The Unsponsored Water Awards

Did the water sector really need one more Award Ceremony?

No.

In 48 Days, 2024 will be gone. What will remain from it in the Water world? I'd like to give you my answer(s) so you know where I believe the road is heading - but also so you have a good opportunity to crack jokes at me next year.

So, as I believe that the most interesting stories in water tech aren't always the ones with the biggest PR budgets, I'm introducing:

(drum roll, even though the title gave it away)

The Unsponsored Water Awards

For this first installment, I'm creating six categories celebrating the art of making it in water tech. From marketing wizardry to hard-core execution. From spectacular comebacks to steady ships. From bootstrapped gems to clever chess players!

No entry fees. No hidden agenda. No mysterious algorithm counting votes.

Just my thoroughly biased yet data-backed take on who moved the water industry forward in 2024. And yes, that includes companies who absolutely crushed it in the marketing game - in my agenda, that's not a big word.

Here are the categories:

?? The Money Maker Award - Where Concept meets Concrete

For those who visibly expanded their footprint in 2024. Think: publicly announced contracts, verifiable installations, major client references willing to speak up, and tangible market share gains.

Not about the biggest deal but about consistent commercial momentum that everyone can see - said differently the ones that are about to crack the water tech adoption game!

?? The Chess Master Award - They Saw it Coming

For those who read the room perfectly in 2024 - whether that's catching the AI wave at the perfect time, positioning their solution when climate funding peaked, or pivoting just as the market shifted.

These companies didn't just respond to trends; they anticipated them. They sensed where the puck was going and got there first.

??♂? The Dark Horse Award - Watch this space, seriously

Not the loudest voice in the room, but perhaps - and subjectively - the most interesting. These companies are building something special away from the spotlight. Limited PR budget, maximum substance.

You'll want to remember where you heard about them first.

?? The Phoenix Award - Plot Twist: They didn't die

These companies took a punch (or several), but came back swinging in 2024. Whether it was a strategy overhaul, a pivot that actually worked, or turning skeptics into believers - they pulled off the ultimate "how it started vs. how it's going."

From "What happened to them?" to "Watch what happens next."

??? The Long Game Award - Rome wasn't built in a day

In a world obsessed with overnight success, these companies chose consistency. Year after year of steady execution, reliable delivery, and compound growth.

They're not sprinting - they're marathon winners.

?? The Bootstrap Champion - Who needs a Series C anyway?

Who said you need massive funding rounds to make it in water tech? These companies grew through creativity, efficiency, and old-school positive unit economics.

Proof that you can build big with less.

What now?

I have drafted names for all these categories, but I don't know everything and everyone (and it's a pity), so that's where you can play along:

Got a company in mind? Tell me who impressed you in 2024!

I'll deep dive into every suggestion, but final calls are mine - and I'll tell you exactly why I picked each winner.

(by mid-December!)

?? This week on the Podcast: CarboNet

As Amielle L. shares this week, we're treating wastewater with... oil.

Now I hear you; polyacrylamide and make-down are not the sexiest topics there are. But if you were to skip this one, think at least twice because:

?? Flocculants are a $2 billion market - and there's room to make better, cheaper, easier, and greener!

?? If we look broader, polyacrylamide replacement is a $6 billion opportunity. And it can be done with sustainable, renewable materials! What's not to love?

This episode is also an entrepreneurship masterclass, with gems like:

?? How field operators have threatened to quit if Carbonet's product was replaced

?? How the company created an internal fund to buy shares in their public customers, (if that's not skin in the game, what is?)

?? How a "Big Spring Show" kicked off the company's momentum

... and a new (and highly instructive) take on the "How to convince risk-averse water treatment people to try something new" question!

If you need one more and last reason to listen in, here's a direct quote from Amielle:

We have a two step business strategy. 1 - Prove it. 2 - World Domination!

Don't miss out; catch it on your favorite podcatcher.

?? (Also) this week on the Podcast: 乔治费歇尔

My employer, when I'm not writing here, just announced a major strategic shift. And as I think it is first extremely timely, and second, quite instructive for your own strategies, I harrassed Mads Joergensen to get an interview on the podcast, in which you'll learn:

?? Why companies like GF pivot and focus on water solutions

?? How a traditional industrial company makes a leap into sustainable infrastructure

?? How the water market really can sustain 8% growth

?? How acquisitions fit into GF’s 5 billion CHF revenue goal

?? What makes Water Infrastructure a smart investment right now

?? How investing in water aligns with sustainable goals

And probably the most important insight shared by Mads:

?? What’s the "ketchup effect" in mergers and acquisitions?

Catch it on your favorite podcatcher!

?? This week on the YouTube channel

Thank god, it was a rainy weekend, so my wife is not (yet) asking for a divorce! Here's my broader analysis of the movement driving companies to create new Water Tech pure players and my four take-home messages:

1?? Consolidation is coming. Big groups with a good credit score that have a reward for getting bigger that's too strong of an incentive

2?? You may want to embark on the race to the $50 Million. These same big groups will be ready to pay the right buck for cool water tech scale-ups. But they will look for critical mass

3?? Opportunities rise. There's blood in the water, and there will be large M&As in the two coming years - which opens side opportunities. Think of Nijhuis happily operating the former Veolia mobile fleet as a consequence of the Veolia/Suez merger.

4?? This is Good News! (I believe!) ??

Sorry, no snacks this week; I pushed out two full-fledged episodes and a YouTube video at the expense of my curation... it will be back next week, I promise!

By the way, I'm embarking on a 3-week road trip to Chile and Argentina, so if you're around Santiago, Buenos Aires, or Salta, ping me, and I'll owe you a coffee/beer against a good story (I always crave good stories, who wouldn't?)

That's it for this week I fear - if any of this is of interest to you, make sure to subscribe!