The Chinese water sector faces some key challenges such as rapidly rising customer demand due to population growth and urbanisation/industrialisation, increasing energy costs and in most regions an aging asset base with minimal available finance to maintain or replace it. Also China’s environmental awareness is growing rapidly due to the 13th Five Year Plan that is being implemented across China. More business opportunities and a strong focus on China’s environmental industry will arise. Along with the growing market-oriented environmental protection industry in China, an increasing amount of investors has started to exploit the business opportunities in China’s water and environmental protection technology market. This gives opportunities for International Water & Environmental Tech companies. However to be successful in China it requires new thinking and contesting some of the conventional practices. There has been a push by the water sector to embrace innovation and move towards utilising new innovative technology to optimise processes in the whole cycle of water and wastewater treatment provision. This shift to ‘smart’ technology has advanced at a rapid pace as the sector seeks to capitalise on the potential benefit of new solutions.
Therefore, Imagine H2O, the global water innovation accelerator, will launch its inaugural China initiative in 2018. Emerging water technology businesses with a commitment to the China market will benefit from mentorship, customer and investor introductions and exclusive market visibility at the Imagine H2O Smart Water Hub at Aquatech China (part of WieTec ‘18), the world’s largest water tradeshow. Together with programme partners Isle Utilities and PureTerra Ventures an exciting programme will be organised at the Hub in which Industrial and Municipal Challenges, Needs and Best Practices in the Chinese market will be showcased Amongst the Industrial End Users and Municipalities and (waste) Water treatment companies we welcome water experts from Amane Advisors, IWA China, Ecoleap Ventures and Cleanpath China in the IH2O Smart Water panel discussions and these experts will also judge the International Smart Water Innovations during three Dragon Den style pitch sessions.
About the organisers, Imagine H2O is a nonprofit organisation with a mission to develop and deploy innovation to solve water challenges globally. In 2017, ImagineH2O portfolio companies accounted for +30 percent of early-stage investment in the water sector. The organisation’s Beta Partners Programme now includes 60+ international businesses and utilities committed to deploying water innovation.
PureTerra Ventures is a private equity firm focused on investing in disruptive water technologies with a positive social impact. Dutch-managed and based out of Shanghai, China, our fund combines strong entrepreneurial experience, a proven track record in driving sales and distribution in China and a vast network in the Chinese water technology market to create a unique value proposition for our investors and portfolio companies alike. Isle Utilities is an independent technology and innovation consultancy that brings together technical and commercial specialists to match water technologies with utilities and advice. Isle has a strong track record in identifying emerging technologies and accelerating their market uptake.
Contact us today to learn more: Anneies Schenk- annelies.schenk@isleutilities.com
