EIT Water Wavemaker Baltics 2026
EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026 | Klaipeda
EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026 Winner
EIT Water WAVEMAKER pilot — regional award event
EIT Water logo Co-funded by the European Union logo Grundfos Foundation logo Klaipeda logo Klaipeda Science and Technology Park logo DEEP Ecosystems logo
Overall winner announced

EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026

Congratulations to EMPYRIO — the overall winner of EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026. The regional award event brought together startups, spinouts, industrial partners, mentors and investors in Klaipeda to accelerate real-world water innovation.

Meet the Winner See All Finalists
About the event

A regional award event for water innovation with real industrial pathways.

EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026 connects promising startups, SMEs and research spinouts with industrial end-users, infrastructure operators, mentors, investors and public authorities. The event takes place as part of Portathon 2026 in Klaipeda port, running from 25–27 September 2026.

From innovation to market uptake

Selected ventures receive structured pitch feedback, mentoring and visibility to help move solutions closer to validation, deployment and growth.

Part of Portathon 2026

For the eighth year in a row, Klaipeda will become a place to embrace challenges, disrupt the status quo and shape the future of global maritime technologies.

Maritime innovators wanted

Innovators, tech and maritime start-up creators, brave and creative minds — we can’t wait to see you at Klaipeda Science and Technology Park.

Keynote speakers

Three perspectives on scaling water and blue-economy innovation.

Hear from Amelie Desrochers on moving from pilots to measurable corporate traction, Pedro Bobião on blue-economy clusters that scale, and Viktorija Trimbel on winning investor trust in minutes.

Amelie Desrochers headshot
Featured keynote

Amelie Desrochers

Co-Founder & CEO, Afloat Invest

Beyond Pilot: Building Real Traction With Corporate Demand Owner

Afloat is a NatureTech investment and media platform mobilizing capital into nature and ocean technologies. Amelie will focus on how startups can move from promising pilots to measurable commercial progress with corporate demand owners.

NatureTech and ocean technology investment thesis
Investor readiness and commercial due diligence
Market intelligence and investment taxonomy
Capital mobilization beyond traditional impact investing
Pedro Bobião headshot
Featured keynote

Pedro Bobião

Videgrunwald

Blue Economy Clusters: Turning Innovation into Ecosystems that Scale

Pedro will focus on the importance of clusters in accelerating the Blue Economy — bringing together research, startups, established companies, investors, public institutions and territories around concrete economic opportunities. Well-designed clusters can connect fragmented capabilities, accelerate technology adoption, strengthen the path from research to market, attract investment and create the conditions for new businesses and solutions to scale.

Blue Economy cluster development
Research-to-market pathways
Startup, industry and investor collaboration
Scaling ecosystems around concrete opportunities
Viktorija Trimbel headshot
Featured keynote

Viktorija Trimbel

Managing Director, Coinvest Capital

Pitch Perfect: Winning Investor Trust in Minutes

Seasoned practitioner in the Lithuanian and regional capital markets with an excellent track record in M&A, fund raising and corporate governance, dedicated to support founders and co-investors and promote the Lithuanian startup ecosystem.

Viktorija is also a member of the Lithuanian Capital Markets Board, Board Member at Lithuanian Business Angel Association, and the Head of Governance Policy Group for Lithuania at the Baltic Institute of Corporate Governance.

Investor trust and fundraising readiness
Lithuanian and regional capital markets
M&A and corporate governance
Keynote speaker, mentor and jury member

Contact: [email protected]

Challenge areas

What challenges are we tackling?

We are looking for solutions that help industries, cities and communities use water more efficiently, improve resilience and protect aquatic ecosystems.

Water efficiency, recycling & circularity

Industrial water reuse, smart monitoring, resource recovery, water-saving technologies and circular process water systems.

Climate resilience & adaptation

Solutions for flood, drought, infrastructure stress, extreme events, decision support and resilient water systems.

Marine & freshwater water quality

Pollution monitoring, water-quality analytics, nutrient reduction, microplastics detection and ecosystem restoration.

Industrial decarbonization

Water-linked decarbonization, industrial symbiosis, waste heat recovery, digital twins and renewable energy integration.

Why apply?

Pitch, learn, connect and unlock pilot pathways.

Selected teams will gain exposure to mentors, jury members, industrial stakeholders and innovation ecosystem leaders.

Funding & support

Five selected regional finalists will receive 200 € each to support their visit to Klaipeda, alongside access to upcoming project calls, business creation programmes and expert mentoring.

Network integration

Connect with 50+ core organizations, researchers and industry leaders across 24 countries.

Collaborative activities

Join community initiatives, entrepreneurial education and the EIT Water innovation roadmap.

Compete for recognition

Three regional winners will receive free EIT Water membership for 2027, with five selected regional finalists receiving 200 € each to support their visit to Klaipeda.

Jury & mentors

Pitch to a top-notch jury and receive practical mentor feedback.

Finalists will receive input from experienced jury members, investors, water innovation experts and blue-economy ecosystem leaders.

