In this issue:
Blog: UN 2023 Water Conference
ERC New Investment
ERC Portfolio Updates
Indigenous Wisdom
United Nations 2023 Water Conference
United Nations hosted the 2023 Water Conference in New York March 22-26. ERC companies that attended included Epic Cleantec, Gybe, Watergenics and Waterplan. In our new blog, we provide a good roundup of what went down. (I was traveling in Israel during the conference and will report on that trip in another post.)
New Investment in Irrigreen
Irrigreen was created to apply inkjet printing technology to smart irrigation to reduce watering by up to 50%. Within the United States, irrigated turf grass is 2% of the land mass of the continental United States, making it one of the largest crops by acreage. So how can we make an impact here?
Irrigreen is the best solution I've seen to do just that with the potential to massively reduce demand. How does Irrigreen accomplish this? Instead of a dozen sprinklers with overlapping sprays, Irrigreen installs one patented, internet-connected sprinkler head with 16 separate emitters in the center of the lawn directing its spray precisely based on a digital map. You can design your own system by going to Irrigreen.com and learn more in this story in Techcrunch.
ERC Portfolio News
Voda partners with Arcadis for distribution of its lead pipe finder. Link to press release.
Varuna incorporates AI to enable a city to build a Capital Improvement Program in just minutes.
Job Openings at Portfolio Companies
Indigenous Wisdom
The world's largest ever dam removal project has begun. This effort is crucial to sustain the many tribes whose culture are intertwined with the Klamath River and the salmon that call the river home. During my time as the Klamath River Project Director for The Nature Conservancy of California, I learned how the tribes, ranchers, farmers, and many local residents all vied for recognition and inclusion in decision-making. I also learned how important listening, just listening to the stories of many people, was to help find common ground. Thousands of people over the last 20 years contributed to making this restoration happen especially the local tribes and conservationists.
I'm proud of Echo River portfolio company Gybe for providing water quality monitoring technology and services for the restoration of the river.
Gybe sensors on the Klamath River in California
Researchers will rely on Gybe's observations to monitor how the river may improve across parameters like temperature, sediment and harmful algae. It's hard to comprehend just how many stakeholders are involved in this restoration effort. "Many of these researchers are affiliated with universities, or state and federal agencies, and some are from the region’s Tribes. Upstream are the Klamath Tribes in Oregon. And along the lower Klamath River in California are the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa Valley, Quartz Valley Indian Community and the Resighini Rancheria."
Fun Find
As a bonus for finishing the newsletter, here's a wonderful artist that combines rainwater capture with whimsical designs: RainKeep.
Please send any questions or comments to peter@echorivercap.com and (415) 203-0432. Here's to a future of water abundance.
– Peter
About Echo River Capital Echo River Capital is an impact venture firm advancing water technology for global impact based in San Francisco. Echo River invests in emerging technologies to digitize, decarbonize and decentralize the water cycle to improve human health, the environment and climate resilience. Peter Yolles, General Partner, is the former co-founder and CEO of WaterSmart Software, which was acquired in 2020. Peter adds strategic value with 30 years of operating experience in the water industry along with a Yale MBA in finance and a Master's in water science, policy and management.
Peter Yolles
General Partner
+1.415.203.0432