What does water innovation look like?
For an outside observer, it can be hard to picture. They might imagine lab coats and beakers, running tests to turn brown waters, impacted by industrial pollution, back into drinkeable clean water.
For our AquaAction innovators, their reality is often something you don’t see.
While they usually spend years working on the science behind their solutions, they must also dedicate time to building that into a solid marketable business venture.
That means months of refining pitches and business plans, hours of dedicated coaching and learning, a necessary part of the process to develop solutions that protect our most precious resource.
As one of our AquaEntrepreneur alumni once put it, “You need to fall in love with the problem, not the solution.”
Trade shows like the Salon des technologies environnementales du Québec 2026, co-hosted by Réseau Environnement and AquaAction, help cutting-edge innovators introduce their solutions to the world.
On the trade show floor
At AquaAction, one of our main goals is to provide innovators the space and skills to go beyond the science and into the sales.
That's exactly what we achieved for our group of entrepreneurs at STEQ 2026 in March.
The conference exposed innovators to a vast network of those working in the environmental innovation space, alongside potential clients like municipalities thirsty for new solutions.
With a trade show floor packed with demo kiosks showing the strength of Quebec’s innovations, AquaAction’s booth stood out as an oasis of exciting water innovation.
As Mathieu Laneuville, President and CEO of Réseau Environnement and strategic partner to AquaAction put it:
“It’s important to have a space for the next generation and for entrepreneurship, and that’s exactly what AquaAction provides when they come to events like this. AquaAction is here to address both todays and tomorrow’s issues.”
“Dans l’oeil du dragon”
One of the most anticipated moments at the conference was the flagship “Dans l’oeil du dragon” pitch competition.
Inspired by the television show, a select group of five entrepreneurs take the stage to pitch ideas to highly skilled “dragons”.
The pitches are timed to five minutes, followed by a question-and-answer period where the dragons challenge the innovator’s ideas.
In the end, only one winner is crowned.
As AquaAction coach Martin Beaudry put it,
“It’s essential for a company to master its pitch. That’s where we see it, where we measure it. So here, we really see companies that have been selected first for their pitch, and secondly for their ability to build relationships externally."
Entrepreneur Perspectives
For our innovators, the value of attending these conferences is priceless.
According to Frederic Vincent from Valorix, the ultimate winner of the “Dans l’oeil du dragon’ pitch competition, his time at STEQ reminded him that the path he was on was the right one:
“It’s truly very motivating to have won the “Dans l’œil du dragon” competition. It shows me that the project is solid, well put together, and has a future, that we’re in the right place. It also helps reinforce our credibility.”
Alec Massé from Typha Co. (4th edition, AquaEntrepeneur) travelled all the way from Winnipeg for a chance to pitch at the competition and to participate at the AquaAction kiosk:
“Its certainly nerve wracking being in the spotlight, but definitely a great experience to just showcase what you have and having the opportunity to talk with the judges afterwards and learning about how we can improve in future runs.”
In the end, what most people don’t see is the trial and error and the moments of doubt that shaped it into a pitch that is confident and seems effortless.
That is what “pitch perfect” really means.
And when it connects, it opens the door to what the innovators really need to bring to their solutions to real world impact: pilots and projects.
Thinking of taking the journey yourself? Register for the 5th edition of the AquaEntrepeneur program.
Registration is open until April 15th !