International investor jury

Present your solution to a high-calibre jury with international investor perspective and market-readiness feedback.

200 € finalist support

Five selected regional finalists will each receive 200 € to help them visit Klaipeda and participate in the regional final.

Pilot and growth feedback

Get input on customer validation, industrial use cases, partnerships, pilots and next steps toward funding readiness.

Viktorija Trimbel

Managing Director, Coinvest Capital. Viktorija joins the event as a keynote speaker, mentor and jury member.

Mentors

Confirmed mentors in Klaipeda.

These mentors will be available during the WAVEMAKER Baltics programme to support finalists with practical feedback and connections.

Dr. Laima Gerlitz

Hochschule Wismar, University of Applied Sciences: Technology, Business and Design

Arnoldas Jonaitis

Klaipeda Science and Technology Park

Roman Rimsha

Private Angel Investor

Nils Heine

CPL Competence in Ports and Logistics GmbH

Giedrius Janušauskas

Klaipeda Science and Technology Park

Andrius Sutnikas

Western Baltic Engineering

Gintvilė Šimkonienė

Klaipeda University

Andrius Šablinskas

Schneider Electric

Portathon 2026 coordinator contact: Erika Zavackiene, project manager, [email protected].

Awards

Regional WAVEMAKER recognition and EIT Water membership.

The overall winner has been announced: EMPYRIO. The regional winners receive free EIT Water membership for 2027. In addition, selected regional finalists receive 200 € each to support their visit to Klaipeda.

Overall Winner: EMPYRIO

EMPYRIO is the overall winner of EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026. As the first-place regional winner, EMPYRIO receives free EIT Water membership for 2027 and is invited to represent the Baltics 2026, present its solution and receive recognition during the EIT Water Launch Event scheduled for 15 October 2026.

  • Free EIT Water membership for 2027
  • Invitation to represent the Baltics 2026 at the EIT Water Launch Event on 15 October 2026
  • Opportunity to present the solution and receive European recognition
  • At the European event, the global winner will receive €5,000 and one additional year of EIT Water membership for 2028
  • Travel coverage for the Launch Event: to be confirmed

2nd Place Regional Winner

Free EIT Water membership for 2027, regional recognition and EIT Water ecosystem visibility.

3rd Place Regional Winner

Free EIT Water membership for 2027, regional recognition and EIT Water ecosystem visibility.

Overall winner announced

Congratulations to EMPYRIO.

EMPYRIO has been selected as the overall winner of EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026 in Klaipeda. The team stood out for its compact, autothermal treatment equipment supporting on-site sewage sludge management, phosphorus circularity and reduced dependence on external disposal routes.

Water circularity Supports phosphorus recovery and smarter sludge management for wastewater treatment operators.
Baltic relevance Addresses nutrient pressure and water-quality priorities for Baltic Sea communities.
Next step Invited to represent the Baltics 2026 at the EIT Water Launch Event on 15 October 2026.

Overall Winner: EMPYRIO

EMPYRIO develops compact, autothermal treatment equipment that helps small and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants manage sewage sludge on site while enabling phosphorus circularity and reducing dependence on external disposal routes.

Why it matters: nutrient pressure and phosphorus recovery are critical for Baltic Sea water quality, especially for smaller municipalities and wastewater operators.

Visit empyrio.com →
Finalist startups

Meet the WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026 finalists.

Four startup finalists pitched water, marine and blue-economy solutions in Klaipeda — from coastal intelligence and sludge circularity to autonomous marine operations and floating solar. EMPYRIO was selected as the overall winner.

Recycllux logo

Recycllux

recycllux.com →

Recycllux provides end-to-end digital infrastructure for coastal authorities, using Earth Observation and AI to detect marine pollution hotspots, prioritise interventions, coordinate local recovery actors and produce secure, auditable impact reporting.

The Baltic sub-region is a strong fit because its shared, semi-enclosed sea and port cities need coordinated, data-driven marine pollution prevention and verified cleanup impact.

Overall Winner
EMPYRIO logo

EMPYRIO

empyrio.com →

EMPYRIO develops compact, autothermal treatment equipment that helps small and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants manage sewage sludge on site while enabling phosphorus circularity and reducing dependence on external disposal routes.

The Baltic sub-region is a priority market because nutrient pressure and phosphorus recovery are critical for Baltic Sea water quality, especially for smaller municipalities and wastewater operators.

Vessel X logo

Vessel X

vesselx.net →

Vessel X builds an AI-powered maritime platform and autonomous surface vessels that monitor waterways, detect pollution and anomalies, collect surface waste and generate real-time environmental data for operators.

The Baltic sub-region is a natural target because its ports, marinas and shallow coastal waters need low-emission autonomous monitoring and cleanup tools for a shared marine environment.

NAUTRACKER logo

NAUTRACKER

nautracker.com →

NAUTRACKER designs and develops patented single-axis floating solar trackers for marine and sheltered water environments such as ports, reservoirs, estuaries and industrial ponds, increasing energy yield while reducing land-use conflict.

