Deep in San Francisco’s innovation hub, Fifty Years is quietly revolutionizing how we solve global water challenges. With a laser focus on deep tech and science-driven startups, this $90M venture fund is backing the next generation of water entrepreneurs who are tackling everything from PFAS remediation to digital water infrastructure. Their sweet spot? Writing checks between $100K-$3M for pre-seed and seed stage companies that combine breakthrough technology with measurable impact. As water stress intensifies globally, Fifty Years’ thesis of backing ambitious founders early is proving prescient – they’re not just funding companies, they’re catalyzing an entire ecosystem of water innovation.
Fifty Years is part of my Ultimate Water Investor Database, check it out!
Investor Name: Fifty Years
Investor Type: VC
Latest Fund Size: $90 Million
Dry Powder Available: Yes
Typical Ticket Size: $1M – $3M
Investment Themes: PFAS, digital twins, decentralized treatments
Investment History: $10900000 spent over 2 deals
Often Invests Along: Founders Fund, Y Combinator
Already Invested In: Solugen Inc.
Leads or Follows: Lead
Board Seat Appetite:
Key People:
The Science-First Investment Approach
At the core of Fifty Years’ investment strategy lies an unwavering commitment to scientific rigor and technological innovation in water solutions. The fund’s approach centers on identifying breakthrough technologies that can fundamentally transform how we manage, treat, and conserve water resources.
The evaluation process heavily prioritizes founding teams with deep technical expertise, particularly those led by PhD holders who bring specialized knowledge in fields like electrochemistry, materials science, and environmental engineering. This emphasis on academic credentials reflects the fund’s belief that solving complex water challenges requires sophisticated scientific understanding coupled with entrepreneurial drive.
Technical due diligence forms the backbone of Fifty Years’ investment decisions. Their team of scientists and engineers thoroughly assess the fundamental principles behind each technology, examining aspects like thermodynamic efficiency, scalability potential, and real-world applicability. This analysis goes beyond surface-level metrics to understand the core scientific mechanisms that enable each solution.
Particularly compelling are technologies that leverage advances in materials science, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology to address water challenges. The fund actively seeks solutions that can demonstrate clear technological advantages over existing approaches, whether through enhanced treatment efficiency, reduced energy consumption, or novel removal mechanisms for emerging contaminants.
Beyond individual technologies, Fifty Years evaluates how innovations fit into broader water treatment systems and infrastructure. They prioritize solutions that can integrate with existing facilities while delivering step-change improvements in performance or cost-effectiveness. This systems-level thinking helps ensure that promising technologies can successfully transition from laboratory to full-scale implementation.
The firm’s science-first philosophy extends to post-investment support, where technical expertise helps portfolio companies optimize their technologies and overcome engineering challenges. By maintaining deep engagement with the scientific foundations of each solution, Fifty Years works to maximize the real-world impact of their investments while accelerating the path to commercial deployment.
Portfolio Sweet Spots: Water Tech Themes
Fifty Years’ investment thesis centers on transformative water technologies that address critical environmental and societal challenges. The fund focuses on several key themes where scientific breakthroughs can drive outsized impact and returns.
PFAS remediation stands as a priority investment area, with the fund targeting novel destruction technologies that go beyond traditional filtration approaches. Rather than simply transferring these ‘forever chemicals’ between mediums, portfolio companies are developing electrochemical, plasma-based, and catalytic processes that break down PFAS molecules into harmless components.
Digital transformation represents another major focus, particularly technologies that enable predictive analytics and digital twins for water infrastructure. The fund seeks solutions that leverage AI and machine learning to optimize treatment processes, detect leaks, and enable preventive maintenance – ultimately driving down costs while improving service reliability.
Advanced membrane technologies form a third key theme, with investments in biomimetic materials and novel surface modifications that dramatically improve efficiency and reduce fouling. These innovations target both conventional filtration and emerging applications like selective ion extraction for lithium recovery from brines.
The fund maintains a strong interest in decentralized and modular treatment systems that can serve communities lacking traditional infrastructure. This includes compact, energy-efficient technologies for water purification and wastewater treatment that can operate off-grid or with minimal external inputs.
Resource recovery represents an emerging focus area, with investments in technologies that extract valuable materials and energy from wastewater streams. Beyond traditional biogas generation, portfolio companies are developing processes to recover critical minerals, nutrients, and high-value biochemicals while treating water.
Fifty Years also actively pursues breakthrough approaches in water quality monitoring and analytics. This includes real-time sensors, rapid diagnostics, and data platforms that provide unprecedented visibility into water quality and system performance.
