WaterEquity Water & Climate Resilience Fund I

Date: 2025

Asset Class: Private Equity & Mezzanine Debt

Description: WaterEquity's Water & Climate Resilience Fund (WCRF) invests in climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure and growth companies across emerging markets. The fund provides equity capital to projects and businesses that expand water supply, distribution, wastewater treatment, and water reuse, helping communities strengthen water security while adapting to the impacts of climate change. By mobilizing private investment into one of the world's most underfunded sectors, WaterEquity is building the infrastructure needed for healthier, more resilient communities.

Why We Invest: With increasing climate variability, resilient water infrastructure is more essential than ever to provide sustainable access to clean water and sanitation. Financing water infrastructure is challenging even in developed countries, making it even more difficult in emerging markets where the need is often greatest.

We invest in WaterEquity's Water & Climate Resilience Fund because it represents another important piece of the ecosystem that Water.org has built to solve the global water crisis through innovative finance. Working alongside related non-profit WaterConnect, which identifies and develops infrastructure opportunities, WaterEquity provides 10% of the equity capital and brings in partners for an additional 10%, helping to unlock the remaining 80% through debt financing. WaterConnect is reimbursed for successful projects, creating a partially self-sustaining model that continually develops new investment opportunities.

This approach creates tremendous leverage and additionality. Many of these projects would not have been financed otherwise—and certainly not as quickly. Combining this innovative financing model with a first-time fund managed by an experienced team targeting market-rate returns makes this an investment we are especially excited about.