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WATTER Co-Founder and CEO James Hancock [File Photo; background: Watter]<\/p>\n
WATTER\u2014a Dallas startup whose high-tech water heaters use wasted heat from compute devices to heat water in homes and businesses, while reducing demand on the grid\u2014has been named as a 2026 BNEF Pioneers finalist. Run by BloombergNEF, the competion identifies and celebrates \u201cstandout innovations\u201d that could play an important role in the energy transition.<\/p>\n
BloombergNEF, shorthand for Bloomberg New Energy Finance, is a strategic research service within Bloomberg LP. It named WATTER as one of 29 Pioneers finalists to be selected out of over 600 applications for this year\u2019s competition. Winners will be selected from the finalist pool and announced in mid-April.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
WATTER emerged from stealth with $5 million<\/a> in seed funding last March, as a spinout of Hunt Innovative Technologies, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Hunt Energy. Positioning itself to scale its revolutionary distributed compute model for residences and commercial properties, the company says its breakthrough tech will enable cloud computing to \u201cgenerate revenue while heating your water, delivering net zero computing.\u201d<\/p>\n Cited for potential in data center infrastructure<\/p>\n WATTER was selected by BloombergNEF in the category of \u201cTechnologies for Sustainable, Scalable Data Center Infrastructure.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n BloombergNEF noted that data center demand has seen \u201cexplosive growth,\u201d driven by the surge in the use of AI. That growth is straining power grids, water systems, and materials supply chains, the organization noted. BNEF projects data centers will become a major user of electricity, consuming 1,600 terawatt-hours by 2035\u2014around 4.4% of projected global electricity demand and comparable to some of the world\u2019s largest economies. \u00a0<\/p>\n With this challenge category, BNEF was looking for technologies that support this data center growth \u201cwhile meeting energy and climate goals.\u201d<\/p>\n BNEF said WATTER and the other finalists selected in the category \u201cfocus on improving efficiencies in cooling and power for data centers, alongside ways to make data centers better equipped to respond to grid constraints.\u201d<\/p>\n Other finalists include Austin\u2019s BASE Power Base Power battery connected to a home. [Photo: Base]<\/p>\n Other finalists in this year\u2019s competition include Austin-based BASE Power, selected in the category \u201cFlattening the duck curve.\u201d (As solar and wind installations have grown, BNEF said, many grids have come to face steep midday net-load dips and evening ramps, known as the \u201cduck curve.\u201d)<\/p>\n Aiming to serve as a \u201cvirtual power plant\u201d to bolster the Texas grid, Base was co-founded by CEO Zach Dell, son of billionaire Dell founder Michael Dell. The company\u2014which expanded to Dallas last summer<\/a>\u2014offers residential customers an all-in-one energy plan including a whole-home backup battery that can power homes during a blackout.<\/p>\n You can see all the 2026 BNEF Pioneers categories and finalists by going here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss what\u2019s next. Subscribe\u00a0to\u00a0Dallas\u00a0Innovates.<\/p>\n Track Dallas-Fort Worth\u2019s business and innovation landscape with our curated news in your inbox Tuesday-Thursday.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \tR E A D\u00a0\u00a0 N E X T\t<\/p>\n \t North Texas has plenty to see, hear, and watch.\u00a0Here are our editors’ picks. Plus, you’ll find more selections to “save the date.”<\/p>\n \t Creatives Care Dallas brings virtual care, behavioral health, 2,000+ medications with zero copay, and more to Dallas County’s gig workers. The community initiative is powered by Arete Health Shield in partnership with the Dallas Music Office.<\/p>\n \t The Austin-based energy startup\u2014co-founded and led by Zach Dell\u2014offers fixed-rate energy plans with home battery backup. Its $1 billion Series C will fund national expansion and a new factory at a former newspaper press site.<\/p>\n
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