Milwaukee, Wis.— Once again this year, A. O. Smith Corporation and The
Water Council are partnering to identify and support entrepreneurs and start-ups
developing innovative freshwater technologies through a global technology
challenge, BREW Corporate: Powered by A.
O. Smith.
The
challenge, which was announced this morning during the 2017 Water Leaders Summit in Milwaukee, will focus on three
areas of interest to A. O. Smith:
- Water treatment -
High-efficiency water treatment technologies to remove contaminants such
as trace heavy metals or microbiological materials from drinking water, as
well as to improve water aesthetic characteristics including taste, odor
and scale formation;
- Water heating - High-efficiency,
low-emission water heating technologies, most notably durable surface
finish concepts, as well as components or systems that prolong the life of
a water heater;
- Sensors - Cost-effective sensor
technologies for continuous or semi-continuous monitoring of trace level
contaminants including heavy metals, bacteria and viruses, as well as
other water quality indicators including hardness, total organic carbon
and pH; and
- IoT
- Innovative technologies to sense and deliver information for residential and
light commercial water applications as well as deliver extended battery life, reduced
overall energy consumption, and predictive analytics. Security technologies to
protect users’ privacy and manufacturers’ intellectual property.
To be
considered, an entrepreneur or start-up must complete an online application
that requests basic information about the business, the problem/issue being
addressed, and details regarding the company’s stage of technology, core
competencies and competitiveness. The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. CDT on
June 30.
All entries will be reviewed by a
panel of A. O. Smith personnel, The Water Council senior staff, and subject
matter experts in the area of freshwater science. Recipients will be notified in July; the fall
BREW Corporate (Business. Research.
Entrepreneurship. In Wisconsin) program begins the week of Sept. 11. For a complete explanation of A. O. Smith’s
target technologies, application criteria, and entry forms, go to www.globalwaterport.com/brewcorporate.
Recipients will receive a minimum investment of $50,000 from
A. O. Smith as well as tuition to participate in The Water Council’s 12-month
accelerator program in Milwaukee. In
addition to the investment, the winning entrepreneurs receive:
- A suite in the Global Water Center for up to 12
months;
- Business model and operations training through
The Water Council and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Institute for Water
Business;
- Access to the Global Water Center’s Flow Lab and
A. O. Smith product engineering labs;
- Mentorship from A. O. Smith corporate
development and senior engineering staff, as well as direct access to BREW
Preferred Partners;
- Attendance to conferences and pitch sessions
with The Water Council; and
- A one-year membership to The Water Council
providing access to an extensive water technology network.
This is the second year A. O. Smith and The Water Council
have sponsored BREW Corporate Technology Challenge. In 2016, A. O. Smith received approximately 20
proposals from water technology companies around the world.
About BREW Accelerator
BREW Accelerator, a program of
The Water Council, is a world-class seed accelerator that unleashes water
innovation by funding water technology startups from around the world with
commercialization potential. The first-of-its-kind accelerator pairs a unique
water-focused startup community with credible resources of the World Water Hub
to help entrepreneurs accelerate results. Now in its fifth year,
BREW has sponsored a total of 25 water technology companies. An expansion of
the BREW Accelerator program, BREW Corporate partners with global corporations
looking for new technologies to solve a specific challenge.