The archive · Climate & Energy · Strategic decision · 2024–2026
Waterhub bets refill machines can replace Indonesia's US$10B bottled-water habit
Founded 2024, Waterhub installs filtration refill machines and charges per use; 36 units live, seed from Archipelago VC, 2,000 machines planned by 2029.
Waterhub
What the business is
Waterhub installs reverse-osmosis water purifiers in Indonesian schools, hotels, gyms, and public places, charging pay-per-use or subscription fees to replace single-use bottled water.
Starting capital：In August 2025, it received a seed round led by Archipelago VC with participation from The Radical Fund (amount undisclosed); in the same year it was selected for the KINETIK Sweef Fellowship (one of five Indonesian green-economy startups).
How it started
Aerospace engineer Lyonda Huwaidi decided after graduation to work on 'things on the ground': giving Indonesians clean, affordable water. In 2024 she founded Waterhub; the team has two female founders, and they use a self-developed reverse-osmosis system to treat municipal water, rainwater, groundwater, and seawater, with a single machine producing 13,000 to 1,000,000 liters of water per day.
What happened
As of August 2025, Waterhub had deployed 36 units in Bali, Jakarta, Bandung, and Lombok (32 public water-purification points + 4 large-client systems), with customers covering fitness, food service, and hospitality, and 100+ additional units planned to be deployed within 2025; the company expects to filter more than 21 million liters of water in 2025. The August 2025 seed round was led by Archipelago VC and followed by The Radical Fund, amount undisclosed, to be used for expanding production, hiring, and filtration technology R&D.
How it ended up
Still running: after the seed round was secured, it began expanding production and R&D, targeting 2,000 machines by 2029 and expanding to remote areas such as Sumatra and the Gili Islands; the company bets that Southeast Asia will face a 40% water-supply gap by 2030.
Background
192 million Indonesians lack tap water, relying on bottled water, a $10 billion industry causing pollution. Founder Lyonda Huwaidi applied aviation engineering to create reverse-osmosis systems treating municipal, rain, ground, and seawater, producing 13,000 to 1,000,000 liters daily.
Waterhub installs purification points in gyms, hotels, restaurants; users pay per use or subscribe. By August 2025, 36 units in Bali, Jakarta, Bandung, Lombok; 100+ planned. 2025 target: filter 21 million liters; 2,000 machines by 2029.
Archipelago VC led an undisclosed seed round in August 2025; The Radical Fund participated. Funds for production, hiring, R&D. Waterhub joined KINETIK Sweef Fellowship. Betting on Southeast Asia's 40% water gap by 2030, it cooperates with bottled-water firms to replicate the model.
What has to be true
- 192 million lack reliable tap water; bottled water is a $10 billion market, leaving room for substitution.
- Gyms, hotels, festivals pay for cheap, green water, so cash flow precedes public benefit.
- Pay-per-use plus subscription; machine gross margins exceed bottled water, scaling via unit economics.
- Southeast Asia's 40% water gap by 2030 allows regional replication.
What can be applied
Replacing a billion-dollar daily habit requires cheaper and greener, not persuading consumers to pay for environmentalism. Secure high-traffic venues first for revenue, then expand to remote areas.
Aftermath
As of 2026-09-01: Waterhub is still operating; after the 2025 seed round and KINETIK Sweef Fellowship, it continues to expand production. According to its website, it operates in Bali, Jakarta, Bandung, and Lombok, targets 2,000 machines by 2029, and plans to enter remote areas such as Sumatra. No updated financing or shutdown information has been seen.
Sources
- Waterhub raises seed funding to expand sustainable drinking water access across Indonesia
- WaterHub's simple solution to reduce plastic
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