In order to accelerate the freshwater conservation and management agenda, the global conglomerate HCL has partnered with the World Economic Forum’s UpLink platform. It connects start-ups and entrepreneurs with the Forum’s network to provide expertise and funding for sustainable projects. $15 million of investment by HCL will accelerate the innovation agenda for water.

“Every fifth child on this planet faces water scarcity,” says Roshni Nadar Malhotra, CEO of HCL Group and Chairperson of HCL Technologies. “Together we will not just encourage and scale innovations in this critical area but also help build capacity for water-focused entrepreneurs – so-called ‘aquapreneurs’ – to execute on the innovative solutions.”