Billions of dollars are finally flowing into the water industry, but the financial landscape is still far behind energy, climate tech, and other booming sectors.

In this episode of In The Newsroom, Travis Loop is joined by Antoine Walter, host of the (don’t) Waste Water podcast, for an insider look at how investment in the water sector is evolving—and where it’s still stuck.

They discuss how private equity, venture capital, and institutional investors are cautiously entering water, often drawn by its long-term stability but frustrated by its slower growth cycles compared to fast-scaling industries.

Antoine explains how early-stage water startups face much longer timelines—often 16 to 25 years to reach market maturity—making water a challenging space for traditional VC models.

They explore the surge in private equity consolidation, with firms attempting to replicate past roll-up success stories. The conversation also dives deep into sectors attracting the most attention, including digital water, PFAS removal and destruction, membranes, desalination, and atmospheric water generation.

Antoine shares how AI, data centers, and tech giants like Microsoft and Google are pushing water reuse and efficiency as public pressure mounts over their water footprints.

The episode wraps by examining how water scarcity, PFAS contamination, and infrastructure failures are both exposing risks and unlocking new financial opportunity.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.