Pipeline Water-Tech Commercialization Program Launches
Hamilton, Ohio, September 12, 2016 (Newswire.com) - Pipeline H2O, a new water-tech commercialization program has officially opened and is accepting applications. Supported by a coalition of regional cities, utilities, universities, and startup organizations, Pipeline is looking for companies working on water technologies that solve various aspects of the world’s water issues such as infrastructure improvements, water reuse, wastewater treatment and monitoring.
Pipeline’s mission is to identify and commercialize the world’s leading water-based startup technologies in the world. Pipeline will be managed by The Hamilton Mill, a small business incubator located in Hamilton, Ohio that focuses on clean energy and advanced manufacturing technologies. The Hamilton Mill has a unique “City as a Lab” approach, which enables companies to quickly engage with municipal departments to prototype and test their products. The Hamilton Mill currently has several water-tech startups that are actively engaged in the commercialization process.
"Southwest Ohio has some of the best water resources and municipal water in the nation," said Rahul Bawa, Chairman of both The Hamilton Mill and Pipeline. "This is an excellent opportunity for the region to identify and help commercialize the leading water-based technologies in the world. We will help each of the selected companies scale and use our 'City as a Lab' approach to quickly find customers and generate revenue"
Rahul Bawa, Hamilton Mill - Board Chairman
“Southwest Ohio has some of the best water resources and municipal water in the nation,” said Rahul Bawa, Chairman of both The Hamilton Mill and Pipeline. “This is an excellent opportunity for the region to identify and help commercialize the leading water-based technologies in the world. We will help each of the selected companies scale and use our ‘City as a Lab’ approach to quickly find customers and generate revenue"
Pipeline is part of the Village Capital community network dedicated to innovation. Village Capital (VilCap) operates business development programs for early-stage entrepreneurs in agriculture, education, energy, financial inclusion, health and water. The Cincinnati region is one of five Village Capital communities dedicated to innovation around water technologies.
Supported by Steve Case, Chairman and CEO of Revolution Growth, VilCap creates the space for entrepreneurs to work together across the boundaries of their organizations – lifting one another’s performance. Over the past 5 years, program graduates have reached 6 million customers, created over 7,000 jobs and raised more than $110 million in follow-on capital.
“The Greater Cincinnati region has spawned some of the best water innovations in the country,” said Ross Baird, Village Capital CEO. “That combined with the region’s strong startup ecosystem made the Cincinnati area an easy choice for Pipeline.”
The region has a long history of innovation around water technology. Specifically, Southwest Ohio leads the country in water technology patents per capita and is currently home to one of five EPA offices in the United States.
“This is a prime example of the City of Hamilton leveraging its resources for the betterment of the region,” said Pat Moeller, Mayor of Hamilton. “Given the strength of all the organizations involved, we expect to see great things from the Pipeline program.”
The water-tech commercialization program was brought to Southwest Ohio through a partnership between several different organizations: Village Capital, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati Water Works, Confluence, the University of Cincinnati’s water center, Xavier University’s Center for Innovation, the City of Cincinnati, the City of Hamilton, Cintrifuse and The Hamilton Mill.
“This is an amazing opportunity for the region and StartupCincy,” said Wendy Lea, Cintrifuse CEO. “VilCap has a track record of producing strong companies that change the world for the better.”
Applications are open until November 11, 2016 and Pipeline hopes to attract 8-10 startups for the first cohort. The first class will run from February through May of 2017. For more information about Pipeline and to apply, visit www.pipelineh2o.org or contact Antony Seppi, Pipeline’s Director of Flow at antony@pipelineh2o.org.
Source: The Hamilton Mill
