Singapore-based incubator launches first hackathon for ‘water tech’ startups

Singapore-based incubator Ripple2Wave (R2WI) announced it is organizing its first digital water hackathon alongside the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) to develop high-potential startups in the area of water technology.

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The hackathon runs from March 6 to June 24 and will ask participants to respond to six problem statements, which will come from entities such as Singapore’s Public Utilities Board, Optiqua, ZWEEC Analytics, and other water players in the Singapore ecosystem.

The program will include a one-week Bootcamp and a three-month-long deep mentoring session by experts and business mentors.

R2WI is a joint venture between VFT Ventures in Singapore and Emerald Technology Ventures, a cleantech investor in Southeast Asia.

“The digital space has proven to deliver solutions giving answer to the complexities of the water space,” the incubator said in a statement. “Singapore can leverage its reputation, collaborative ecosystem, and talent to become a leader in the digital water space.”

The initiative comes as the city-state aims to be self-sufficient with its water needs by 2060, when demand for the resource is projected to double from the current level.

Participants will be able to enter the hackathon under two categories: entry and advanced levels. Entrepreneurs with ideas at the conceptual stage will go through the entry level, while local or international teams with existing solutions will participate as an advanced player.

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Winners of the hackathon will receive prizes including a S$50,000 (US$37,900) Startup SG Founder Grant, potential research and development funding worth S$250,000 (US$189,700), and up to S$6,000 (US$4,500) Alibaba Cloud credits.

Participants of the program can also present their solutions at the Singapore International Water Week 2021 in June this year.