HOPE Hydration

HOPE Hydration, a certified B Corporation founded in 2020, is engineering a solution to the scarcity of public drinking water and the proliferation of single-use plastic waste. The company was established by CEO Jorge Richardson, a Forbes '30 Under 30' alumnus, alongside cultural strategist Cristina Gnecco and hardware engineer Dave Tigue. Richardson's concept for the venture emerged from his prior experience as head of business development at a Spanish water startup, where he developed an app to locate free water fountains. This experience, combined with a partnership at the Cannes Lions festival, illuminated the potential of a marketing-driven model to fund sustainable infrastructure.

The company's core business revolves around a unique advertising-based revenue model. HOPE Hydration provides, installs, and maintains its 'HydroStations' at no cost to host venues such as airports, stadiums, city centers, and major events. Revenue is generated by selling advertising space on the large 55-inch digital screens integrated into each station. This approach transforms a traditional cost center for venues into a potential revenue stream, as hosts may receive a share of the advertising income. This model funds the company's mission to provide free, chilled, and filtered drinking water, tapping into local water lines and using advanced filtration technology from partners like Pentair.

The HydroStations are sophisticated, tech-enabled units designed for both indoor and outdoor use. Each station is equipped with IoT technology for real-time monitoring of water quality, usage, and maintenance needs. An advertiser dashboard provides data on ad impressions and engagement, functioning like a modern digital billboard network and allowing brands to track campaign performance. This data-driven system also quantifies the positive environmental impact by tracking the number of plastic bottles saved and the reduction in CO2 emissions. Having already provided millions of free refills, the company has attracted notable investors, including a $20 million Series A round in July 2025, to fuel its global expansion.

Keywords: water refill stations, digital out-of-home advertising, ad-funded infrastructure, sustainable hydration, smart city solutions, IoT water management, public drinking water, plastic waste reduction, media-tech, environmental impact tracking, venue partnerships, corporate social responsibility, B Corporation, Pentair filtration, free water network, urban tech, event hydration, smart infrastructure, DOOH, impact investing