No Water No Us

What No Water No Us does

No Water No Us is a French non-governmental organization (association Loi 1901) founded in 2018 by Malek Semar, headquartered in Montmorency, France, with a team of approximately 15 employees. The organization is dedicated to raising awareness of the global water crisis and delivering concrete water access and sanitation solutions, operating across more than 30 countries. Its core programs include Children For Water (equipping 10,000 schools with water access and sanitation, targeting 1 million students and 5 million people), Cycle For Water (four student ambassadors cycling 100,000 km through 20 countries), Talk No Water No Us (high-level dialogue events in Paris, Tunis, and Geneva), and the L'Eau Mais cultural spectacle. Field infrastructure projects include AquaMax modular water treatment stations developed through partner France Industries Assainissement.

The organization runs a community-led, event-driven go-to-market model centered on athlete and celebrity ambassadors (Blaise Matuidi, Yohan Benalouane, Bafétimbi Gomis), international summits, and high-profile cultural and sporting events. Revenue is generated through individual donations via the HelloAsso platform and corporate sponsorships (Cadillac, EY, Palace Merano, La Réserve Geneva, World Luxury Chamber of Commerce). The organization benefits from institutional recognition including King Charles III's Circular BioEconomy Alliance, France's CESE "Great Witness of Water" designation, and the Médaille d'Or from the Ligue Universelle du Bien Public.

Customer segments span schools and educational institutions (primary), governments and municipalities (West Palm Beach, Rome), luxury brands and corporations (via WLCC Board seat), and vulnerable and indigenous communities. The organization is governed by Malek Semar as President-Founder and Sabah Kaddouri as Vice-President, with no external institutional investors or parent company.

Name

No Water No Us

Legal name

No Water No Us

Website

https://nowaternous.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

No Water No Us is a French non-profit NGO founded in 2018 that raises awareness about the global water crisis and delivers water access solutions across 30+ countries through school installations, sporting expeditions, cultural events, and high-level summits, funded by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Access and Humanitarian Advocacy Services

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

WASH & Public Health (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) (BPADAIAG), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI)

Keywords

• Water access programs
• Humanitarian advocacy
• Sanitation initiatives
• Environmental awareness
• Clean water NGO

Headquarters

HQ city

Montmorency

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Primary revenue through individual and corporate donations via platforms like HelloAsso. The organization accepts donations to support its water access and sanitation projects worldwide.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnerships with luxury brands (Cadillac), corporations (EY, Palace Merano), and event sponsors for summits and talks.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

No Water No Us is an international NGO that raises awareness and delivers concrete field solutions for the global water crisis. Its portfolio combines humanitarian programs (Children For Water, Cycle For Water), international dialogue events (Talk No Water No Us), cultural productions (L'Eau Mais), and water infrastructure projects (water potabilization stations and AquaMax modular treatment units) deployed through partners in more than 30 countries.

Product overview

No Water No Us is a French Law 1901 NGO that operates as an advocacy and humanitarian organization rather than a technology product company. Its portfolio consists of awareness campaigns (Children For Water, Cycle For Water), cultural productions (L'Eau Mais theatrical spectacle), international dialogue events (Talk No Water No Us series in Paris, Tunis, Geneva), and field infrastructure projects (water potabilization stations). The organization also develops technology solutions like the AquaMax modular water treatment system for rapid deployment. These offerings are unified by the mission to sensitize and act for water preservation using art, sport, and community engagement as soft power.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Children For Water: Global action for access to sanitation targeting 10,000 schools, 1,000,000 students, and 5,000,000 people.
• Cycle For Water
• Talk No Water No Us
• L'EAU MAIS

