In this episode of Disruptors for GOOD, host Grant Trahant speaks with Jorge Richardson, co-founder and CEO of Hope Hydration, a startup on a mission to make free water universally accessible—powered by beautiful, connected hardware and backed by advertisers.

Fresh off a $20 million Series A funding round, Jorge shares how Hope is transforming how people interact with hydration infrastructure by combining smart IoT technology, elegant design, and ad-driven revenue models.

Their refill stations are already popping up in airports, stadiums, and major cities, with big plans ahead.

From Investment Banking to Impact Hardware

Jorge’s journey into impact entrepreneurship didn’t begin in sustainability—it started in finance. After walking away from a promising investment banking career and spending time in Nepal, Jorge found himself working on a water access app in Spain.

That project planted the seed for what would eventually become Hope Hydration.

The realization?

Access to public water infrastructure in major cities is severely lacking, even in places like New York City. “The question became: how can we put free water on every corner—and make that model scalable?” Jorge says.

What is Hope Hydration?

Hope Hydration builds and installs smart, touchless water stations that dispense free filtered water. The twist? The entire system is advertiser-funded.

Here’s how it works:

• Hope provides the stations for free to hosts like airports, stadiums, and retail locations.
• Advertisers pay to display branded messaging on the digital screens embedded in the units.
• Hosts not only get free water access but also share in the advertising revenue.

Hope’s tagline? “Refill your next adventure.” Whether you’re headed to the gym or hiking through Bali, Hope wants to be there.

The Tech Behind the Tap

Hope Hydration isn’t just installing glorified water fountains—they’re building a full-stack tech platform:

• IoT-enabled sensors measure usage, refill counts, and filter health in real time.
• Fleet management software enables remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and performance analytics.
• Advertiser dashboard allows brands to buy placements by location and monitor engagement, like a modern-day digital billboard network.

Jorge emphasizes that nearly 90% of Hope’s software is custom-built, giving them full control and flexibility as they scale.

Locations & Reach

Currently, Hope Hydration stations can be found in:

• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Austin
• New York
• Minneapolis

The company has also partnered with Liquid I.V. and Rivian to roll out branded hydration trucks on a cross-country tour, bringing the water directly to communities.

Inside the $20M Series A Raise

Jorge discusses the nuances of raising capital for a hardware startup—a notoriously difficult path:

“Raising money is probably the hardest thing a founder will ever do. And with hardware, it’s 10x harder.”

Their Series A was led by Pentair and Burnt Island Ventures, both existing investors from earlier rounds.

Jorge credits the traction from events, festivals, and pilot programs—plus consistent product iteration—with securing long-term belief from his partners.

What’s Next for Hope?

Hope Hydration is currently in Phase 3: scaling commercialization in the U.S. The next 12–18 months will focus on:

• Expanding to new cities
• Increasing fleet efficiency
• Forming new advertiser partnerships
• Preparing for international expansion

The long-term vision? To provide free, high-quality water within a five-minute walk—anywhere on Earth.

Get Involved

Want to host a Hope Hydration station?
→ Visit hopehydration.com and scroll to the bottom to submit your location.

Want to advertise on a station?
→ Brands can reach active, on-the-go audiences in high-traffic areas. Get in touch through the site.

Just want better access to clean water in your city?
→ Email the team. Jorge and the team are actively looking to expand based on community demand.

Podcast Transcript: Q&A with Jorge Richardson, Co-Founder of Hope Hydration

Grant Trahant:
Jorge, thanks so much for joining me today. Congrats on the big Series A raise! Before we dive into Hope Hydration, walk us through your career path—how did you get here?

Jorge Richardson:
Yeah, it's been an unconventional journey. I grew up thinking I’d be an investment banker. I studied finance, went to business school, and even interned on Wall Street. But when I got there, I realized I didn’t want to analyze people building things—I wanted to build things myself.

That realization led me to leave New York. I ended up at a Buddhist monastery in Nepal where I met an entrepreneur who invited me to work with a small startup in Spain. I figured, worst case, I spend a year on the beach. Best case? It’s the adventure of a lifetime. That decision put me on the path to starting Hope.

Grant:
So what specifically sparked the idea for Hope Hydration?

Jorge:
While I was in Spain, we built an app that mapped free water fountains around the world. At its peak, it had over half a million refill points. Users could earn rewards for refilling and adding new fountain locations.

