Michael Hank’s Insights at Tech Tour Water Tech 2024

In this insightful talk, Michael Hank shares his 20+ years of experience building successful water technology companies. From founding his first membrane filtration startup in 1999, to scaling a second company focused on plug-and-play water treatment systems, he reveals key lessons in financing, navigating regulations, and developing effective sales channels. Learn about the challenges and opportunities in the water industry, the importance of perseverance, and the future of clean water innovation. Ideal for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone passionate about sustainable water solutions. 0:00 Introduction and background on Michael Hank 1:30 Starting first business and early financing 4:00 Expansion and challenges in membrane manufacturing 7:30 Founding second company focusing on plug-and-play water treatment 11:00 Sales and financing strategies for second company 14:00 Key lessons in building water-related businesses 17:00 Challenges with regulations and market entry 20:30 Importance of sales channels and scaling sales 24:00 Sales growth, investor relationships, and company valuation 28:00 Final lessons and future outlook in water technology entrepreneurship About Tech Tour: Tech Tour is the largest tech entrepreneurs and investor community in Europe. Every year, over 1,000 of the most promising tech companies are selected by some 1,000 investment, corporate, and cluster experts engaged in 25 specialised Investment Programmes culminating in annual events. All of Europe and all tech sectors are covered — including digital, health, and sustainability — with a focus on growth companies and scale-ups with the best potential to generate returns and impact. 🌐 Website: https://techtour.com/ 📌 Follow us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tour X: https: https://x.com/TechTourHQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TechTourHQ