Driving impact: UpLink journey towards a more sustainable future

In 2022, HCL embarked on a transformative journey with UpLink, committing CHF 15 million over five years to champion freshwater conservation and management initiatives.

This strategic investment rapidly advanced tangible achievements in water sustainability, significantly empowering the first cohort of 'aquapreneurs’, the winners of the Global Freshwater Challenge. In less than a year, this group raised USD 54.5 million collectively after joining the UpLink Innovation Ecosystem. In August 2023, HCL and UpLink launched their second challenge on Zero Water Waste, focusing on water harvesting, water reuse, and smart irrigation.

Aquacycl, a pioneer in sustainable wastewater management, was selected as one of the winners of The Circulars Accelerator 2022, run in collaboration with Accenture. By participating in this programme, Aquacycl benefitted from extensive insights, networking opportunities, and expert advice. In March 2023, co-founder and CEO Orianna Bretschger was invited to join UpLink’s delegation at the UN 2023 Water Conference, the first such conference in nearly five decades. At the event, Aquacycl showcased their innovative solutions, gaining global visibility and access to a wide network of investors.

Thanks to their engagement through Uplink, Ecolab – a leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services – became the co-lead investor in Aquacycl contributing USD $10M. the first such conference in nearly five decades. At the event, Aquacycl showcased their innovative solutions, gaining global visibility and access to a wide network of investors. Thanks to their engagement through Uplink, Ecolab – a leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services – became the co-lead investor in Aquacycl’s USD 10M funding round.

Belterra Agroflorestas, an UpLink Top Innovator of the 2022 Trillion Trees: Amazon Bioeconomy Challenge, is a B-Corp certified climate foodtech at the forefront of regenerative agroforestry practices in Brazil. Working with small and medium-sized rural farmers, they focus on Amazon restoration and market creation for sustainably grown crops.

In late 2023, Belterra showcased their solution at the Accelerating the Amazon's Ecopreneurship Ecosystem event in Manaus, Brazil, a regional gathering hosted by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank. Through their engagement with UpLink, Belterra was able to raise more than USD 20 million in 2023.

WSense was one of the winners of UpLink's Ocean Data Challenge, which was launched in collaboration with the Forum’s Friends of Ocean Action. The company is at the forefront of the Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT), developing patented technologies for a range of underwater monitoring and communication applications, from aquaculture to environmental security.

In March 2023, the company participated in the Villars Summit, an event facilitated by UpLink and hosted by the Villars Institute. Through this event, WSense connected with top marine technology investor

SWEN Blue Ocean Partners. Through UpLink, the company also connected with another ocean investor, Katapult Ocean, whose mission to support technology that protects and enhances our oceans, aligned closely with their work.

Six months after the summit, WSense successfully closed a USD 9M funding round with contributions from SWEN Blue Ocean Partners and Katapult Ocean. This capital boost is set to expand their innovative approach to underwater communication and monitoring solutions.