Waterlife and Max Foundation Powering Clean Water
We're excited to announce a new partnership between Waterlife and Max Foundation that will transform access to clean drinking water across Ethiopia.
This innovative collaboration will rehabilitate non-functional hand pumps and convert them into solar-powered, treated water systems, bringing safe drinking water to over 80,000 people – with a particular focus on improving the lives of women and girls who often bear the burden of water collection.
Waterlife, an Ethiopian water startup, has developed WatApp – a digital solution for payment, scheduling water deliveries, and gathering customer feedback, while also enabling remote monitoring to ensure water quality. Through this partnership, Waterlife will identify and repair 24 non-functioning water points while training government staff on using the app, collecting tariffs, and accessing carbon markets. As Max Foundation, we will make use of our extensive experience supporting entrepreneurs scaling innovative water solutions. We will connect Waterlife with banks and investors in the water sector, while conducting workshops to further influence water policy.
This partnership is made possible with support from P4G (Partnering for Green Growth). P4G will provide the partnership with grant funding and technical assistance to help it become investment ready.
This is more than a technical solution. Beyond providing clean water, this partnership aims to establish sustainable business models that strengthen public systems and attract climate finance where it’s needed most. It’s a step toward sustainable, climate-smart development that builds public systems, creates jobs, and ensures long-term water access—especially for women and girls who are most affected by unsafe and distant water sources.
This collaboration represents our shared commitment to developing climate-smart, sustainable solutions that create lasting positive impact.