Innovate 4 water: A matchmaking forum for sustainable development

June 8 - 9, 2017 | Geneva

2 days articulated around a matchmaking event and an open forum, focusing on water, entrepreneurship and sustainable investments.

Read more and register below

The United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization’s “WIPO GREEN: The Marketplace for Sustainable Technology” will host this event that will bring together various water stakeholders over the course of two days (entrepreneurs, investors, large and small companies, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, incubators) who are contributing to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 6.

WHAT & WHY

The objectives of the event are to:

Create visibility for entrepreneurs in the water sector in order to enable them to reach impact investors;
Promote the transfer of innovative water technologies and innovative business models in emerging markets and developing countries;
Facilitate connections to catalyse collaborations

MATCHMAKING FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND INVESTORS

June, 8 - 2017

Matchmaking: Entrepreneurs with innovative water and sanitation technologies and business models looking for investments will be pitching to prospective investors, including clean-tech venture capitalists, private equity and corporate investors.

Format:

An exclusive, non-conference, one-on-one setting in order to accelerate growth by providing support in attracting clients, assessing business opportunities and facilitating financing in the water sector.

Themes of the day:

The American way of dealing with water issues
The Israeli way of dealing with water issues
Universities & foundations from Europe and Israel
Clean & Water Tech Clusters
Institutions supporting new water technologies
Water tech Investors (Financial Investors)

OPEN FORUM

June, 9 - 2017

The Open Forum will provide the opportunity for meaningful interactions about Technologies, Business and Human Rights amongst water experts, impact investors, social entrepreneurs, multinational corporations, NGOs and UN agencies.

The focus of the day is put on “access to safe water and sanitation” through three main objectives:

Give visibility to organisations (UN, NGOs, Corporations) presenting their needs and/or current projects (impact funds, coalitions, innovative public/private models, new financial vehicles) to potential service providers (social entrepreneurs, water and technology experts, etc) partners and investors
Leverage the interest of entrepreneurs who innovate, including with disruptive technologies and social business models, thus contributing to SDG 6
Facilitate connections to catalyse collaborations

Format:

The day will be dynamic, with time allocated to facilitate connections between project owners, potential partners and investors. We are inviting public and private organizations to make their pitches on the needs they may have in front of companies, start-ups, peers and investors. Maybe someone in the room has solutions, knows of someone who has a solution, or has an idea on how to solve the problem.

There will be 6 sessions of 1h20 each covering relevant topics in an interactive format composed of 3 elements:

Public and private organisations pitching their needs and/or projects (30 minutes)
Panel discussion (30 minutes)
Networking (20min)

Themes of the day :

Water and sanitation in the circular economy
Hybrid business models applied to development & emergencies
Water Energy Food Health nexus
Sustainable ecosystems for water & sanitation entrepreneurs: from ideation to maturity
Blended/Innovative Finance
Smart water & sanitation technologies (data leveraging, data monitoring)

WHERE

United Nations - World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Chemin des Colombettes 34

1202 Geneva, Switzerland

CO-ORGANIZING PARTNERS

WaterVent is the first matchmaking platform in water technologies designed to bring exclusively water technology (and those related in the water nexus) entrepreneurs and investors together in an exclusive, non-conference, one-on-one setting in order to accelerate growth by support in attracting (first) clients, assess business opportunities and facilitate financing in the water sector.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world."

WIPO GREEN is an interactive marketplace that promotes innovation and diffusion of green technologies. It does this by connecting technology and service providers with those seeking innovative solutions.