Incubator

What is the Imagine H2O Incubator?

Our incubator program helps entrepreneurs and innovators who compete in our prize contests. Incubators accelerate the development of entrepreneurship from brilliant ideas to products and services that have commercial potential and provide value to people who need them.


Recent Highlights
In addition to the feedback from our world-class panel of water experts and the services provided by our incubator partners, IH2O competitors have recently benefited from the following:

• Winners featured at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's 2010 Global Water & Technology Forum.  Our three winners were introduced at the Chairman's Breakfast.  This event resulted in introductions to water ulitites, investors and other partners.

• The Imagine H2O incubator (and our winners) will be introduced at the 2010 WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas, the world’s largest conference dedicated to urban water efficiency.

• The winners announcement (in Reuters) and follow-up media resulted in an immediate increase in business inquiries and website traffic for each of our 10 finalists.  Our winner, Fruition Sciences, saw website traffic grow from 70 unique visitors per week to over 1000 visits and yielded over 50 new business inquiries. 

Services

We offer a comprehensive incubator program to support water entrepreneurs and innovators: Business plan coaching, mentoring from water experts and business CEOs, team-building and networking, introductions to financiers, strategic partners, beta customers, and help securing lab space and office space.

• For All Contestants: Imagine H2O hosts seminars and workshops to expose the opportunity in water efficiency businesses and water innovation. Contestants receive feedback on their plans and networking and team-building opportunities, as well as guidance on start-up basics.

• Second Place and Third Place Prizes: Our 2009 runners up received $7,500 cash prize; up to $5,000 of in-kind legal services from Cooley LLP and up to $5,000 of in-kind accounting services from PricewaterhouseCoopers; introductions to beta customers, financiers, and go-to-market partners; and publicity at the Imagine H2O Showcase in March 2010.

• Grand Prize: Our 2009 winner receieved a $15,000 cash prize; up to $10,000 of in-kind legal services from Cooley LLP and up to $10,000 of in-kind accounting services from PricewaterhouseCoopers; introductions to beta customers, financiers, and go-to-market partners; assistance in securing lab and/or office space; and publicity at the Imagine H2O Showcase in March 2010.

2010 Water-Enery Nexus Competition
Thanks to increased support from our sponsors & partners, IH2O's 2010 competition will feature a $100k purse of cash and in-kind services. 

For all the latest updates and information on the Imagine H2O incubator and 2010 Competition, please join our community.