Why More And More Companies Are Setting Water Sustainability Goals

Real-time data solution start-up Watr exceeded its fundraising target using crowdfunding. Tom Freyberg looks into how the investment model fits in the financial landscape for water tech innovation.

Water technology start-up Watr has raised over a quarter of a million pounds via crowdfunding to help take the business to the next level financially.

The company raised more than £320,000 from over 350 investors through the crowdfunding platform, Seedrs.

Exceeding its £250,000 target, the organisation has developed a small, floating solar-powered device to monitor and provide real-time, water quality data.

Ahead of a full venture capital (VC) round, the company needed to “generate fast revenue into the business”, according to CEO Glyn Cotton.

He told Aquatech Online: “To maximise the potential of the business we needed to scale up the sales and operations teams. We didn’t want to go to a full VC round without being able to fully demonstrate the potential of the business and the true appetite in the market.”