The Baltic sub-region is attractive because its ports, reservoirs and sheltered waters can host clean floating PV pilots that support regional decarbonization without competing for scarce land.

Startup contact emails are intentionally not displayed.

Programme

Afternoon event agenda

Draft programme for 26 September 2026 as part of Portathon 2026. Final timings may be adjusted once mentors, jury and participating startups are confirmed.

13:00 – 13:30
Keynote: Beyond Pilot: Building Real Traction With Corporate Demand Owner Amelie Desrochers, Co-Founder & CEO of Afloat Invest, on moving from promising pilots to measurable commercial progress with corporate demand owners. Target: Portathon participants.
13:30 – 14:00
Keynote: Blue Economy Clusters: Turning Innovation into Ecosystems that Scale Pedro Bobião, Videgrunwald, on how clusters can connect research, startups, companies, investors, public institutions and territories around scalable blue-economy opportunities.
14:00 – 15:30
Pitch training with mentors & business representatives Each participant gets feedback from each mentor.
15:30 – 16:30
Final pitch preparation Pitch polishing based on mentor and business feedback.
16:30 – 17:00
Pitches
17:30 – 18:00
Jury deliberation Participants can explore Portathon while the jury deliberates.
18:00 – 18:30
Award ceremony and next steps
18:30 – 20:30
Networking dinner
Sign up

Sign up to attend the event.

Use the form to register your interest in attending EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026 in Klaipeda. Startup teams that want to pitch should also complete the separate application form.

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Startup applications

Apply to pitch at WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026.

Applications are open for startups, SMEs and research spinouts developing solutions for water circularity, climate resilience, water quality, industrial sustainability and decarbonization. Application deadline: 7th September 2026.

Open Application Form
Venue

Hosted at Klaipeda Science and Technology Park.

WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026 takes place at Klaipeda Science and Technology Park as part of Portathon 2026 in Klaipeda port.

Klaipeda Science and Technology Park

Address:
Vilhelmo Berbomo St. 10
Klaipeda, Lithuania

  • Part of Portathon 2026
  • Portathon dates: 25–27 September 2026
  • Pitching, mentoring and award ceremony on 26 September 2026
  • Maritime, water and industrial innovation community
Klaipeda Science and Technology Park logo
Klaipeda Science and Technology Park, Lithuania Portathon setting for maritime technologies, water circularity, resilience and decarbonization.
Organizers & partners

Delivered by innovation ecosystem builders.

The regional WAVEMAKER event is organized by DEEP Ecosystems with Klaipeda Science and Technology Park as partner and host, connecting startups with Portathon, an international network of innovation hubs, mentors, industrial stakeholders and ecosystem partners.

DEEP Ecosystems

International ecosystem-building organization supporting startups, SMEs, innovation hubs, investors and public-sector partners.

Klaipeda Science and Technology Park

Partner and host venue for WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026, connecting the event to Portathon and Klaipeda’s maritime innovation ecosystem.

EIT Water ecosystem

The event contributes to the wider EIT Water WAVEMAKER Business Creation Award programme and its regional innovation pathway.

Portathon 2026

WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026 is part of Portathon 2026, taking place in Klaipeda port from 25–27 September 2026.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics 2026?

It is a regional business creation award event for startups, SMEs and spinouts working on water innovation, circularity, climate resilience, water quality and industrial sustainability.

When and where will the event take place?

The event will take place on 26 September 2026 at Klaipeda Science and Technology Park, Vilhelmo Berbomo St. 10, Klaipeda, Lithuania. It is part of Portathon 2026, which runs from 25–27 September 2026 in Klaipeda port.

Who should apply to pitch?

Startups, SMEs and research spinouts with solutions relevant to water efficiency, circularity, climate resilience, freshwater or marine water quality, industrial sustainability or decarbonization.

How do I apply?

Use the application form linked on this page. Applications are submitted through the dedicated Google Form. The application deadline is 7th September 2026.

How do I sign up to attend?

Use the embedded sign-up form in the “Sign up” section. Startup teams that want to pitch should also complete the application form.

What are the prizes?

Five selected regional finalists receive 200 € each to support their visit to Klaipeda. EMPYRIO has been announced as the overall winner and, together with the other regional winners, receives free EIT Water membership for 2027. EMPYRIO will also be invited to represent the Baltics 2026 at the EIT Water Launch Event on 15 October 2026. At that European event, the global winner will receive €5,000 and one additional year of EIT Water membership for 2028.

Will travel be covered for the winner?

Five selected regional finalists will receive 200 € each to support their visit to Klaipeda. Travel coverage for the 1st place winner’s participation in the EIT Water Launch Event is to be confirmed.

What language will the event use?

The recommended working language is English to support international participation from the Baltic region, Germany and the wider European ecosystem.

Ready to become a WAVEMAKER?

Join us in Klaipeda on 26 September 2026 and help shape the future of water innovation in Europe.

© 2026 EIT Water WAVEMAKER Baltics. Organized by DEEP Ecosystems with Klaipeda Science and Technology Park.
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