Forging New Paths: Québec Company Expands Horizons in Vietnam

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in the city of Québec, WaterShed Monitoring Inc. has established itself as a leader in the clean technologies sector. As a women-owned business, it specializes in innovative solutions for improved water management, including Enki?, the first cloud-based software designed to store and analyze all types of water-related data, from source to tap, quickly and easily. The company’s solutions address water quality data storage, analysis, and validation challenges to support decision-making in various fields such as resource management, urban planning, and environmental monitoring.?

Finding New Opportunities with a Team Canada Trade Mission??

With the help of the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), the company has grown and expanded in European countries, and has recently been pursuing opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region. In March 2024, WaterShed Monitoring took part in the Team Canada Trade Mission (TCTM) to Malaysia and Vietnam, marking a key step in the company’s international expansion. These large-scale, minister-led missions, delivered by the TCS, prioritize innovation sectors where Canada has a competitive advantage. They help open doors, are a low-risk way to enter markets, and are unparalleled opportunities for growth and visibility for Canadian companies.?

As part of the mission, the company received vital support from the Trade Commissioner Service | Service des délégués commerciaux, including through webinars, market briefings, and sector-specific insights on clean technologies and green infrastructure. The Consulate General of Canada to Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City provided on-the-ground assistance, with networking events, site visits and pre-arranged business meetings. This comprehensive support enabled ?WaterShed Monitoring to explore new market opportunities and build key relationships in the region.? ?

The TCTM proved fruitful for WaterShed Monitoring, leading to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with Vietnamese company KLC Group. This partnership will launch a pilot project that will implement WaterShed Monitoring’s technology in a designated area of the Mekong Delta, with the ultimate goal of expanding coverage to all waterways in the province.?

The company continues to explore opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region with support from the TCS. WaterShed Monitoring was part of the TCS’s first South-East Asia Watertech Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) in Singapore, where they benefitted from market briefings on Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, tailored mentorship, and coaching. The high-quality business intelligence also provided them with a deep understanding of the water management ecosystem in their target countries. This helped them be well prepared for business-to- business meetings as part of the CTA and business program at the Singapore International Water Week in June 2024. These meetings, as well as pitching at a popular technology pitch session, allowed WaterShed Monitoring to capture the attention of highly qualified leads, connect on-the-ground, and reinforce ties with some of the contacts they made during the TCTM. ?

Our Role in WaterShed Monitoring’s Success?

The success of WaterShed Monitoring in Vietnam underscores the critical role that the TCS, trade missions, and Canadian Technology Accelerator’s play in helping Canadian businesses thrive internationally. Through access to business and government decision-makers, on-the-ground support from Canada’s trade network and partner organizations, valuable market intelligence, and pre-arranged business meetings with potential buyers and partners, companies have the tools they need to prepare for, understand, and succeed in foreign markets.?

A word from WaterShed Monitoring?

"Thanks to the great work of the TCS Team in Ho Chi Minh City before, during and after the TCTM, our short stay in Vietnam was very productive. We learned a lot about the challenges and opportunities of doing business in the country, and we were able to meet with several qualified leads, which allowed us to confirm the maturity of this market for our products and services."?

?— Karine Mailhot-Sarrasin, Chief Communications Officer, WaterShed Monitoring?

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