate scenarios for impact assessments and bottom-up vulnerability-focused approaches.
- Early Drought Warning Services Multi-layer drought early warning system combining satellite and ground observations, hydrological and agro-climatological modeling, seasonal forecasts, and risk assessment to provide actionable insights.
- Crop Growth Modeling Services Crop growth modeling using SWAP, SWAT, and AquaCrop models enhanced with satellite and drone data for accurate crop development and water productivity assessments.
- FutureWater Academy Training Programs Tailor-made training programs delivered to water professionals and organizations globally on hydrology, water allocation modeling, remote sensing, and climate-smart agriculture.
Quantifiable outcome
- 864 projects completed across 102 countries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use FutureWater
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
FutureWater technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
FutureWater partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Acacia WatercoreFutureWater is collaborating with Acacia Water on a World Bank-funded project to prioritize water basins in Yemen. The partnership combines FutureWater's hydrological and climate risk expertise with Acacia Water's water management capabilities to help the Yemeni government rank 42 water basins for future investments.
- PracticacorePractica is part of a consortium with FutureWater and Climate Resilience Research Centre Nepal for the Smart Sprayer project. The consortium developed and tested a low-pressure mini-pivot irrigation system combined with Croptimal irrigation advisory via WhatsApp for farmers in Nepal's middle mountains.
- Climate Resilience Research Centre (Nepal)coreClimate Resilience Research Centre Nepal is a consortium partner in the Smart Sprayer project, providing local research expertise and climate resilience knowledge for the pilot in Syangja district.
- Wageningen University & Research (WUR)coreFutureWater collaborates with WUR on the 3POLE4FOOD project under ADB's Resilient River Basin Initiative. Together they develop models coupling SPHY hydrological model with LPJmL crop-hydrology model to link glacier and snow melt to downstream water availability and agricultural production in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region.
- IIAMA-UPV (Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente - Universidad Politécnica de Valencia)minorIIAMA-UPV researchers Hector Macián-Sorribes and Manuel Pulido-Velázquez contributed a webinar on water-related indicators as key components for quantifying water security and sustainability at basin level as part of the SOS-Water project consortium.
- Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)minorEawag collaborated with FutureWater on the SOS-Water project, presenting on satellite data use and Copernicus and GEOSS services promotion.
- Water-ForCE ProjectminorWater-ForCE project developed key recommendations for promoting satellite services. FutureWater participated in discussions on barriers and recommendations for using satellite services to improve accuracy of water security indicators.
- Government of Armenia (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Ministry of Economy)coreFutureWater's ADB-funded reservoir assessment is conducted in close consultation with Armenian government ministries. The ministries provide data, review findings, and will use results for investment prioritization and long-term water resources planning.
- The Nature Conservancy (TNC)minorTNC partners with FutureWater for technical coordination on the Norfolk Water Fund and development of technical annexes on Nature-based Solutions for Water Security.
- ASEANminorFutureWater organized regional training on REWEFe and WEFE Nexus for ASEAN member states in Manila, Philippines as part of GEF/UNDP/ASEAN project.
- CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation)minorCAREC commissioned FutureWater for developing the Water Pillar framework - an investment vehicle for water infrastructure and capacity development in Central Asia.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FutureWater competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tetra Tech: Large global consulting and engineering firm with a substantial water, environment, and climate adaptation practice. Competes with FutureWater on multi-lateral climate-risk screening and water-resources consulting mandates, albeit at much larger scale and via integrated engineering delivery.
- Royal HaskoningDHV: Large Dutch engineering consultancy with deep water, climate, and delta-management practices. Competes with FutureWater for development-bank water-security projects globally and offers integrated engineering services that complement or substitute for FutureWater's hydrology/irrigation consultancy.
- WRI (World Resources Institute): Global research organization operating major programs on water (e.g., Aqueduct, WRI Ross Center) with extensive work for development banks and UN agencies. A broader incumbent offering overlapping climate-water consulting and data platforms, including a publicly available water-risk tool that competes with FutureWater's GLOW.
- Mott MacDonald: Global engineering, management, and development consultancy with deep water-resources and climate adaptation practices. Able to absorb large framework contracts from World Bank/ADB that exceed FutureWater's boutique scale, positioning it as a competitor on flagship river-basin and climate programs.
Direct peers
- IHE Delft Institute for Water Education: UN-mandated institute based in Delft providing education and applied research in water and development. Comparable to FutureWater on capacity-building/training programs (FutureWater Academy equivalent) and on hydrology/water management consulting for development partners.
- HR Wallingford: UK-based independent civil engineering and environmental hydraulics research organization. Peer on water modeling, river basin management, climate risk, and decision-support tooling for international clients including development banks and governments.
- Deltares: Dutch applied research institute specializing in water, subsurface, and infrastructure, headquartered in Delft. Closest direct peer to FutureWater given shared Netherlands-based hydrology expertise, development-bank client base, and proprietary modeling stacks (e.g., Delft3D, FEWS) used for water security and climate adaptation projects worldwide.
- Acacia Water: Dutch water-management consulting firm focused on integrated water resources, WASH, and climate adaptation. Already a co-delivery partner with FutureWater on the World Bank Yemen river-basin prioritization project, making it both a peer and a collaborator on similar mandates globally.
Regional players
- Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI): Swedish national hydrometeorological agency with strong hydrology modeling capacity and international development consulting (Hype, HBV). Similar in domain expertise to FutureWater, though anchored to a single country with a different ownership/governance structure.
Emerging players
- eWater Pty Ltd (eWater Source): Australia-based provider of water-system modeling tools widely used by governments and basins. Comparable as a niche hydrology-modeling software & services player that ships decision-support platforms to public-sector water agencies, akin to FutureWater's SPHY and WEAP-based offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FutureWater social profiles
Digital presenceFutureWater financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FutureWater leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
FutureWater funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FutureWater M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FutureWater
What does FutureWater do?
FutureWater provides consultancy and applied research in water management, climate adaptation, and hydrological modeling for governments, development banks, and international organizations. The company pairs project-based advisory services with a portfolio of proprietary tools (SPHY hydrological model, InfoSequia drought warning, GLOW water availability forecasting, REWEFe WEFE nexus evaluation, Croptimal mobile irrigation advisory, SOSIA, WatNEX, REWAS, HiHydroSoil, Follow the Water, Rapid Eye XS, and Flying Sensors drones) and tailor-made training programs delivered through the FutureWater Academy.
Is FutureWater a public or private company?
FutureWater is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was FutureWater founded?
FutureWater was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FutureWater based?
FutureWater is headquartered in Wageningen, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does FutureWater make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Research and Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are tool Licensing and Software and capacity Building and Training.
Who are FutureWater's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tetra Tech, Royal HaskoningDHV, WRI (World Resources Institute) and Mott MacDonald. Direct peers are IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, HR Wallingford, Deltares and Acacia Water. Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) is listed as a regional player. eWater Pty Ltd (eWater Source) is listed as an emerging player.
Does FutureWater have an API?
No public API is recorded for FutureWater.
What industry is FutureWater in?
FutureWater's product category is Water Resources and Climate Adaptation Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAD, Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting, with a secondary code of EUAHAKAF, Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient). Its NAICS code is 221310 and its SIC code is 4941.