What is XPRIZE?
XPRIZE is a global non-profit organization that designs and manages large-scale competitions to inspire breakthroughs in science and technology that benefit humanity.
Founded in 1994 by Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, XPRIZE has become a world leader in incentive-based innovation, challenging researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs to solve some of the planet’s most urgent problems — from climate change and space exploration to healthcare and water security.
The XPRIZE model rewards results, not ideas.
By offering multi-million-dollar prizes, the organization motivates global teams to create practical, scalable solutions that can be implemented in real-world conditions.
Over the past three decades, XPRIZE has helped launch entire industries — from private spaceflight to carbon capture — and continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible through collaboration and competition.
The Mission of XPRIZE
XPRIZE exists to empower innovators to build a better future for humanity.
Its competitions are designed around three core principles:
- Incentivize Innovation: Offering major cash prizes to encourage technological leaps, not incremental improvements.
- Democratize Problem-Solving: Opening challenges to anyone, anywhere in the world, regardless of background or organization.
- Create Scalable Impact: Ensuring every solution can be replicated and expanded globally for lasting change.
From AI and energy to oceans, biodiversity, and water, XPRIZE’s goal is to accelerate discoveries that will define the next generation of sustainable living.
The XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition
Among XPRIZE’s groundbreaking programs, the XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition is one of its most ambitious.
Launched with the support of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative (MBZWI), this $119 million global challenge seeks innovative technologies that can produce clean, affordable, and sustainable freshwater for communities worldwide.
The Global Challenge
Over 2.3 billion people currently live in water-stressed regions, many of them in island, coastal, and arid areas where freshwater is limited.
Traditional desalination methods — though widely used — consume high amounts of energy and often harm marine ecosystems through brine discharge.
The XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition challenges innovators to rethink desalination — to make it cleaner, cheaper, and sustainable for the long term.
Competition Structure
The competition is divided into two major tracks:
- Track A – Desalination System-Level Innovation:
Focused on complete desalination systems capable of providing measurable, sustainable water output at community scale. - Track B – Novel Technologies and Materials:
Centered on breakthrough ideas, new materials, and early-stage technologies that improve desalination efficiency and affordability.
Each track invites innovators, universities, and companies worldwide to compete through multiple qualification, testing, and demonstration phases.
The winning technologies will set the global benchmark for renewable desalination and freshwater access.
Why XPRIZE Matters
XPRIZE is not just about competition — it’s about collaboration and global impact.
By bringing together the world’s brightest minds, it creates an ecosystem where ideas evolve faster, barriers break down, and innovation becomes inclusive.
For the Water Scarcity Competition, this means accelerating progress toward:
- Sustainable water production through renewable energy.
- Lower operational costs for developing nations.
- Reduced environmental impact through ecological design.
- Increased accessibility for communities most in need.
XPRIZE ensures that innovation doesn’t stay in the lab — it reaches the people who need it most.
aQuademy’s Role in XPRIZE
aQuademy, through PT Inovasi Kemandirian Air Nusantara (PT IKAN), is proud to be a Qualified Team in Track A of the XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition.
Representing Indonesia, aQuademy is competing on the global stage with its breakthrough aQuaSolis Submersible Energy and Desalination Platform (EDP) — a solar-powered, zero-carbon desalination system designed for island and coastal communities.
How aQuademy Aligns with XPRIZE
- Innovation: Developing renewable desalination using solar thermal energy.
- Sustainability: Producing clean water without carbon emissions or marine pollution.
- Scalability: Creating modular systems adaptable from small islands to regional networks.
- Social Impact: Empowering communities through clean water access and local management.
Through the XPRIZE competition, aQuademy is helping demonstrate that sustainable water independence is achievable — even for the most remote communities.
Timeline and Milestones
The XPRIZE Water Scarcity Competition runs through multiple phases over several years:
- Registration Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Track A) | May 31, 2025 (Track B)
- Qualification Submission: April 30, 2025 (Track A) | June 30, 2025 (Track B)
- Testing and Semifinals: 2026
- Final Demonstrations and Awards: 2027
During this period, teams like aQuademy will develop, test, and validate their systems through rigorous environmental and performance standards — ensuring solutions are not just innovative but deployable and impactful.
The Broader Impact of XPRIZE
XPRIZE has become more than a competition — it’s a movement for global innovation.
Its programs have spurred technological revolutions in:
- Private spaceflight (Ansari XPRIZE)
- Oil spill cleanup (Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup XPRIZE)
- Ocean exploration (Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE)
- Carbon capture (XPRIZE Carbon Removal)
Now, through XPRIZE Water Scarcity, the organization is tackling one of humanity’s most urgent needs — sustainable freshwater access.
By combining science, technology, and real-world testing, XPRIZE ensures that innovation serves both people and the planet.
A Shared Vision for a Water-Independent Future
Through participation in XPRIZE Water Scarcity, aQuademy joins a global alliance of innovators, engineers, and environmental advocates committed to building a water-secure and sustainable future.
Together, XPRIZE and aQuademy are not only redefining how desalination works — they are proving that clean water can be renewable, accessible, and regenerative.
Their shared vision reflects a new era of innovation:
where technology empowers communities, protects ecosystems, and ensures that every drop of water counts.
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