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The 2025 Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator

mHUB and Current are teaming up to accelerate early-stage water tech startups through the 2025 Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator Program—a six-month initiative designed to fast-track innovation for industrial water applications.

Program Partners

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Supporting Industry Partners:

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Announcing the 2025 Sustainable Water Tech Cohort

Led by mHUB and Current, this exciting new opportunity in water tech builds upon mHUB’s proven accelerator model and is anchored by the U.S. National Science Foundation-backed Great Lakes ReNEW.

About the Program

Over the course of the six-month accelerator program, startups in the cohort will benefit from:

💧Direct Investment from mHUB Ventures

💧 Tailored matchmaking with utilities and industrial corporations based on technology fit and industry needs.

💧 Sector expertise, testbeds, and technology validation opportunities through Great Lakes ReNEW.

💧 mHUB’s hands-on support and state-of-the-art prototyping labs to help scale and commercialize products.

Applications now open! If you’re a water technology startup, apply by July 23, 2025 deadline to be considered for the cohort!

Great Lakes ReNEW was made possible with funding provided by the National Science Foundation and Current Innovation, NFP.  This accelerator was made possible through a strategic partnership between Current Innovation and mHUB.

 

Apply Now

2025 Sustainable Water Tech Cohort:

Application window: May 28,2025 - July 23, 2025 

Managing Directors: Thierry Van Landegem, Executive Director, mHUB Accelerator and Nina Dudnik, Chief Commercial Officer, Current

Investment Terms: 200K investment for 6.5% equity (details below)

Are you an entrepreneur with big ideas for sustainable water solutions within industry? If accepted into the program, you get:

Areas of Focus

 

mHUB and Current are looking for early-stage startups developing disrupting hardtech solutions in one or more of the following focus areas:

Water Quality Monitoring & Management

Reduce IoT sensor costs, enhance real-time monitoring, maximize resource efficiency, and expand the range of detectable contaminants and targeted organics.

Resource Conservation

Real-time leak detection systems, water savings and reduction, on-site recycling solutions for manufacturing and other heavy water users.

Waste to Energy Conversion

More efficient and scalable technologies, including microbial fuel cells, algae-based treatment, and systems that capture gas and convert it into feedstock.

Advanced Filtration Membranes in Industrial Systems
Lower cost and higher throughput for wastewater treatment plants, oil & gas, and other industrial applications.

Efficient use of water and energy in industrial processes and operations

Solutions for efficient use of water and energy in industrial processes and operations  (including data centers)

Separation, concentration and destruction of harmful contaminant

Target compounds (PFAS, microplastics, etc.) in municipal and industrial waste streams.

Recovery of Valuable Materials

Selective separation and recovery of minerals, salts and nutrients from aqueous waste streams.

Closed Loop Water Reclying

Decentralized systems designed to be more compact, cost-effective, and efficient. Perfect for residential, industrial, power utilities, and data centers seeking sustainable water solutions.

Smart and Sustainable Tech for Dedicated Applications

Applications such as smart irrigation system in agriculture, smart buildings, smart city, etc.

Decarbonization of Water-Intensive Industrial Facilities
Carbon capture in wastewater plants and water intensive industries and conversion into useful feedstock

Rejuvenation of Aging Infrastructure

Improve efficiency and sustainability for municipal and industrial environments.

Apply Now to Accelerate Your Water Tech Startup

Applications are officially open for the 2025 Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator. mHUB is looking for innovative startups driving solutions in water reuse, resource recovery, and sustainable industrial tech.
Deadline: July 23, 2025 — Don’t miss your chance to join a leading cleantech innovation ecosystem.

The Program

The mHUB Accelerator is a fast-paced program that’s designed to take your startup from concept or prototype to the foundation of a profitable, scalable and sustainable business. The 6-month hands-on program surrounds teams with product engineering expertise and a host of market and business intelligence leaders. Teams continue to receive support for an additional 18 months of continued mHUB membership and access post-program.

