The partnership team behind the Clean Water Innovation Initiative (CWII) unveiled their commitment to build an entrepreneurial infrastructure and national virtual network to help the nation address water issues during the White House Water Summit held in Washington DC.

The Clean Water Innovation Initiative, along with its 17 founding business, government, non-profit, and research partners, is launching an EPA Water Innovation Cluster to serve the Puget Sound region in Washington. The Cluster will include three major components:

(1) a physical technology-development accelerator;

(2) an early (seed) stage grant/loan/equity fund to finance entrepreneurial start-ups; and

(3) a national virtual network of water-industry incubators and clusters.

Ryan Vogel, executive director of CWII announced that the Initiative will, over the next three years, work with its 30 vertically and horizontally integrated water-industry partners to support 10 companies through the accelerator and provide $2 million in seed funding.

Egils Milbergs, CEO of the Center for Accelerating Innovation and Partnership Director for the CWII was invited by White House organizers to represent the CWII at the Water Summit.

The Summit speakers and panelists focused on raising awareness of water issues and potential solutions in the United States, and to catalyze ideas and actions to help build a sustainable and secure water future through innovative science and technology. The administration announced initiatives aimed at encouraging more investments in water infrastructure, improving water data and boosting technologies that can help ensure availability and quality of regional water supply. Check out the Water Summit fact sheet, as well as the document detailing the more than 150 announcements made in support of the event. Here is the video footage of the entire plenary.