Watergate AI closes £1.8m seed round to bring their IoT ‘smart stopcock’ to market

Watergate^®, a new water-tech innovator, today announces the successful closing of its seed investment round. The £1.8 million raise comes exclusively from hand-picked blue-chip ESG and Proptech angel investors and London-based Diomedes Capital. 

Founded in late 2023 by IoT veteran Krystian Zajac (who previously built smart home insurance company Neos, which was sold to Aviva), Watergate’s first move was the strategic acquisition of the Polish maker of “Sonic Smart Stopcock” – the award-winning water leak prevention and water sustainability technology. 

Rebranded Watergate, this WRAS-approved all-in-one ‘smart stopcock’ with associated peripherals and a suite of apps and enterprise software has completed a pilot phase in several hundred property installations in the UK.

“Watergate AI isn’t just about smart leak detection; it’s about securing the future of our most precious resource,” said Zajac, Founder & CEO of Watergate. “This investment empowers us to scale our technology, making a tangible impact on the escalating water crisis and protecting homes and businesses globally.”

Watergate’s technology addresses both financial and environmental concerns: by automatically detecting and stopping leaks, it reduced water damage claims by 62.9% in early trials¹, translating to billions in potential savings for insurers. Simultaneously, it contributes to ESG goals by preventing the waste of 30% of the 3 billion litres of water lost daily in the UK², significantly lowering water bills and carbon footprints.

Prevent leaks. Conserve water. Save money.

• Leak Detection: Minimises damage with real-time alerts, with auto shut off.
• Water Use Insights: AI analyses usage, enabling conservation strategies.
• Proactive compliance: Meets anticipated future requirements of regulators.

Watergate is initially targeting sectors where water leaks are a major issue, including home developers, student lettings, residential landlords, hotel chains, retail estates and public and government buildings.

Watergate’s AI-powered software analyses water usage across multiple properties, enabling building managers to implement targeted conservation strategies through precise sub-metering. Additionally, it supports ESG compliance by monitoring for Legionella risk and maintaining optimal water conditions.

A consumer version will be available in 2025, and the company is in talks with a number of UK insurers about the potential for sharing device costs and reducing premiums for users.

About Watergate

Watergate is a mission-driven water tech company dedicated to combating water leaks and promoting conservation. Our innovative solution helps property owners, building managers, and insurers protect assets and mitigate the impacts of water-related damage. Learn more at watergate.ai

Notes to editors

¹ Information from trials available on request.

² Every day 3bn litres of water are leaked according to Water UK – equivalent to 1,180 Olympic swimming pools or the total consumption of London. It is estimated by United Utilities that 30% or (900 million litres) of this takes place ‘beyond the stopcock’ (ie from customers’ own supply pipes, inside the home, gardens and businesses). A full bath is 80 litres of water, meaning the equivalent of more than 11 million bath loads of water is lost to leaks every day in Britain inside properties.

Supporting customer statements

Chris Roberts is head of property management at Leaf Living, a specialist provider of professionally managed private rented sector (PRS) housing with properties across the UK. He comments, “At Leaf Living, we offer customers a higher standard of renting in quality family-sized homes across the UK. Watergate helps protect our estate against water leaks, in line with our commitment to delivering the highest possible professional standards of property management, making living in a Leaf Living home as simple and stress-free as possible.”