Site_Pitch_AquaIntel: Water Utility GTM Intelligence

AquaIntel
GTM intelligence platform for vendors selling to the US water utility market 
1
Setting The Context
Drinking water value chain covers flow of water from source, to treatment and distribution
2
Our Customers
Who are we solving for
19,000+
vendors serving the US drinking water value chain
3
Our Customers' Offerings
What the vendors sell to the water utilities
$90Bn 
annual spend on a wide variety of goods and services, both in CAPEX and OPEX 
67% of CAPEX goes to vertical assets (treatment plants, pump stations, storage tanks), while the remaining goes to distribution/collection networks (pipes, valves, etc.)
OPEX largely consists of consumables such as chemicals, energy, labor costs and maintenance
Source: Bluefield Research: "U.S. & Canada Municipal Water Outlook: Utility CAPEX & OPEX Forecasts, 2022–2030"
4
Customer Blind Spots 
What the vendors need to sell effectively
Vendors lack consolidated data, deep context and  insights needed to sell to the water utilities —>
They spend hours scraping PDFs, combing LinkedIn, or cold-calling clerks—just to find out who’s in charge of a specific plant or whether an RFP is imminent.
Even when contact details are found, they’re often outdated, missing, or lack technical context like treatment technologies used, age of infrastructure, or funding eligibility.
Sales teams don’t know:
Which utilities to target first?
When funding is likely to be released?
What problem the utility is actually trying to solve?
Who within the utility is the actual decision-maker for a $2M pump replacement?
Source: AquaIntel analysis
5
Market Structure
US water utility market is highly fragmented
More than a third of American are at risk of losing affordable drinking water
Number of water utilities based on population served (millions)
Over 50,000 drinking water utilities serving large cities (>1 million pop.) to small towns (<1,000 pop.)
A water utility is a public or private organization that manages infrastructure systems for collecting, treating, storing, and distributing water to customers within a defined service area. Many water utilities also handle wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal, though some communities maintain separate utilities for water supply and wastewater services.
Source: Elizabeth Mack, Michigan State University, Sarah Frrostenson, AWWA, GWI, Bluefield
6
US Water Utility Market Overview
Snapshot of US drinking water infrastructure
50,000+
#water systems
centralized community water systems that serve >90% of US population
2.2M
length of pipeline (miles)
that carry water from the treatment plants to point of use with average age of >45 years
~1M
#employees
mobile and distributed workforces with ~75% in on-site or field services and rest in office based roles
197,000
#pumps & lift stations
assets in the water network that help in the flow of water and manage water pressure
50,000
#storage tanks & towers
store treated water and use gravity to maintain consistent pressure and supply in the  distribution system
$1.2T
#infra upgrades needed
over 20 years to fix drinking water, wastewater and stormwater networks across the US
Source: "The foundational role of GIS in Digital Water Transformation", Bluefield Research
7
Problem Statement
Selling to the fragmented US water utility market is daunting as sales & marketing team have limited data and rely on existing relationships.
25%
Revenue lost in missed opportunities
50,000+ utilities; billions in capital spending via SRFs & CIPs
70%
Time spent in lead research and prospecting
Lack of verified contacts, asset-level info, or pre-RFP signals
80+
Fragmented public data sources 
Millions of docs across federal, state, and local sources 
50%
Operate in the dark with no asset level insights
No visibility into what utilities use or when replacements are needed.
Source: AWWA, GWI
8
Customer Pain Points
Heard from various water companies
"We waste so much time sifting through public documents trying to identify which utilities are planning pump replacements." 
- Sales Director, Pump Manufacturer
"Finding the contact details of the right person at small utilities is like searching for a needle in a haystack." 
- Business Development Manager, Treatment Technology Provider
"By the time an RFP hits the street, it's already too late. We need to know about projects 1-2 years in advance so we can help shape specifications and build relationships." 
- VP of Sales, Engineering Firm
"I cover 200+ utilities across three states. It's impossible to keep track of aging assets and maintenance issues at each one." 
- Territory Sales Manager, Equipment Supplier
"Our sales team spends 70% of their time researching and only 30% selling. We need to automating the intelligence gathering." 
- CEO, Water Technology Startup
"Half the battle is timing - knowing exactly when a utility has secured funding but hasn't yet finalized their approach. That's the sweet spot for consultative selling." 
- Account Executive, Process Equipment Company
"Every time I see a competitor win a bid I didn't even know existed, I wonder how many opportunities we're missing simply because we don't have visibility into the market." 
- Regional Sales Director, Controls System Provider
"When meeting with utilities, I need to know the age and condition of their current assets, their regulatory challenges, and their budget constraints - all before walking in the door." 
