Openversum
Organization Details
Openversum is a Swiss-based social enterprise that empowers local microentrepreneurs to provide safe drinking water to underserved communities through an innovative combination of sustainable water filtration technology, microfranchising, and digital tools. Our water filters are designed for affordability, ease of maintenance, and long-term impact, removing 99.99999% of contaminants without electricity. Micrentrepreneurs (mostly women in rural Colombia) receive training, business support, and access to our ERP platform to track sales, customers, and impact data, ensuring scalability and sustainability. By bridging the gap between technology and local ownership, Openversum creates jobs, improves health outcomes, and avoids CO₂ emissions, transforming access to clean water into a community-driven, financially viable solution.
Impact Story
In many rural and underserved communities, access to safe drinking water remains a daily struggle. Contaminated water leads to preventable diseases, missed school days, and economic hardship, disproportionately affecting women and children. Traditional water solutions often fail because they are too expensive, difficult to maintain, or lack local ownership. Openversum was founded to change this reality by empowering communities with a sustainable, decentralized approach to clean water access. Through our microfranchising model, we equip local entrepreneurs—many of whom are women—with high-quality water filters, training, and digital tools to build small businesses that provide safe drinking water to their neighbors. This model not only ensures clean water but also creates economic opportunities, strengthening local resilience and autonomy.
After two successful pilots in Ecuador and Colombia with more than 500 lives impacted with clean water, we are now launching our market entry in Colombia. One of our first entrepreneur is Eleyda, from Sincerin in rural Colombia. With no upfront investment, she joined Openversum, received training, and started selling and installing water filters in her community. Within weeks, she provided clean water to a dozen of families, finally earning an income. Her customers no longer need to buy costly bottled water or boil contaminated sources, reducing financial strain. We aim to replicate stories like Eleyda's across the globe, and transform access to safe water from a charity-based model into a self-sustaining movement—one entrepreneur, one community, and one filter at a time.
