Imagine H2O Asia Accelerator

The Asia-Pacific expansion of Imagine H2O's flagship accelerator program, supporting water technology startups across Southeast Asia. Launched in 2019, now in expanded second year and beyond.

Geographic Scope: Southeast Asia, with headquarters in Singapore

Focus Areas:

• Water technology innovation across Southeast Asia
• All water sectors (municipal, industrial, agricultural)
• Technologies potentially applicable to water (from outside sector)
• Regional water challenges specific to Southeast Asia

Cohort Size: Up to 10 entrepreneurs per year

Key Features:

• Singapore as springboard for regional water innovation
• No equity model (zero-equity)
• Access to global Imagine H2O network plus regional resources
• Regional partnership ecosystem

Support Provided:

• Mentorship from industry executives and experts
• Increased pilot funding awards
• Travel support for customer discovery
• Showcasing at Singapore International Water Week
• Access to 16+ Ecosystem Partners (industry and utility members)
• Demo Day with sector-wide attendance
• Connection to 60+ global Beta Partners
• Access to 200+ global investors
• Access to 140+ global alumni
• Eligibility to apply for Urban Water Challenge
• Networking platform access

Program Partners (as of 2020):

• Enterprise Singapore
• SUEZ
• Moya Asia
• ADB Ventures (Asian Development Bank)

Program Track Record:

• 2019 cohort: 8 water technology startups from North America, Europe, and Singapore
• Pursuing sales leads across neighboring markets
• Strong Demo Day attendance and industry engagement

Eligibility:

• Startups developing/operating in Southeast Asia
• Companies looking to bridge to region for first time
• Technology startups interested in applying to water sector
• All company stages considered

Selection Approach:

• Quality of thought prioritized over stage of development
• Top applicants followed over time and flagged to partners even if not selected
• Application feedback valuable for company development

Background:
Imagine H2O Asia is described as a "new strategic initiative" engaging Singapore's innovation ecosystem as springboard to solve regional water challenges. Leverages Singapore's water-resilient city model and innovation track record.

Application Process

1. Submit Application
   • Applications submitted through website
   • Apply at www.imagineh2o.org/ih2oasia
2. Application Evaluation
   • Reviewed by selection committee
   • Quality of thought prioritized over stage
   • Feedback provided to applicants
3. Cohort Selection
   • Top 10 entrepreneurs selected
   • Selection announcement timing varies by year
   • Top applicants followed even if not selected

Selection Criteria

• Quality of founder thinking
• Water sector potential
• Regional market opportunity
• Technology viability
• Scalability potential

Applicant Support

• All applicants receive valuable feedback
• Top applicants monitored by program and partners
• Application improves business framing
• Even non-selected applicants gain industry visibility

Required Materials

(Not specified in provided text - refer to application portal at imagineh2o.org/ih2oasia)