Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this session, Sead Bajrovic of Water Impact Partners and Gijs de Bruin of PureTerra Ventures take the stage to unpack one of the most overlooked challenges in climate investing: water. From scarcity and pollution to corporate resilience and trillion-dollar opportunities, they explain why water technology must become a central pillar of Europe’s impact and climate strategy.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:00 Why water is the “oil that runs everything” — and why it’s undervalued.
01:00 The hard facts: only 0.3% of Earth’s water is accessible, and demand will outstrip supply by 40% by 2030.
02:30 Legacy systems can’t cope — why centralized water treatment is failing.
04:00 Corporate risk: data centers, manufacturing, and the Amazon Arizona case.
05:00 Who’s leading: Apple, BASF, and L’Oréal’s water stewardship programs.
06:00 Investment shift — from niche impact to mainstream VCs entering water.
07:00 UN data: every $1 invested in water resilience returns $7.
08:00 Innovation spotlight: AI, software, and applied technologies for efficiency.
09:00 The most disruptive thing? Corporates putting real money into water.
You can listen to the full session from the EUCVC Summit 2025 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
✍️ Show Notes
Water as Climate’s Blind Spot
Only 0.3% of Earth’s water is easily accessible.
By 2030, demand will exceed supply by 40%.
Water powers food, energy, data centers, and industry — yet remains undervalued.
Corporate Responsibility
Companies like Apple, BASF, and L’Oréal are setting benchmarks with real stewardship programs.
But many still “greenwash” with little action — risk is growing.
Investment Momentum
Water tech crossed $1 billion in annual investment for the first time last year.
Once seen as a niche for impact investors, water is now attracting mainstream VCs and thematic funds.
UN: $1 → $7 ROI in water resilience.
Innovation Frontiers
AI and software driving efficiency.
New technologies turning wastewater into valuable byproducts.
Loop factories: fully recyclable water use inside industrial systems.
The Big Call
The most disruptive move isn’t a new tech—it’s corporates finally putting serious money into water solutions.
💡 One-liner takeaway: Water is climate’s hidden crisis. The winners will be corporates and investors who stop greenwashing and start funding real water resilience at scale.