- Technical Sales Specialist, Valve Manufacturer
Via 30+ strategy consulting projects delivered by the founder from 2020-2024 and water utility challenges discussed in industry conferences such as GWS and WEFTEC
9
Customer Pain Points
Pain points felt across levels by Sales & Marketing Teams
10
Market Size
Annual TAM of $1Bn+ 
$150MGTM Intelligence 
$400MFunding Tool
$500MMarket Place
Online Market Place for Water Utilities (Phase 3)
~5% of current spend transacted online with revenue driven by transaction fees and subscription for RfP management
Funding Navigator for Utilities (Phase 2):
$110B annual infrastructure needs with government funding deployed through State Revolving Funds and grants
GTM Intelligence Platform for Vendors (Phase 1):
19,000+ vendors selling to the drinking water utility market
11
Our Approach
Structured workflow to take precise action 
12
Our Solution
AquaIntel transforms scattered information into actionable GTM intelligence
Utility Screeners
Slice and dice the utility universe with various filters / lenses to shortlist relevant utilities 
Verified Contact Intelligence
Detailed org charts and decision-maker information for targeted outreach.
Capital Project Tracking
Monitor projects from concept through construction with real-time updates.
Opportunity Identification
AI-powered search that identifies opportunities 1-5 years before they become formal projects.
Utility Fund Tracking
Track federal and state level financing / grants,  to find options that your utility qualifies for.
AI Chat Assistant
Chat and get answers in seconds from AI trained on AquaIntel’s full database of 48,000+ utilities.
13
Product Demo
Loading...
14
Customer Segmentation  – Water Vendors We Serve
We serve global OEMs to regional vendors
15
Offering By Customer Segment
Product Bundles Aligned to Customer Needs
16
Competitive Landscape
Why AquaIntel is Uniquely Positioned
17
Competitive landscape
Competitive Landscape Analysis
AquaIntel offers comprehensive capabilities that no competitor fully matches. We combine strengths from multiple platform types while addressing critical gaps. Only AquaIntel delivers the complete package water sector GTM teams need: utility coverage, asset data, verified contacts, and actionable intelligence.
18
Business Model
Scalable SaaS Model
Two-Dimensional Pricing: Customers pay based on the number of states they want coverage for and the intelligence modules they need. This allows companies to start small in their core markets and expand both geographically and functionally as they grow.
Essentials Plan
Up to 5 States: Choose your core markets • ~8,000 utilities • Regional focus
Intelligence Modules
Core Utility Database
Basic Contact Intelligence
Project Pipeline Tracking
Budget & Financial Data
Professional Plan
Up to 15 States: Multi-regional coverage • ~22,000 utilities • Expansion ready
Intelligence Modules
Core Utility Database
Basic Contact Intelligence
Project Pipeline Tracking
Budget & Financial Data
Advanced Analytics
Competitive Intelligence
Enterprise
All 50 States: Complete US coverage • 50,000+ utilities • National presence
Intelligence Modules
Core Utility Database
Basic Contact Intelligence
Project Pipeline Tracking
Budget & Financial Data
Advanced Analytics
Competitive Intelligence
Predictive Scoring
API Access
$149/month/user
$399/month/user
$899/month/user
19
Team
Founding team with deep water sector, tech and data engineering expertise
Vinod Jose, CEO | Philadelphia
Startup Leadership & US Digital Water Industry Expert
With 15+ years of work experience, Vinod brings a unique combination of water industry expertise, strategic consulting experience, and investor perspective.
Water Sector Expertise: 
Led 30+ strategy consulting projects for the US water industry clients including digital water companies, treatment specialists, and major OEMs
Industry expert on the US water utility market - published articles on digital divide and the white space available
Investor in water startups - Bynry (small utility software) and Aeronero (atmospheric water generation)
Startup Leadership: Part of leadership team at 21Diamonds, e-commerce jewelery startup funded by Rocket Internet in Germany, scaled team of 5 to 100 across Europe in 1 year 
George Zacharias, CTO | Seattle
Enterprise-Scale Engineering & Cloud-Native Systems Leader
George brings 20+ years of deep expertise in building, scaling, and operating high-performance, cloud-native enterprise systems across complex, mission-critical environments.
Technology & Engineering Expertise:
Principal Software Engineer and Technical Architect at Walgreens, with a 15+ year track record designing and operating large-scale enterprise platforms
Deep expertise in cloud-native architecture, microservices, and distributed systems on Microsoft Azure
Led engineering teams and system design from legacy modernization to modern platform architectures
Enterprise & Execution Leadership: Extensive experience delivering reliable software in large, regulated organizations where security, uptime, and performance are non-negotiable
20
Traction so far
Launched pilot products and services to test the market and shape the product roadmap
21
Traction so far
Demand validated from customer outreach
22
Launch Plan
Planning to launch in 9 months
Pilots with Early Customers from Founder Network
4-5 customers as pilot partners to help shape the product incl. free diagnostic
Industry Credibility Development
Speaking engagements at AWWA, WEFTEC conferences
Professional booth presence at key water events
Strategic networking and sponsorship activities
Content Marketing & Thought Leadership
Regular articles in Water World Magazine
Weekly LinkedIn and bi-weekly blog content
Thought leadership pieces in industry journals and newsletters
Strategic Partnership Development
CRM integrations with Salesforce and HubSpot
Industry association partnerships (AWWA, WEF)
Technology partnerships with data platforms e.g, ESRI
23
Ask
Funding Request & Use of Capital
AquaIntel is seeking a strategic investment to accelerate our growth in the water utility intelligence market.
