Great Lakes & St. Lawrence 2026

to a unique St-Lawrence River leadership expedition and Detroit pitch Grand Finale

from a pool of $70,000. Receive $1,000 after the semi-final to help support your solution.

in the Canada or in the U.S.

through a multidisciplinary network of specialists and partners

an entrepreneur community, where you will receive visibility, networking, financing opportunities, and business development tools

through the AquaEntrepreneur program

• Participation in an AquaHacking Program is free
• There is no registration fee to take part in the Program
  

   

There is no minimum or maximum. You can participate solo or form a team.

However, we strongly encourage multidisciplinary teams.

Projects or solutions must contribute to solving one of the water issues presented in this Challenge. They can be nature-based solutions, biotech solutions, and technological solutions (hardware and software) based on digital tools, information technologies, programming, artificial intelligence, engineering or robotics, etc. Solutions cannot be regulatory in nature nor do we accept major infrastructure projects. 

The AquaHacking Program is open to anyone who wants to have a positive impact on water, whatever their field of study or expertise. We strongly encourage the participation of multidisciplinary teams. Although the AquaHacking Program ultimately leads to the creation of a startup, we respect the fact that some participants will not continue the adventure after the Program, which is why we award certification to the finalists to recognize their contribution. 

The AquaHacking Program is designed to serve as a launchpad for the development of your entrepreneurial project. You have the freedom to choose the legal form of your startup, whether it's a non-profit organization, a social enterprise, or an incorporated company. Whatever form you choose, it's essential to ensure the sustainability of your solution and your startup by drawing up a solid business plan and a clear development plan. 

You don't need to have an idea or a solution before you register. All the necessary resources will be made available to participants in order to proceed with the ideation and development of their solution.

• The AquaHacking Binational Program lasts 7 months.
• Participants should anticipate allocating 3 to 5 hours per week to the development of their solution and startup project.
• It is entirely possible to balance one's studies and/or full-time work with participation in the Program.

If you'd like to find out more and browse through some of the solutions that previous AquaHacking participants have worked on, please visit https://aquaaction.org/en/our-programs/aquahacking-challenge/past-aquahacking-challenges 

Semi-finalist teams who are not selected to advance to Phase 2, and whose Programs end after the Semi-Finals:

• Receive a certificate of participation
• Are encouraged to continue developing their solution and startup with the support of the AquaAction team.

Finalist teams who have completed the Program and pitched at the Finale in 2026:

• Receive certification.
• Receive start-up seed funding (TOP 3 only).
• Join one of Canada’s or the USA's top startup incubators.
• Access personalized legal support.
• Join AquaNation and benefit from visibility, networking, financing, and business development tools and opportunities.
• Ultimately, they will be eligible to join AquaAction's AquaEntrepreneur program to run pilot projects.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, judge or partner, please contact the AquaAction team at info@aquaaction.org