Orbia
Orbia Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Orbia, the Mexican materials group behind Wavin water pipes and Netafim irrigation. It backs early-stage climate, circular-economy and water-infrastructure startups from its Boston base. As of 2026 it has backed 2 water companies across 2 deals, and (don't) Waste Water rates its water commitment Occasional.
Compiled by Antoine Walter, (don't) Waste Water, from official filings and direct intelligence in Leviathan.
The take
Orbia Ventures sits inside a company whose core business has always touched water. Orbia, the Mexico City materials group once known as Mexichem, owns Wavin, the maker of pipes that move drinking water and sewage, and Netafim, the drip-irrigation pioneer that helped farmers grow more crop per drop. So when Orbia launched a corporate venture arm in 2020 to put money into startups, backing the odd water company was a natural extension of the day job.
Orbia Ventures spreads its bets wide, across climate tech, decarbonization, the circular economy, food security, energy storage and water infrastructure, so water is one lane in a much bigger garage. On the water side the pattern is early-stage and infrastructure-flavored: Aquacycl, which treats industrial wastewater with microbial fuel cells, and StormSensor, which wires up stormwater and sewer networks with cloud-connected sensors. Both are the kind of nuts-and-bolts utility plays you would expect from a company that already sells pipes and irrigation kit.
Orbia Ventures has stayed a light, opportunistic water backer rather than a dedicated one. In my Leviathan database it shows up on just 2 water deals, the most recent in 2023, and it has led about half the rounds it joined rather than only following along. That cadence is why (don't) Waste Water files its water commitment as Occasional: the appetite is real and the parent's water know-how is genuine, but the water cheques read as a polite line item next to the climate and circular-economy work, not the main event.
Water Commitment Score
Compiled from official filings, third-party records, and direct intelligence from investors and founders, in Leviathan · recomputed monthly · as of Jun 2026.
How they invest
Portfolio · 2 water companies
Invests alongside
Highlighted = profiled on (don't) Waste Water.
Frequently asked
- What does Orbia Ventures invest in?
- Orbia Ventures backs early-stage startups across climate tech, decarbonization, the circular economy, food security, energy storage and water infrastructure. It is the corporate venture arm of Orbia, the materials group behind Wavin pipes and Netafim irrigation, so water and infrastructure themes sit naturally alongside its broader climate portfolio.
- Who runs Orbia Ventures?
- Orbia Ventures is led by Managing Director Eitan Dekel, with Shai Albaranes overseeing it as Orbia's Corporate Vice President of Innovation and Ventures. The team also leans on subject-matter experts from Orbia business units like Wavin, Koura and Dura-Line to support the startups it backs.
- Is Orbia Ventures a water fund?
- Orbia Ventures is a generalist corporate venture arm, not a dedicated water fund. Its mandate spans climate, circular economy, food security, energy and water. On the water side (don't) Waste Water has tracked 2 investments and rates its overall water commitment Occasional rather than core.
- Where is Orbia Ventures based?
- Orbia Ventures operates from Boston, Massachusetts, while its parent Orbia is the Mexico City-headquartered materials and infrastructure group formerly known as Mexichem. Orbia launched the corporate venture fund in 2020 to invest in startups across its climate, circular-economy and water themes.
- What water companies has Orbia Ventures backed?
- Orbia Ventures has backed two water companies that (don't) Waste Water tracks: Aquacycl, which treats industrial wastewater using microbial fuel cells, and StormSensor, which monitors stormwater and sewer networks with cloud-connected sensors. Both are early-stage infrastructure plays close to Orbia's pipes-and-irrigation roots.