Across these themes, the fund prioritizes solutions that deliver both environmental and economic benefits. Technologies must demonstrate clear paths to cost advantages or new value creation, while measurably advancing water sustainability and access. This dual focus on impact and returns shapes a portfolio positioned to drive systemic change in how humanity manages its most precious resource.
The fund’s thematic approach reflects deep analysis of market gaps and emerging opportunities, informed by close collaboration with water utilities, industrial users, and research institutions. This strategic focus on high-impact water technologies aligns with rising corporate and policy priorities around water security and sustainability.
From Check to Scale: The Support System
Fifty Years has built a comprehensive support ecosystem that transforms promising water technology startups into market-ready solutions. Beyond the initial capital injection, portfolio companies gain access to a powerful network of industry veterans, technical experts, and potential customers who help navigate the complex water sector landscape.
At the core of their support system lies strategic guidance tailored to each company’s growth stage. Early-stage founders receive hands-on assistance with product-market fit validation, while scaling companies get support optimizing their go-to-market strategies. The fund’s partners leverage decades of water industry experience to help founders avoid common pitfalls and accelerate commercialization timelines.
Network access proves particularly valuable in the relationship-driven water sector. Fifty Years facilitates introductions to municipal utilities, industrial end-users, and engineering firms who can become early adopters and reference customers. The fund also connects portfolio companies with subject matter experts who provide technical validation and regulatory compliance guidance – critical elements for water technology adoption.
The fund takes a strategic approach to follow-on funding, helping companies develop robust metrics and narratives that resonate with later-stage investors. Rather than pushing for rapid scaling at all costs, Fifty Years encourages sustainable growth aligned with market readiness and customer demand. This measured approach has helped portfolio companies maintain strong unit economics while expanding their market presence.
Collaboration among portfolio companies creates additional value. Regular founder forums facilitate peer learning and partnership opportunities. Companies often discover synergies in their technologies or target markets, leading to joint development projects and shared customer introductions. This collaborative environment helps accelerates innovation while reducing technology development costs.
Fifty Years also provides operational support through shared resources and best practices. Portfolio companies gain access to specialized expertise in areas like regulatory compliance, IP strategy, and talent recruitment. The fund’s operational team helps startups build strong foundations in finance, legal, and human resources – enabling founders to focus on technology development and customer relationships.
This holistic support system reflects Fifty Years’ commitment to building lasting water technology companies rather than chasing quick exits. By providing founders with strategic guidance, valuable connections, and operational support, the fund helps transform promising technologies into scaled solutions that address critical water challenges.
The Next Wave: Future Investment Horizons
The water technology landscape is rapidly evolving, creating unprecedented opportunities for strategic early-stage investors. As Fifty Years charts its investment course for the future, several transformative trends are emerging as key focus areas with immense potential for both financial returns and environmental impact.
Decentralized water solutions are gaining prominence as aging centralized infrastructure struggles to meet modern challenges. Smart, distributed systems that enable on-site treatment and reuse represent a paradigm shift in how we manage water resources. These solutions not only reduce strain on municipal systems but also create resilient local water supplies.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in water management are reaching an inflection point. Advanced analytics platforms can now predict maintenance needs, optimize treatment processes, and detect contamination in real-time. This convergence of digital capabilities with physical infrastructure is opening new frontiers for operational efficiency and water quality monitoring.
Direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies are emerging as a critical focus area where water technology innovation intersects with the clean energy transition. As demand for lithium batteries soars, sustainable extraction methods that minimize water consumption and environmental impact while maximizing mineral recovery efficiency become increasingly valuable.
PFAS remediation represents another crucial investment frontier. As regulatory pressure mounts around these ‘forever chemicals,’ technologies that can effectively destroy or remove PFAS compounds from water supplies will see surging demand. Innovative destruction methods that avoid creating hazardous byproducts are particularly promising.
Resource recovery from wastewater streams is evolving beyond traditional biogas generation. New technologies enable the extraction of valuable compounds like rare earth elements, nutrients, and even pharmaceutical precursors from waste streams. This ability to derive value from what was once considered waste creates compelling circular economy opportunities.
Perhaps most significantly, nature-based solutions are gaining recognition as powerful tools for water management. From constructed wetlands to green infrastructure, these approaches offer cost-effective, resilient alternatives to traditional gray infrastructure while delivering multiple environmental benefits.
As these emerging trends align with growing environmental urgency and market demand, Fifty Years is positioned to catalyze the next generation of water technology breakthroughs. The fund’s thesis of backing transformative solutions that generate both profits and positive impact resonates strongly with these evolving market dynamics.
The Origins of Optimism
When Seth Bannon and Ela Madej founded Fifty Years, they weren’t just launching another venture capital firm – they were architecting a bold vision for technology’s role in solving humanity’s greatest challenges. Their thesis was remarkably straightforward yet revolutionary: the most successful companies of our era would be those tackling planetary-scale problems while building profitable businesses.
This vision emerged from a deep understanding that traditional venture capital often overlooked crucial challenges like water scarcity and climate change in favor of quick-return consumer applications. Bannon and Madej recognized that the world’s most pressing issues represented not just moral imperatives, but massive market opportunities.
Water technology quickly emerged as a cornerstone of their investment strategy. The logic was compelling: water touches every aspect of human civilization, from agriculture to industry to basic survival. Yet the sector had long suffered from chronic underinvestment and technological stagnation. While other VCs saw complexity and long sales cycles, Fifty Years saw an industry ripe for disruption and impact at scale.
Their approach to water technology investment reflects a sophisticated understanding of the sector’s unique dynamics. Rather than chase incremental improvements, they focus on transformative solutions that can fundamentally reshape how we manage, treat, and conserve water resources. This might mean backing breakthrough desalination technologies that slash energy consumption or supporting innovative water reuse systems that transform waste streams into valuable resources.
The firm’s investment process combines rigorous technical evaluation with a keen eye for scalability. Each potential investment must demonstrate not just innovative technology, but also a clear path to widespread adoption and measurable impact. This dual focus on commercial viability and environmental benefit has proven particularly valuable in the water sector, where public good and profitable growth must coexist.
Perhaps most notably, Fifty Years has pioneered a unique form of hands-on support for its portfolio companies. They leverage their network of industry experts, potential customers, and fellow investors to help startups navigate the complex landscape of water technology commercialization. This approach has proven especially valuable in helping companies bridge the notorious “valley of death” between promising technology and successful market deployment.
Their thesis about water technology has been validated by both market performance and impact metrics. Portfolio companies have demonstrated that solving water challenges can indeed generate venture-scale returns while creating measurable environmental benefits. This success has helped catalyze broader interest in water technology investment, drawing more capital and talent into the sector.
Deep Tech Meets Deep Impact
At the intersection of groundbreaking technology and environmental impact, Fifty Years’ water technology portfolio showcases how strategic early-stage investments can accelerate transformative solutions for our planet’s water challenges.
Ceramic desalination membranes represent one of the fund’s most promising innovations. Unlike conventional polymer-based membranes that degrade quickly and require frequent replacement, these ceramic alternatives offer exceptional durability and chemical resistance. The technology leverages zwitterionic chemistry – molecules with both positive and negative charges that naturally repel contaminants while allowing water molecules to pass through. This advancement cuts operational costs by up to 40% while extending membrane lifespan threefold.
Water reuse systems present another critical focus area in the portfolio. These decentralized treatment units enable commercial buildings to recycle up to 95% of their wastewater on-site. The systems employ a multi-stage process combining membrane filtration, UV disinfection, and real-time monitoring. Not only does this reduce strain on municipal infrastructure, but it also slashes building water consumption by up to 90%.
What sets these portfolio companies apart is their emphasis on scalability and commercial viability alongside technical innovation. Rather than pursuing incremental improvements, they target order-of-magnitude advances in efficiency, cost, and environmental impact. This approach has attracted follow-on investment from major water industry players, accelerating the path from lab to market.
The fund’s technical due diligence process plays a crucial role in identifying truly disruptive technologies. Beyond examining patent portfolios and prototype performance data, the team analyzes how innovations fit into existing treatment trains and infrastructure. This systems-level perspective helps select solutions that can achieve rapid market adoption.
Perhaps most importantly, these water technology investments demonstrate how venture capital can catalyze innovation in sectors traditionally viewed as slow-moving and conservative. By providing not just funding but also strategic guidance and industry connections, Fifty Years helps entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of the water sector while maintaining their bold visions for transformative change.
These technologies aren’t just interesting science projects – they represent viable pathways to address critical challenges like water scarcity, infrastructure resilience, and climate adaptation. As early successes drive additional investment into the sector, the potential for positive impact continues to grow.
Beyond Traditional Metrics
For Fifty Years, success in water technology investments extends far beyond conventional financial returns. The fund has pioneered an integrated approach that weaves environmental and social impact metrics directly into their investment thesis and due diligence process.
At the core of their methodology lies a sophisticated impact measurement framework that quantifies water savings, energy reduction, and environmental benefits across their portfolio companies. Each potential investment undergoes rigorous assessment against these metrics, ensuring that financial viability aligns with meaningful water conservation outcomes.
The fund’s due diligence process stands out for its emphasis on long-term sustainability. Beyond examining technical feasibility and market potential, Fifty Years evaluates how solutions can scale sustainably while maintaining their positive environmental impact. This includes detailed analysis of resource requirements, energy efficiency, and waste reduction throughout the technology lifecycle.
Portfolio support takes an equally holistic approach. Rather than focusing solely on operational guidance, Fifty Years actively helps companies develop robust impact measurement systems. They facilitate partnerships between portfolio companies and research institutions to validate environmental claims and quantify benefits through peer-reviewed methodologies.
Significantly, the fund has developed a unique ‘water impact multiplier’ framework that tracks how solutions catalyze broader system-level changes. This includes measuring indirect benefits like reduced chemical usage, improved watershed health, and enhanced community resilience to water stress.
What truly sets Fifty Years apart is their commitment to knowledge sharing and industry transformation. Portfolio companies are encouraged to collaborate, share learnings, and build upon each other’s innovations. This creates a multiplier effect where individual technological breakthroughs contribute to advancing the entire water technology sector.
Perhaps most notably, Fifty Years has demonstrated that strong environmental impact and attractive financial returns are not mutually exclusive. Their portfolio companies consistently outperform industry averages while delivering quantifiable water conservation benefits. This success has helped challenge the traditional notion that environmental technology investments must sacrifice returns for impact.
Learn more about innovative approaches to impact measurement and water technology investing
Scaling Water Innovation
Fifty Years’ vision for scaling water technology stretches far beyond traditional venture capital boundaries. The fund recognizes that widespread adoption of transformative water solutions requires a carefully orchestrated approach combining technological innovation, market readiness, and ecosystem support.
At the heart of their scaling strategy lies a deep commitment to building resilient companies with demonstrable impact. While early-stage investments often focus on proving technical feasibility, Fifty Years deliberately guides portfolio companies toward commercial validation in real-world settings. This approach helps startups navigate the complex regulatory environment and lengthy procurement cycles typical in the water sector.
The fund’s acceleration model emphasizes strategic partnerships as force multipliers. By connecting portfolio companies with established industry players, utilities, and regulatory bodies early in their development, Fifty Years creates pathways for rapid market entry and expansion. These relationships prove especially valuable in an industry where credibility and track record significantly influence adoption rates.
Looking ahead, Fifty Years sees distributed solutions playing an increasingly critical role in addressing global water challenges. Their investment thesis favors technologies that can be implemented modularly and scaled incrementally, allowing for faster deployment and reduced capital intensity. This approach aligns with the growing trend toward decentralized water management systems, particularly in regions facing acute infrastructure challenges.
The fund also recognizes that successful scaling requires more than superior technology. Their portfolio support emphasizes building robust business models that can weather market fluctuations while delivering consistent environmental and social benefits. This includes helping companies develop flexible pricing structures and service-based offerings that lower barriers to adoption.
Perhaps most significantly, Fifty Years is actively working to reshape how the water sector approaches innovation itself. Their emphasis on data-driven decision-making and quantifiable impact metrics is helping create new standards for evaluating water technologies. This systematic approach to measuring and communicating value propositions helps accelerate market acceptance and adoption rates.
The future of water innovation, as envisioned by Fifty Years, is increasingly collaborative and interdisciplinary. The fund actively promotes cross-pollination of ideas between portfolio companies and encourages the development of complementary solutions that can create broader system-level impacts. As explored in “Can Private Capital Change the World of Water for the Better?“, this integrated approach to innovation scaling holds tremendous potential for transforming the water sector.
By maintaining this comprehensive view of scaling challenges and opportunities, Fifty Years is helping create a more resilient and innovative water technology ecosystem – one that can effectively address both immediate needs and long-term sustainability goals.
Final words
Fifty Years stands at the intersection of venture capital and water innovation, demonstrating that early-stage investment in science-driven solutions can catalyze transformative change in the water sector. Their approach of leading with deep technical expertise while maintaining a laser focus on global impact has positioned them as a key player in shaping water’s future. The fund’s emphasis on backing ambitious founders at the pre-seed and seed stages, combined with their comprehensive support system, creates a powerful platform for launching the next generation of water technology companies. As water challenges intensify globally, Fifty Years’ model of patient capital coupled with scientific rigor offers a blueprint for how venture funding can accelerate the development and deployment of critical water solutions. The success of their portfolio companies will not just generate returns – it will help ensure a more water-secure future for all.
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