Industrial sustainability-focused venture capital firm Emerald Technology Ventures announced it has raised €60 million (USD$69 million) in commitments at the first close of its Global Water Fund II, aimed at investing in startups advancing solutions to solve the world’s most pressing water challenges.
Emerald is targeting a total fund size of between €150 and €180 million for the fund. Its predecessor, the inaugural Global Water Fund closed in 2020 with $100 million from investors including Temasek, Microsoft and Ecolab.
Global Water Fund II invests in early- to growth-stage companies worldwide, focusing on innovations across the full water value chain globally, developing solutions in areas including infrastructure and business resilience, advanced treatment and reuse, digital monitoring and automation and solutions addressing emerging contaminants.
Dr Helge Daebel, Partner at Emerald, said:
“As climate and infrastructure shocks intensify, resilience in our water systems is essential. From smarter monitoring to advanced treatment, digital and AI-driven technologies are unlocking new efficiencies and insights. Yet, they also remind us of water’s critical role in enabling innovation itself, from cooling the very data centers that power these tools to sustaining life and industry alike.”
The first close includes anchor commitments from water analytics and treatment solutions company Veralto Corporation and water, hygiene and infection prevention services provider Ecolab. Additional commitments came from SKion Water and Oxy Technology Ventures.
Melissa Aquino, Senior Vice President and Chief Segment Officer of Water Quality at Veralto, said:
“We believe that safeguarding one of the world’s most vital resources – water – requires both collaboration and innovation that is sustainable. Our anchor investment reflects our deep commitment to accelerating breakthrough technologies that address the urgent realities of water scarcity, treatment and reuse. By partnering across sectors, we are not only investing in solutions – we are helping build a future where water sustains people, communities and the planet we share.”