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The Investment

mHUB Ventures invests a $200,000 initial investment, which includes $100K in cash, $30K in cash reimbursement for product development, $70,000 in-kind services for certain fees related to product development consulting, resources, and programming during a six-month highly structured incubation (with two full years of support) in exchange for 6.5% equity in each startup.

Approximately 30% of the fund’s capital is reserved for follow-on investments in a select set of our portfolio.

Read more about mHUB Ventures and view its portfolio. 

mHUB Ventures

Meet Your Acceleration Team

Startup teams benefit from the guidance of seasoned entrepreneurs, engineers, investors, and industry leaders who’ve built businesses, raised capital, and helped founders realize their full potential.

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Haven Allen
Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder at mHUB, Managing Partner of the mHUB Product Impact Fund I

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Melissa Lederer
Chief Experience Officer at mHUB,  Managing Partner of the mHUB Product Impact Fund I

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Alaina Harkness
Chief Executive Officer at Current, PI and CEO, Great Lakes Water Innovation Engine

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Thierry Van Landegem
Executive Director at mHUB, Climate & Energy Tech Accelerator and Smart & Sustainable Manufacturing Accelerator

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Nina Dudnik
Chief Commercial Officer at Current

Mike Sundemeier

Mike Sundermeier
mHUB Program Manager, Climate & Energy Tech Accelerator and Smart & Sustainable Manufacturing Accelerator

Jonathan-Goodell

Jonathan Goodell
Commercialization & Partnerships manager at Current

David-Arenas

David Arenas
President
at David Arenas & Associates, Inc.

Mentor

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Jacob Babcock
Chief Executive Officer at NuCurrent

Selection Support Committee

Mary-Burton

Mary Burton
Advisor
at UW-Madison

Mentor

Sara-Chamberlain

Sara Chamberlain
Managing Director
at Energy Foundry

Mentor

Katie_Elbert

Katie Elbert
Associate Research Scientist and Technology Scout at Dow

Mentor

Julie-Greco

Julie Greco
Senior Associate at Energy Capital Ventures

Mentor

Karen-Gordon

Karen Gordon
I-Corps Adjunct Instructor, Coach and Mentor at National Science Foundation 

Founder, CEO and CFI at WE |Design Think

Mentor

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Mark Karasek
Adjunct Professor
McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University

Mentor

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Karen Kerr
General Partner at
Exposition Ventures

Selection Support Committee & Mentor

John-Myer

John Myer
Senior Counsel at  Husch Blackwell

Mentor

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Isaac McCoy
Dean - School of Business, Entrepreneurship, and CIS at Stillman College

Mentor

David-Nowak

David Nowak
Vice President of Engineering at Sentry Equipment

Mentor

Faruk_Oksuz

Faruk Oksuz
President & Director at Black & Veatch Government & Water Utilities

Mentor

Phil_Rolchigo

Phil Rochigo
Chief Technology Officer at Pentair

Mentor

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Nik Rokop
Coleman Foundation Clinical Associate at
Illinois Institute of Technology

Mentor

John-Tillotson

John Tillotson
Independent Consultant & Founder at WaterTrust

Mentor

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John S. Thode
Clinical Professor of
Innovation, Leadership, and Engineering Entrepreneurship at the
University of Illinois

Mentor

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Tony Wilkins
Managing Partner
at Standing Oaks
Venture Capital

Mentor

David-Weinstein

David Weinstein
Founder & CEO
at Freshwater Advisors

Mentor


What portfolio founders have to say: 

"The mentors, corporate partners, and the mHUB Team - it's a world-class environment for hardware and software developers."

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Anil Üzengi 

CEO & Co-founder, 

Stroma Vision

"I was really impressed by mHUB, it's prototyping shops, our international cohort with different business models & expertise. mHUB was really thoughtful about how they structured the program."

Darren-Riley

Darren Riley

Co-founder & CEO,

JustAir

"The people invested here at mHUB and the people running the program want to help and make sure the business succeeds, which is really refreshing."

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Chris Autry

CEO,

Iothic

Not a Water Tech startup?

 If you're building something bold in another sector, we'd still love to hear from you. Fill out the form below to be the first to know about upcoming accelerator programs: