GIWS students head to AquaHacking Prairies Grand Finale
César Pedrosa Soares and Sam Lucy Behle are heading to Calgary to compete in the AquaHacking Prairies Grand Finale for the chance to win seed funding to launch their water-tech startup.
Two graduate researchers from the Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) are preparing to take the stage at the AquaHacking Prairies Grand Finale, where they will pitch their innovative water-technology solution to a panel of judges.
César Pedrosa Soares, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geography and Planning, and Sam Lucy Behle, a visiting PhD student from Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, are members of Team Consilience, one of five finalist teams selected to compete in the finale. The event takes place in Calgary and online on February 5, bringing together emerging innovators, water experts and industry leaders from across the Prairies.
Their innovation, DriftEye Swarm (Fluvius Brain), is a network of compact, affordable and autonomous in-water devices designed to continuously monitor lakes and rivers for early signs of aquatic invasive species. Operating independently over long periods, the devices make largescale aquatic surveillance more accessible to local communities, water managers and Indigenous groups, helping to prevent ecological and economic damage before invasions become established.
Aquatic invasive species pose a growing threat to Prairie waterways, disrupting ecosystems, harming biodiversity and placing significant strain on local economies. Early detection remains one of the most effective defenses, yet traditional monitoring can be costly, require monitoring infrastructure, and limited in scope.
"There is a tiny window where an invasive species is just beginning to appear in a water body," said Team Consilience. "If we can detect it during that moment, we still stand a chance of removing it or at least reducing its impact."
At the Grand Finale, teams will present their solutions live to a panel of judges, outlining the technology, its real-world applications and its potential for long-term impact. The winning team will receive $20,000 in seed funding to support the next stage of development and commercialization.
The AquaHacking Prairies Competition is a water-tech and innovation program focused on tackling urgent water challenges affecting the region's vast and interconnected ecosystems. By combining entrepreneurship, technology and environmental stewardship, the competition aims to help transform promising ideas into practical solutions for Canada's water future.
Members of the public are invited to watch the pitches live, either in person in Calgary or online, and see Prairie innovators compete to shape the future of water monitoring and protection.
Attend in person: https://bit.ly/aquahacking-prairies-2025-grand-finale
Watch online: https://bit.ly/494XOkw