Imagine H2O, a nonprofit that supports entrepreneurs takling challenges into opportunities, recently announced nine finalist in its fourth annual business plan competition. The theme of this year's competition is Consumer Innovations. The finalists, who were selected from more than 70 entries representing 12 countries, will advance to a second round where they will compete for over $200,000 in cash and in-kind services. The overall results will be announced during events leading up to International World Water Day 2013 in March.
“Regardless of location or economics, people require solutions to ensure water efficiency, safety and accessibility,” explained Scott Bryan, Imagine H2O’s Chief Operating Officer. “This year’s Imagine H2O finalists represent a broad selection of innovative solutions to personal water challenges around the world.”
The finalists are:
Pre-Revenue Track
• Dlo Haiti (Haiti)
Led by a team of Haitian and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and investors, Dlo Haiti offers a market-based solution providing safe drinking water in Haiti at a price average Haitians can afford. Dlo Haiti seeks to replace the expensive and inefficient model of centralized water purification and delivery by truck with a decentralized approach that will lower costs and improve water quality for Haitian consumers.
• Flush-Master (Corona, CA)
This stainless steel retrofit toilet flapper is designed to address a very basic, yet large, source of lost water. According to the American Water Association, one out of five toilets are leaking today because of faulty toilet flappers.
• Innogation Inc. (Eagle, ID)
By matching the flow of water to lawn outlines, Innogation’s SMARTRotor™ dramatically reduces water used for outdoor irrigation while providing up to 98% distribution uniformity.
• NBD Nanotechnologies, Inc. (Danvers, MA)
A biomimicry and nanotechnology company that harvests water from the air, NBD Technologies employs materials science and chemical engineering innovations to create water from the air.
• ReFresh (Boston, MA)
A provider of water on the go, ReFresh’s water distribution machines provide bottled water and accept used bottles for a partial refund making drinking water cheaper, more convenient, and more environmentally friendly.
• Sentinel Hydrosolutions, LLC (Escondido, CA)
Sentinel’s Leak Detections System combines an easy-to-install fixture and control panel that automatically identifies home leaks and shuts off supplies to prevent water damage and loss.
Early Revenue Track
• Celsius Global Solutions (Trune, Scotland)
The Jompy water boiler is a simple, easy to use device that allows the user to cook food and boil water simultaneously, so saving on fuel and time spent over an open fire. The Jompy will pasteurize contaminated water reducing the chance of water borne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera.
• HighSierra Showerheads, LLC (Coarsegold, CA)
The HighSierra Showerhead combines a low-profile design that uses 40% less water and a flow control that maintain the feel and experience of a conventional showerhead even at varying pressures.
• PaveDrain, LLC (Greenfield, WI)
Mitigating storm water through arched paving bricks, PaveDrain incorporates an arch design in the middle of an articulating concrete block to create an internal storage chamber that can be filled with storm-water runoff while simultaneously providing strength for heavy vehicular loads.