XPRIZE has announced 143 Qualified Teams advancing in the US$119 million XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition, the largest incentive challenge in its history. Sponsored by the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, the multi-year global programme aims to unlock reliable, sustainable, and affordable seawater desalination solutions to increase worldwide access to clean water. The announcement was made during Climate Week in New York City.
Addressing a Growing Global Challenge
Water scarcity is one of the defining challenges of the 21st century. Today, around 80% of the world’s population already faces serious threats to water supply, and by 2030 demand is projected to outpace supply by 40%. While seas and oceans hold more than 96% of Earth’s water, desalination technologies remain energy-intensive and costly, restricting their use to a limited number of wealthier nations.
XPRIZE Water Scarcity seeks to drive innovation that will make desalination a viable, accessible, and environmentally responsible solution for all.
“Water is humanity’s most fundamental need, and yet billions face the growing threat of water scarcity as climate change reshapes our world,” said Anousheh Ansari, chief executive officer of XPRIZE. “Seawater desalination holds enormous promise, but current practices come with a steep price: high energy use, environmental strain, and limited accessibility. XPRIZE Water Scarcity is incentivising innovators worldwide to design sustainable, scalable, and affordable approaches that deliver clean water without compromising the ecosystems we all depend on.”
Global Teams Tackling Desalination
From 674 pre-registered teams across 86 countries, 143 Qualified Teams were selected after rigorous evaluation. Competitors advance across two tracks:
- Track A – System-Level Innovation (93 teams)
Teams aim to demonstrate the ability to produce at least 1 m³/day of drinking water by the end of 2025. They have been awarded a share of US$3 million to support field testing. - Track B – Novel Materials and Methods (50 teams)
Teams will validate laboratory-scale innovations in desalination membranes and alternative separation technologies, preparing for live demonstrations in early 2026.
Over the coming months, Track A teams will deploy working prototypes capable of producing at least 1,000 litres of drinking water daily over two weeks while meeting local environmental standards. Track B teams will validate new separation methods for cost, efficiency, and sustainability.
“The diversity and creativity of these teams give us hope for the future of water,” said Lauren Greenlee, executive vice president of Food + Water + Waste, XPRIZE. “From academic labs to deep-tech startups, and cross-disciplinary consortiums — many from the world’s most water-stressed regions — these innovators are tackling desalination from every angle.”
Awards and Next Steps
XPRIZE will award:
- US$40 million to the winning Track A team able to produce one million litres of drinking water per day at breakthrough affordability.
- US$8 million to the Track B team that pioneers a durable desalination material or method capable of operating for at least 10 years.
Additional milestone awards totalling US$119 million are available throughout the competition.
XPRIZE Water Scarcity reflects the vision of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative to support innovation, accelerate testing, and scale transformative solutions to address the global water crisis.
