First Close of Emerald Global Water Fund II Reaches EUR 60 Million
Emerald Announces €60Million First Close of Global Water Fund II
ZÜRICH, Oct. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emerald Technology Ventures, a globally recognized venture capital firm with two decades of water-sector leadership, announced the first close of its Global Water Fund II at €60 million, marking a significant milestone in the fund’s mission to advance water innovation worldwide. The fund’s anchor investors are Veralto Corporation (NYSE: VLTO) – a newly independent global leader in water analytics and treatment – and Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) – a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services. SKion Water and Oxy Technology Ventures rounded out the first closing, underscoring a broad coalition of industry leaders backing the venture. This diverse investor base – spanning water technology, specialty chemicals, and energy – highlights the urgent, cross-sector commitment to solving global water challenges.
Global Water Fund II is targeting a total size of €150–180 million. The fund will accelerate innovation across the entire water value chain by investing in early to growth stage companies worldwide that are developing solutions in infrastructure and business resilience, advanced treatment, reuse, digitally enhanced monitoring, prediction, decision making and automation as well as technologies to address emerging contaminants.
“As climate and infrastructure shocks intensify, resilience in our water systems is essential. From smarter monitoring to advanced treatment, digital and AI-driven technologies are unlocking new efficiencies and insights. Yet, they also remind us of water’s critical role in enabling innovation itself, from cooling the very data centers that power these tools to sustaining life and industry alike,” said Dr. Helge Daebel, Partner at Emerald and longstanding head of its water practice. “The strong backing from industry leaders in this first close will help us supercharge startups and scaleups that both safeguard and optimize this precious resource.”
"At Veralto, we believe that safeguarding one of the world’s most vital resources—water—requires bold collaboration and innovation that is sustainable. Our anchor investment in Emerald’s Global Water Fund II reflects our deep commitment to accelerating breakthrough technologies that address the urgent realities of water scarcity, treatment, and reuse. By partnering across sectors, we’re not only investing in solutions—we’re helping build a future where water sustains people, communities, and the planet we share,” said Melissa Aquino, SVP and Chief Segment Officer, Water Quality at Veralto.
"As a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention, Ecolab has delivered innovation and business growth for more than a century," said Dan LeCloux, executive vice president Research, Development & Engineering and Chief Technology Officer, Ecolab. "As an investor in the inaugural Global Water Fund, we are excited to continue our important work with Emerald Technology Ventures supporting innovation in the global water sector."
The new fund builds on the success of Emerald’s inaugural Global Water Fund, which closed in 2020 with $100 million in commitments from top-tier investors including Temasek, Microsoft, Ecolab and SKion Water. Emerald’s first water fund has catalyzed multiple water-tech success stories, leveraging the firm’s unique track record in the sector – which includes successful exits of portfolio companies to industry giants such as SUEZ, Xylem and BASF. Another measure of its success has been the fund’s facilitation of key collaborations between corporations and start-ups/scale-ups, such as the work that Microsoft has accomplished with Kilimo and FIDO. This proven platform and expertise give the new fund a running start in identifying high-impact water innovations.
With its first close secured, Emerald is poised to deploy capital into innovative companies that help safeguard the world’s most vital resource. The firm notes that interest in the fund has been strong. “We are thrilled to see such a strong response from market leaders,” said Daebel. “It’s a clear signal that water innovation is not only a pressing global need, but also an attractive investment opportunity. Together with our partners, we are committed to scaling the solutions that will shape a more sustainable water future.”
About Emerald Technology Ventures
Emerald is a globally recognized venture capital firm, founded in 2000, that manages and advises assets of over €1 billion from its offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. The firm invests in start-ups that tackle big challenges in climate change and sustainability, with four current funds, hundreds of venture transactions and five third-party investment mandates, including loan guarantees to over 100 start-ups.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fcceb32f-c36f-472d-ac5d-a6a62a12ef45
Water Team at Emerald Technology Ventures
Helge Daebel (center), Partner and Head of Emerald’s Water Practice with water tech specialists Kelven Lam, Clayton MacDougald and Michal Natora.
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