Dual programs aimed
at helping entrepreneurs and inventors in bringing their products to market
New Orleans, La. – The Water Council and A. O. Smith Corporation today announced the next round of the BREW Accelerator
competition and BREW Corporate Accelerator competition powered by A. O. Smith
Corporation. The programs are designed to help support entrepreneurs and
startups that are developing innovative freshwater technologies.
The
technology categories, which were announced at the Water Environment
Federation’s Technical Exhibition & Conference (WEFTEC) in New Orleans,
will focus on six areas of interest:
- Water treatment
- Water
heating
- Sensors
- IoT,
machine learning and artificial intelligence
- Technology
to address agriculture run-off
- Emerging
technologies
For a
complete explanation of target technologies, application criteria and entry
forms, go to watertechhub.com. Applications are
accepted from Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, finalists will be announced in February 2019
and the program begins in late March 2019.
“With five
cohorts of BREW participants under our belt, The Water Council has developed an
expertise for helping water technology entrepreneurs develop their business
model, improve their technology, and connect them with market and investor
opportunities,” stated Steve Glynn, director of innovation at The Water
Council. “The BREW is a great way for early stage water tech companies to gain
meaningful momentum and advance their ideas in an environment unlike any
other.”
“A. O.
Smith is proud to be in a position to help support promising startup water
technology businesses and to help bring their innovations to life,” said Sam
Karge, president of the North American Water Treatment division at A. O. Smith.
“This is a unique and cutting-edge opportunity for freshwater technology
businesses, and we’re pleased to help expedite their path to market.”
“Accelerators
are an important tool for helping startups refine their concepts and more
effectively use their limited resources,” said Aaron Hagar, vice president of
entrepreneurship and innovation for the Wisconsin Economic Development
Corporation (WEDC), which has provided $1.4 million in support of the program
since its inception. “Industry-focused programs like the BREW provide the
inside access to target markets and technical experts necessary for
entrepreneurs to build their businesses more effectively and efficiently than
they ever could on their own.”
Since
2013, the BREW (Business - Research - Entrepreneurship - in Water) program has provided
innovative startups in the water industry with a capital investment, low cost
office and research space in the Global Water Center in Milwaukee and training
and knowledge to move their companies forward. The three-and-a-half month hands-on
curriculum includes weekly interactions with mentors and customer discovery
activities directed by coaches that will give companies the understanding of
their value proposition within their market.
The Water Council
is at WEFTEC in the Wisconsin Water Innovation Pavilion (Booth #3345) on Oct. 1
– 3 from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and is
available for media interviews by contacting Meghan Jensen at mjensen@thewatercouncil.com.
About Brew Accelerator
The BREW (Business - Research - Entrepreneurship - in Water) is
the world’s leading freshwater seed accelerator. Designed to advance the
commercialization of innovation-driven startups in the global water industry,
the BREW connects early stage technology ventures with the resources they need
to fast track the creation and deployment of real-world solutions to freshwater
challenges. Startups from around the world compete for selection into the
program by creatively solving water-related technology challenges. Those
selected for participation are connected to funding, office and research space
in the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, executive level mentors, corporate
R&D resources and business training through The Water Council.
About Brew Corporate Accelerator
BREW Corporate is an expansion of the BREW Accelerator program.
BREW Corporate offers participants the same framework, funding, and access to
resources as the BREW but with pre-existing interest and committed funding from
a corporate partner. BREW Corporate is designed to solicit viable technical
solutions for specific real-world challenges that have been identified and
outlined by the funding corporation. The funding corporation, along with
coaches and technical advisors, will help optimize each winners’ business
model, speed up its technology’s commercialization and directly support the
startup’s entry into the marketplace.