$2M 
pre-seed 
Product Development: Increase data coverage and AI capabilities
Sales & Marketing: Industry events and targeted campaigns 
Operations: Scaling team and Infrastructure
24
Join us in our journey to transform Water Utility GTM Intelligence
Vinod Jose
vj@waterutility.ai
www.waterutility.ai
+1 267 271 2599
www.linkedin.com
25
Appendix
26
What is a Water Utility?
Water utilities are organizations that manage drinking water infrastructure from source to tap. They serve as the backbone of community health and development.
Water Sourcing
Securing reliable groundwater, surface water, or wholesale supplies.
Treatment
Processing raw water through filtration and disinfection to meet quality standards.
Distribution
Managing networks of pipes, pumps, valves, and storage facilities.
Monitoring & Compliance
Testing water quality and meeting federal, state, and local regulations.
Utilities operate as municipal entities, regional authorities, special districts, investor-owned companies, or rural cooperatives. They face challenges including aging infrastructure, emerging contaminants, and climate change impacts.
Most water utilities operate as regulated monopolies with revenue structures based on:
Fixed charges (base fees regardless of usage)
Variable charges (based on volume consumed)
Connection fees (for new service)
Special assessments or surcharges for capital improvements
Grants and loans for major infrastructure projects
27
Vendor estimate breakdown
Estimated counts are rounded for simplicity. “Enterprise” refers to multi-state or multinational firms with large sales operations (e.g. Veolia, Xylem, AECOM, Evoqua). “Mid-size” refers to regionally focused firms (operating in ~1–5 states or countries, e.g. ZwitterCo, Flovac, H2O Innovation). “Small” refers to niche local providers or reps with minimal digital footprint (e.g. HydroCorp, R.E. Pedrotti).
Sources: AWWA ACE Exhibitors, WEFTEC Exhibitors, WQA US Members, The Water Expo Exhibitors, WQA US Members, WWEMA Members,  NAICS 333318, 333914, Key Players, UL Solutions Chemical Testing, NAICS 325180, 325199, NAICS 237110, AWWA ACE Software/Tech Exhibitors, UL Solutions, WQA Certification, EPA Cybersecurity
28
Target Addressable Market Breakdown
AquaIntel targets a $1.05 billion total addressable market through three complementary revenue streams. Each segment addresses critical pain points in the fragmented water utility market.
GTM Intelligence
19,500 total supplier companies (9,000 equipment manufacturers + 3,000 engineering firms + 2,500 technology providers + 5,000 service companies) × $7,500 average contract × 80% market penetration = $117M. 
Alternative: $50B annual equipment/services spend² × 0.2% intelligence value = $100M
Source: US Water & Wastewater Treatment Market, Fortune Business Insights, 2024
Funding Tool
Calculation 1: Success Fee Model - Large utilities: 800 systems × $10M avg project size × 2% success fee × 50% participation = $80M Medium utilities: 3,200 systems × $1M avg project × 2% fee × 50% = $32M Small utilities: 47,000 systems × $200K avg project × 3% fee × 20% = $563
Calculation 2: Subscription Model - Large: 800 × $3,000/month × 12 = $28.8M Medium: 3,200 × $1,500/month × 12 = $57.6M Small: 47,000 × $500/month × 12 × 20% adoption = $1.13B
51,000 community water systems (EPA data) + 100,000 non-community systems 
$10B annual State Revolving Fund programs (EPA) 
50-70% average grant/funding application success rates (Industry surveys) 
$2.2T infrastructure need over 20 years = $110B annually (EPA Clean Watersheds Needs Survey)
Marketplace Platform
Calculation 1: Transaction Fee Model - Large utilities: 800 × $50M procurement × 30% adoption × 1.5% fee = $180M Medium utilities: 3,200 × $3M procurement × 20% × 1.5% = $28.8M Small utilities: 47,000 × $200K procurement × 10% × 2% = $188M
Calculation 2: RFP Management - Large: 800 × 50 RFPs/year × $3,000 fee × 30% adoption = $36M Medium: 3,200 × 20 RFPs/year × $2,000 × 20% = $25.6M Small: 47,000 × 5 RFPs/year × $1,000 × 10% = $23.5M
$125B annual utility procurement across equipment ($60B), services ($40B), and construction ($25B) 
15-20% current e-procurement adoption in water sector (Industry benchmarks) 
Industry standard transaction fees: 0.5-3% of purchase value 
Average procurement values based on utility size (AWWA benchmarks)
29
$1.8T spend over a 10-Year period expected (CAPEX+OPEX)
Annual Utility Spending (for water and wastewater utilities): ~$188 billion (2022)
Combined CAPEX: Approximately $94 billion annually
Combined OPEX: Approximately $94 billion annually
Water utility spend by type (%)
67% of CAPEX goes to vertical assets (treatment plants, pump stations, storage tanks), while the remaining goes to distribution/collection networks (pipes, valves, etc.)
OPEX largely consists of consumables such as chemicals, energy, labor costs and maintenance
Source: Bluefield Research: "U.S. & Canada Municipal Water Outlook: Utility CAPEX & OPEX Forecasts, 2022–2030"
30