Contact:
The Water Council: Meghan Jensen, director of marketing
(414) 988-8754 mjensen@thewatercouncil.com
MILWAUKEE, WI – The Water Council announced that JPMorgan Chase & Co. has awarded it a $230,000 grant. The Water Council is now in its 2nd year of funding under JPMorgan Chase’s Small Business Forward initiative – a national, five-year, $30 million grant program meant to boost small business support networks that help growing enterprises in specific industries. The organizations forged their partnership in the fall of 2014 to bring together North America’s investment community and water technology entrepreneurs to match capital with water innovation.
With the grant, The Water Council will expand its efforts to connect water technology companies with investment capital through specialized training for angel investors, programming to connect corporation innovation departments with startups, and will introduce the first Water Venture Investment Conference at the Water Environment Federation’s Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) in Chicago.
“The importance of freshwater in the United States and across the globe is growing exponentially. At Chase, we believe that the small businesses that are being supported by The Water Council, may be the ones to find solutions to our freshwater challenges,” said James R. Popp, president of Chase in Wisconsin. “We are extremely pleased to announce a 2nd year of funding for The Water Council to help them support these businesses.”
“Southeast Wisconsin has found its economic niche in water technology and The Water Council is at the forefront of bringing that vision to fruition,” stated Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. “Through the contributions of private sector companies such as JPMorgan Chase, combined with investments from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), The Water Council has proven to be an excellent example of the accomplishments possible through public/private partnerships.”
The partnership will help enable water technology companies to strengthen and grow their businesses in the heart of the most densely populated water technology cluster in the United States, and to advance The Water Council’s vision of being the globally connected epicenter of freshwater research, innovation, education and business development.
“The Water Council and its programs to develop water technology businesses have become a success story for the City of Milwaukee, and the work on the World Water Hub has been truly impressive,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. “The continued investment of a global company like JPMorgan Chase speaks volumes about how Milwaukee and The Water Council have jointly grown our freshwater economy.”
“The Water Council is honored to continue this unique partnership with JPMorgan Chase, and support our next development as a global leader to unite water technology entrepreneurs and investors,” said Rich Meeusen, co-chair of The Water Council and chairman, president and CEO of Badger Meter. “In the first year of the Small Business Forward grant The Water Council has already developed the first investment conference focused on connecting young water technology companies with potential investors at the largest annual water quality conference in the world, WEFTEC. The precedent has been set, and big plans are on the horizon to foster the growth of the water technology industry.”
About The Water Council
The Water Council, the only organization of its kind in the United States, was established in 2009 by Milwaukee-area businesses, education and government leaders. With more than 150 water technology companies in the Milwaukee area, the region’s water industry is a $10.5 billion dollar market and accounts for four percent of the world’s total water business. The non-profit organization, consisting of more than 170 members, is linking together global water technology companies, innovative water entrepreneurs, acclaimed academic research programs and, most importantly, some of the nation’s brightest and most energetic water professionals. The Water Council is capturing the attention of the world and transforming the Milwaukee region into a World Water Hub for freshwater research, economic development and education. For more information, visit www.thewatercouncil.comAbout JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.6 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com