Products and services

• Children For Water Global sanitation-access program equipping 10,000 schools with water and sanitation infrastructure, reaching 1 million students and 5 million people, primarily in underserved regions.
• Cycle For Water Extreme-sports awareness expedition in which 4 student ambassadors cycle 100,000 km through 20 countries to raise awareness of the global water crisis.
• Talk No Water No Us Series of high-level dialogue events in Paris, Tunis, and Geneva convening business leaders, government officials, artists, and athletes around water scarcity, sustainable urban living, and responsible innovation.
• L'Eau Mais Theatrical and musical performance using dance and music (drawing on figures such as the Mami Wata water goddess and water issues in Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa) to raise awareness about the importance and scarcity of water.
• AquaMax Modular water treatment station enabling rapid deployment and progressive scaling without modifying existing infrastructure, used by NWNU and partners for water purification in underserved areas.
• Water Potabilization Stations Solidarity infrastructure installations providing clean water access to schools and villages in underserved areas worldwide through local government and NGO partnerships.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children For Water program targeting 10,000 schools, 1 million students, 5 million people globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Centre des Jeunes Dirigeants (CJD)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 26 May 2026French young business leaders organization hosting NWNU roundtable on 'What if environmental reality caught up with your business?' at MK2 cinema in Paris.
• Palace MeranoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026International medical wellness institution collaborating on Geneva summit (March 2026). Dr. Massimiliano Mayrhofer, scientific director, provides expertise on medical hydrology and water-health connections. Palace Merano represents medical perspective on water at NWNU summits.
• La Réserve Hôtel & Spa GenevacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 March 2026Luxury hotel venue for NWNU Geneva summit on March 26, 2026. Provides exclusive setting for high-level dialogue on water scarcity and sustainable urban development.
• African UnionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026African Union declared 2026 'Year of sustainable access to water and safe sanitation systems.' Malek Semar consulted as water expert at 39th AU Summit in Addis-Abeba.
• Circular BioEconomy Alliance (CBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Founded by King Charles III in 2020, CBA selected No Water No Us to participate in its annual summit at St. James's Palace. The organization formulates concrete proposals for the Nature-First economy aimed at implementation in living labs worldwide. Marc Palahí serves as CEO and Chief Nature Officer.
• Bafétimbi GomiscoreOthers · 15 October 2025Former international footballer and investor serving as NWNU ambassador. Participated in Geneva 2026 summit, leveraging football's planetary reach to unite around water causes.
• Keith A. James (Mayor of West Palm Beach)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025First African-American 'Strong Mayor' of West Palm Beach. Guest of honor at NWNU Geneva 2026 summit. City recognized as model for sustainable urban development and water management.
• World Luxury Chamber of Commerce (WLCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2025Malek Semar appointed to WLCC Board as member. The premier global network for luxury brands fosters collaboration and business growth. WLCC amplifies dialogue on sustainable luxury and water issues within its global network.
• EY (Ernst & Young)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 6 February 2025Professional services firm partnered for Talk NWNU Tunis event. EY Tunisia hosted presentation of No Water No Us initiative to local ecosystem actors engaged around water issues.
• CadillacminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 September 2024American luxury brand partnered for Talk NWNU Paris event, bringing together ambassadors, business leaders, athletes and media to discuss water preservation challenges.
• Blaise MatuidicoreOthers · 23 September 2024French football World Cup champion and associate of NWNU. International athlete ambassador supporting water access projects and awareness campaigns. Co-owner with Malek Semar.
• Yohan BenalouanecoreOthers · 23 September 2024Professional footballer supporting NWNU as athlete ambassador for water advocacy and access projects.
• France Industries AssainissementcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Company co-founded by Malek Semar providing sustainable wastewater treatment and water treatment solutions (AquaMax modular stations) for communities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WaterAid America: US affiliate of WaterAid focused on clean water and sanitation advocacy and fundraising in North America. Comparable to NWNU as a WASH advocacy arm with donor mobilization rather than direct field operations.
• WaterAid: Leading international NGO focused on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in low-income countries. Directly comparable to No Water No Us on mission, advocacy posture and global footprint, though materially larger and with deeper institutional donor base.
• charity: water: US-based clean water access NGO combining fundraising, awareness campaigns and project funding. Closely comparable to NWNU on advocacy-led, donor-funded WASH model with strong brand storytelling, including use of high-profile supporters.
• Water.org: Global water and sanitation access organization co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White. Comparable to NWNU on WASH mission, celebrity co-founder dynamic (Matuidi/Gomis), and blending of advocacy with on-the-ground water access solutions.
• Planet Water Foundation: US-based non-profit deploying clean water technology and hygiene education programs in schools and communities across the Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Closely comparable to NWNU on school water installations and corporate partnership model.
• Water For People: US-based NGO working on durable WASH infrastructure and behavior change in developing countries. Comparable mission and field-deployment model, though with stronger emphasis on long-term infrastructure monitoring than NWNU.
• The Water Project: Nonprofit focused on sustainable clean water access in sub-Saharan Africa, including school WASH programs. Directly comparable to NWNU on school-focused WASH and donor-funded rural water infrastructure.
• Splash: International social organization focused on clean water, sanitation and hygiene in schools and orphanages across Asia and Africa. Highly comparable to NWNU's Children For Water school-focused WASH proposition.
• One Drop Foundation: International water access foundation founded by Guy Laliberté (Cirque du Soleil) using art and culture to drive WASH impact. Highly comparable to NWNU's fusion of cultural production, celebrity engagement, and water access advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Engineers Without Borders International: Global network of engineering-focused development organizations implementing WASH and other infrastructure projects. Broadly comparable to NWNU's international development footprint, but operating across multiple sectors beyond water.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dotorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDaRrUykWSgmMplHOxEhS7w
• Facebookfacebook.com/dotorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nowaternous

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about No Water No Us