Softys Water Challenge reveals the 10 finalist projects and prepares for its streaming closing.

The countdown has begun to find out the name of the winning project in the Softys Water Challenge, the competition that challenges the creative minds of Chile to develop innovative water initiatives , in order to improve access to this basic resource in the most vulnerable communities of Latin America.  

So far, the competition has narrowed down to 10 finalist projects , but the panel of judges is already working to decide which three will receive the prize money to boost their initiatives on August 20th , plus an additional investment to implement their projects in a community lacking access to clean drinking water for the first runner-up. But what exactly do these projects propose, and what are they? Find out everything you need to know below.

Softys Waters Challenge, the project that addresses the gap between drinking water and communities

There were more than 80 applications in ecological and sustainable specialties from 31 countries, which the event's jury evaluated in technical, financial and regulatory aspects in order to decide which of them would qualify in its top 10 , now composed of those initiatives that address the problem surrounding drinking water from the vision of condensing H2O from the environment, recycling wastewater and the acute purification of the sea. 

Among them is Remote Waters , a Chilean startup that stands out for its commitment to bringing water to where it is most needed . Their initiative provides a low -cost, quick-to-install water purifier for communities with limited access to drinking water, offering unique benefits such as a more adaptable, lower-cost, and more self-sufficient water system. 

These attributes led him to climb to the top 10 applications in the Softys challenge , contributing to the company's " strengthening our commitment to comprehensive and sustainable development, delivering technology to access drinking water ," said Francisca Rojas, deputy director of entrepreneurship at the UC Innovation Center.  

Due to the limitations imposed by Covid-19, the closing Bootcamp of the first edition of the Softys Water Challenge , developed by Softys Latam, the Anacleto Angelini Innovation Center of the Catholic University (UC) and the Amulen Foundation, will be streamed on August 20th , however, holding the next celebrations in the traditional in-person format is not ruled out.

Meanwhile, the initiative will continue to connect virtually with the efforts that Softys – CMPC's subsidiary specializing in hygiene and personal care products – is making in water efficiency, water-related risk management, supply chain management, and other areas; in addition to supporting its 2020-2023 Sustainability Plan, which focuses on boosting the development of local communities.

“ Our purpose is to deliver the best care that people need in their daily lives, and at every stage of their lives. We know that without water there is no hygiene, which has become especially evident in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. For this reason, we are happy to already have 10 finalists, tremendous entrepreneurs who share a common goal: to bring water to communities that currently lack it, and thus improve their health and hygiene conditions, which is also at the heart of our business ,” said Nicole Sansone, Personal Care and Sustainability Manager for Latin America at Softys. 

Meet the panel of judges

The jury in this first edition of the "Softys Water Challenge" (in its Spanish translation) is made up of representatives of the entities organizing the event and foundations advocating for the cause. 

In this endeavor, the names included on the renowned list are: Cristóbal Somarriva, legal manager of Softys Latam; Jorge Matte, president of Fundación Amulén; Conrad Von Igel, executive director of the UC Innovation Center; Ignacio Lira, deputy manager of Public Affairs at Empresas CMPC; Marcello Basani, water and sanitation specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); María de los Ángeles Romo, executive director of Startup Chile; Hiroshi Wald, executive director of Austral Capital Partners; and Zoraida Sánchez, Coordinator of the Access to Water Program at Fundación Avina Perú.

Top 10 water innovation startups

The 10 projects that have reached the final stage of the competition are committed to ecological and sustainable practices from all over the world, addressing the lack of drinking water from unique and innovative perspectives that merge technology with the good purpose of helping the most vulnerable communities. The top ten are : 

  • Yawa (Peru) 

  • AIDFI (Chile) 

  • Bosaq (Belgium) 

  • Carex (Sweden)

  • CAVOXD (Mexico)

  • Urban Island (Mexico)

  • PWTech (Brazil)

  • Remote Waters (Chile) 

  • Water Access (Rwanda)

  • Watergen Chile (Israel)

Remote Waters