Welcome to the WABAG – SSN iFound Water Innovation Challenge, a joint initiative designed to identify, evaluate, and support high-potential startups and student-led innovations in the water and wastewater sector.

This program aims to bring together promising solutions across key domains such as water and wastewater treatment, chemicals and consumables, and sludge treatment and resource recovery, and enable their progression towards real-world deployment and commercialization.

Through this initiative, selected teams will gain access to industry insights, technical validation opportunities, and strategic support from WABAG, along with structured incubation and acceleration support from SSN iFound.

What the Program Offers

Selected teams will be provided with opportunities for:

• Mentorship Support: Guidance from domain experts, industry professionals, and experienced mentors

• Market Access: Potential access to WABAG’s industry network and deployment ecosystems

• Funding Access: Opportunities to engage with funding partners and investors

• Incubation Support: Access to SSN iFound’s incubation programs and funding schemes

• Acceleration Support: Structured support to scale technology, business, and market readiness

SSN iFound Value Proposition

Through this collaboration, startups will benefit from SSN iFound’s core incubation framework focused on three key transformations:

1. From Lab-Scale Product to Market-Ready Product
2. Through structured technical mentoring and product validation
3. From Naïve Startup to Commercially Viable Business
4. Through business mentoring and go-to-market support
5. From Innovative Idea to Investment-Ready Venture
6. Through fundraising mentoring and investor connect

Demo Day and Selection

• The top 10 teams will be shortlisted and invited to present at the Demo Day

• In case of a larger pool of high-quality applications, additional promising teams may also be considered for extended support, including mentoring and potential market access, even if they are not part of the final Demo Day

At the end of the Demo Day, selected teams will be identified for continued engagement with WABAG, including potential pathways for pilots, partnerships, or further evaluation.

Awards (Proposed)

As part of the Demo Day, top-performing teams will be recognized under the Water Innovation Awards:

• Grand Water Innovation Award – ₹2,00,000

• Emerging WaterTech Award – ₹1,50,000

• Promising Water Solution Award – ₹1,00,000

Total Prize Pool: ₹4.5 lakh

Program Timeline (Tentative)

• Call for Applications Launch: Monday, 20 April 2026

• Screening (Round 1 & Round 2): Weekly, starting Monday, 27 April 2026

• Closure of Applications: Sunday, 17 May 2026

• Pre-Demo Interactions (if required): 18 May 2026 until Demo Day

• Demo Day: Wednesday, 27 May 2026

Who Should Apply

• Startups at early, growth, or fundraising stages with solutions in relevant water domains

• Student-led innovations with at least Proof of Concept (PoC) maturity

• Teams building scalable, technology-driven solutions with potential for industry deployment

The WABAG – SSN iFound Water Innovation Challenge is not just a platform to showcase ideas, but an opportunity to translate innovation into real-world impact through collaboration with industry leaders and structured ecosystem support.