Startups and Impact Businesses

We invest in startups and innovative solutions that can help achieve solutions in the water and sanitation field.

The solutions should potentially produce systemic changes and be replicated, in addition to generating positive social and environmental impact.

About our process

After filling out our application form, the IPU team reviews your application and contacts you to gather more information.

We will conduct an initial assessment to fully understand your business model, your social and environmental impact, and your capital needs. We will also conduct a brief investigation of the venture's financial situation.

The organizations approved for the second stage will go through a more in-depth due diligence process and will be submitted for review and approval by the investment committee.

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Some examples of solutions we are looking for:

Ventures that are building or managing solutions for water supply, urban drainage, collection, and treatment of liquid effluents. Businesses with revenue-seeking for product market fit and growth/replication.

WATER REUSE

Solutions to increase water reuse in the industry, reverse logistics for agriculture and cattle farming, and housing.

Reducing the water footprint of products is one of the fundamental axes to improve social and environmental performance. This is based on various scientific models that predict that both the quality and availability of water in the world's most populated regions will decrease in the future. This is the reason why it is important to invest in efficiency in the use of water resources both during the production processes and in the stages of product use by the final consumer.

ACCESS TO WATER

Autonomous sanitation solutions for low-income regions, especially those that promote access to drinking water and sewage treatment.

The basic sanitation deficit (group of services that covers drinking water supply, sewage collection and treatment, urban drainage, and solid waste collection) in Brazil is historical, especially in regions distant from large urban centers and/or low-income regions. Those factors are crucial for the social, educational, and economic development of individuals and communities, therefore the innovation and dissemination of low-cost solutions for access to safe drinking water and wastewater treatment fills a huge gap left by the State.

SBN TREATMENT SYSTEMS

Wastewater treatment systems developed from nature-based solutions (SbN).

The universalization of basic sanitation in the country does not have to rely exclusively on traditional infrastructure. There are great opportunities for nature-based solutions to be used for both wastewater treatment and drinking water supply. There are some successful experiences underway bringing not only sustainability benefits but also cost reductions and co-benefits generated by other environmental services.

Accelerated Startups

Throughout the 2nd half of 2022, the Ipu Fund, in collaboration with Programa Conexões Onda Verde, held a call for solutions and mapped out 28 promising businesses in an advanced stage of maturity. Six startups were selected to present their pitch to the members of the fund's Investment Committee.

The organizations were evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. skills of the entrepreneur and the team,
2. innovation and differential against competitors,
3. stage in the journey and growth potential, and
4. social and environmental challenges solved.

The 3 businesses selected for the acceleration program by the Ipu Fund, in collaboration with the Conexões Onda Verde program, were:

PWTECH
www.pwtech.eco.br
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Decentralized water treatment solution. The PW5660 purifier provides access to drinking water in isolated regions, or in locations where the implementation of supply networks is not economically or operationally feasible.

SDW FOR ALL
www.sdwforall.com
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Solutions for water and sanitation access and treatment through low-cost social technologies, in remote regions or locations with a high level of water stress, such as in the Brazilian semiarid region.

T&D SUSTENTÁVEL
www.tedsustentavel.com.br/
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Advanced technology allowed the company to offer an initiatives plan that supports large consumers to control and reduce the consumption and waste of water during their operations, thus reducing costs with inputs and minimizing their environmental impact.

“The program was very important and provided us with important reflections about PWTech's sales and strategy. The sales journey guided us on our B2B commercial strategy; we identified what we were doing wrong and what we were missing that needed to be perceived. We assertively redefined the commercial strategy for 2023 and mapped out the actions required to achieve potential results for the organization. In addition, we made great connections, and one of them was with our mentor, Renata Ruggiero, who opened several doors for future opportunities of expanding our participation in the Brazilian social impact market.”

Fernando Marcos Silva – PWTech

“The program has deeply helped both SDW and Leticia over the past months in terms of maturity, knowledge, and process improvement. The team was very supportive when my partner went on leave, and the follow-up of the company's status throughout the conversations helped me have a macro vision of how and where to focus, so that, by the end of the year, we could achieve such a positive scenario as we are now. Your mentors, staff, and organization are the BEST. I will always be grateful for all the respect, support, and knowledge acquired by this acceleration. Honestly, this was one of the best I have ever been involved in. Thank you very much!

The event Dia de Conexões Onda Verde (Onda Verde Networking Day) was very productive for me, the cherry on top of this acceleration program. We had meetings that will potentially close deals, we connected with institutions that we were not able to reach in the past, and we also moved forward with contacts that started in the past. In addition, our sales narrative improved during the program. The opportunity for the sales team to learn and improve discussions throughout the mentorships resulted in significant improvements in our sales processes.”

Letícia Nunes – SDW

“The program changed the way we think about fundraising and the importance of connecting with important players. The program opened doors for us and expanded our network with clients, investors, and other inspiring startups. The program was fantastic for us. We have made successful connections. I believe that because the program was focused on Impact, the connections we have made are true because our purposes are aligned. The fundraising mentorships, sales mentorships, legal mentorships, business brokering connections, and various opportunities were unique, and we have participated in over 20 acceleration programs.”

Camillo Torquato - T&D Sustentável

If you are a startup or impact business and believe you fit the criteria described:

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