But when I returned to New York, I realized: there aren’t any convenient fountains. People aren’t walking 15 blocks to find one. I started asking, "Why can’t we put free water right outside every coffee shop?" That led to the bigger question—can we build a model that puts free water on every street corner in Manhattan? And if so, can it scale nationwide? Globally?

Those questions lit the fire. It became clear this wasn’t just a small annoyance—it was a problem that, if solved, could lead to real system-wide change.

Grant:
For people unfamiliar with Hope, how do you explain what it is?

Jorge:
We’re building a generational company that aims to provide free drinking water within a five-minute walk anywhere on Earth. Our tagline is: “Refill your next adventure.”

We install beautiful, touchless water refill stations at high-traffic venues. The twist? Everything is funded through advertising. The host gets a free machine, free installation, free maintenance—and even a revenue share. Advertisers get a brand moment with real-world impact. Everyone wins.

Grant:
So it’s like part water company, part media network?

Jorge:
Exactly. We didn't want to be just a water company or just an ad platform. We took inspiration from brands like Red Bull, National Geographic, and Rivian. At their core, they sell products—but what they really offer is an experience, a movement, a story. That’s what we’re building with Hope.

Grant:
How can someone host a Hope Hydration station?

Jorge:
It’s easy—just head to hopehydration.com, scroll to the bottom, and fill out our host interest form. We’ll evaluate the location, and if it’s a good fit, we’ll install the station for free and even share ad revenue with you.

Our stations are already in stadiums, airports, festivals, and even mom-and-pop shops. Whether you’re a small business or a major venue, the model is the same.

Grant:
Let’s talk software. Is everything built in-house?

Jorge:
About 90% of our software is custom-built. When we first spoke with a major U.S. city, we learned they didn’t even know how many public fountains they had—they sent people with clipboards to check. That was a huge opportunity.

So we built two main software stacks:

1. Water system monitoring – Tracks real-time usage, filter life, and impact.
2. Ad platform tools – Lets advertisers schedule and manage campaigns by location.

We also handle fleet management, maintenance alerts, and even self-healing capabilities—so we don’t need thousands of technicians checking machines. Our goal is for these stations to eventually manage themselves with AI.

Grant:
How did you validate the product before scaling?

Jorge:
Our first 18 months were focused on exploration. We didn’t want to build in a vacuum, so we talked to city officials, venues, and users. COVID helped accelerate interest in touchless, hygienic infrastructure.

Rather than install permanent units right away, we launched at live events—music festivals, conferences, etc. That allowed us to test, iterate, and rapidly improve. We went through 9–10 product versions in our first year alone. Our big breakthrough? Ultra Music Festival. It gave us volume, data, and visibility.

Grant:
Let’s talk about fundraising. What was the Series A process like?

Jorge:
Raising capital is tough—especially for a hardware startup. But we were lucky. Both of our Series A investors were part of our seed round. It was a true “traction round”—we weren’t selling a dream, we were showing real progress.

Pentair and Burnt Island Ventures believed in us from the beginning. This round let us double down on the relationship, grow our team, and scale our operations with confidence.

Grant:
Where can people currently find Hope stations?

Jorge:
Right now, we have permanent stations in:

• Los Angeles
• New York City
• Austin
• Miami
• Minneapolis

We also launched a partnership with Liquid I.V. and Rivian—our branded water trucks are touring the U.S., bringing hydration to events and communities. You can find the tour schedule on our website.

Grant:
Looking ahead, what does the next 3–5 years look like?

Jorge:
We think in phases:

• Phase 1: Test and learn.
• Phase 2: Build a commercialization plan.
• Phase 3 (current): Scale operations in the U.S.—more cities, more advertisers, more data.
• Phase 4: International expansion.

The challenge is adapting to cultural differences in water preferences. For example, Americans prefer cold water. In many parts of Asia, warm water is preferred. We’ll need to localize both hardware and software accordingly. It’s like building a new company in each region—but we’re excited.

Grant:
Final thoughts for listeners?

Jorge:
If you want a Hope station in your neighborhood, your park, or your business—reach out. If you’re a brand looking for high-impact advertising—reach out. And if you’re just someone who wants better access to free water—we see you. We’re doing this for you.

Hope only works when the whole community comes together.