On September 22, 2025, the XPRIZE Foundation revealed the 143 teams selected to move forward in its multi-year Water Scarcity competition, which aims to revolutionize access to clean water through innovative desalination technologies. These teams will share a total of $119 million in funding.
Chosen from a pool of 674 applicants across 86 countries, the selected teams are divided into two tracks:
- Track A: 93 teams will receive $108 million to build and operate desalination prototypes capable of producing at least 1,000 liters of drinking water per day, while complying with local environmental standards.
- Track B: 50 teams will share $10.9 million to conduct lab-based research on new desalination materials and methods, with the goal of identifying the most efficient and sustainable solutions for field testing in 2026.
In the next phase, 20 Track A and 30 Track B teams will be named semifinalists and awarded up to $5.3 million in milestone prizes.
The competition’s grand prizes include:
- $40 million for the Track A team that can consistently produce 1 million liters of potable water per day, enough to serve 10,000 people annually.
- $8 million for the Track B team that develops a durable desalination solution with a lifespan of at least 10 years.
Lauren Greenlee, XPRIZE’s Executive VP for Food, Water, and Waste, praised the diversity and ingenuity of the participants, which range from academic institutions to deep-tech startups and global consortiums. She emphasized their potential to reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, and make seawater desalination accessible to communities in need.
(Source: Philanthropy News Digest)