San Francisco CA, (April 8 2022) — Waterplan, a B2B SaaS start-up utilizing artificial intelligence to analyze climate data models and water data, enhancing organizations’ water security, recently announced the close of a $7 million seed funding round.
The new round, led by Transition Global (David and Ari Helgason) and Giant Ventures, also saw participation from investors including the Branson Family and Leonardo DiCaprio. These high-profile investors were attracted by Waterplan’s mission to incentivize water conservation and accelerate the transition to a water secure world.
The Bransons and DiCaprio join an impressive list of existing investors already backing Waterplan. They include YCombinator, YC partner Tom Blomfield, NFL legend Joe Montana, Mixpanel founder Tim Treffen, Newtopia, L2 Ventures and eco-focused funds Climate Capital, Jetstream and MCJ Collective.
Waterplan’s platform was designed to predict disruptions to water supply caused by climate change and other factors, allowing companies to take proactive steps to avoid costly operational impediments — and rectify environmental issues. The start-up seeks to address the $425 billion in water-related financial risk that currently exists (CDP) and adapt to the 40% deficit in global water supply the UN has projected by 2030.
Founded in 2020 and a participant in YCombinator’s Summer 2021 cohort, Waterplan has already helped measure, mitigate and adapt to water risk for 10 Fortune 500 companies, including Coca-Cola, Colgate and McCain Foods. This funding round will allow Waterplan to grow its team, refine and improve the product and customer experience.
“In the past, companies have taken a reactive approach to water-related issues, often incurring large financial and reputational costs to correct problems after they’ve occurred,” said José Ignacio Galindo, CEO of Waterplan. “Waterplan helps businesses evolve to a forward-thinking, proactive strategy. Our SaaS platform equips companies to continuously monitor water risks, anticipate and prevent disruptions, while simultaneously meeting ESG objectives and doing what’s best for the environment. We call this approach Water Resilience Planning, a category Waterplan is excited to further advance, empowered by the resources and backing our committed group of investors have provided.”
“Water-related catastrophes continue to be a major result of the ongoing climate crisis,” said Leonardo DiCaprio. “Having a platform that helps predict and take steps to prevent these events can be an invaluable tool in the fight. I’m excited to support the innovative work being done at Waterplan.”
Holly Branson added: “At Virgin, and as a family, we are passionate about investing in purposeful businesses that are harnessing future-focussed technology to solve some of the world’s most intractable problems. As a brand we have first-hand experience of the issues that can be caused by water security and scarcity, in both Virgin Active South Africa and the Kasbah in Morocco, which are increasingly threatened by drought. In the near future, thousands of businesses, and millions of people in the communities they serve, will be adversely affected by the water crisis, caused by climate change. That’s why I, and my brother Sam, are delighted to invest in Waterplan and, help grow this incredible innovative, sustainable business.”
About Waterplan
Waterplan is a B2B SaaS platform focused on Water Resilience Planning. The company was founded in 2020 by CEO José Ignacio Galindo (entrepreneur and software engineer), CSO Nicolas Wertheimer (medical doctor, water expert and sustainability professor), COO Olivia Cesio (entrepreneur, industrial engineer, ex-CCO Wolox), CPO Matias Comercio (entrepreneur, software engineer, ex-Head of Architecture, Wolox) and Chief Scientist Jay Famiglietti (hydrologist, professor, former NASA Senior Water Scientist). We cater to businesses in water-reliant industries such as agriculture, food and beverages, paper products and apparel manufacturing. Harnessing AI to analyze water supply vulnerabilities and calculate associated financial risks, our platform empowers companies to monitor and assess ongoing water supply security, conserve water, protect waterways from pollution, and proactively take action to prevent disruptions. Waterplan’s ultimate goal is to accelerate the transition to a water-secure world. Visit www.waterplan.com to learn more about our team, our product and our mission.
