NEWS RELEASE

WOTA Announces Series C Financing

— Accelerating the Deployment of Small-Scale Decentralized Water Recycling Systems; Extension Round Ongoing —

WOTA Corp. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; Representative Director & CEO: Yosuke Maeda; hereinafter “WOTA”), a company committed to addressing structural water challenges, has raised capital in its Series C round through a combination of preferred equity issuance, issuance of preferred shares to specified investors via the J-Ships framework facilitated by SMBC Nikko Securities Inc., and a syndicated venture debt arrangement with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation acting as arranger.

The round remains open as an extension round, and WOTA will continue to welcome additional investors.

It is projected that 40% of the global population will face water shortages by 2030 (*1). At the same time, fiscal challenges related to water and wastewater infrastructure are becoming increasingly evident, particularly in developed countries, making water scarcity a critical global issue. To fundamentally address this challenge, there is an urgent need to establish a new standard for sustainable water infrastructure that is resilient to both water scarcity and demographic changes.

WOTA is addressing this challenge by deploying small-scale decentralized water recycling systems that do not rely on conventional pipeline networks and are resilient to water scarcity.
In July 2025, WOTA established the “Water 2040 Fund”, aimed at municipalities across Japan facing population decline and aging water infrastructure. The fund is designed to support the transition to sustainable water infrastructure for future generations.
Through this initiative, WOTA provides integrated, mid- to long-term support—from planning and financing to operation and management—to municipalities confronting such challenges, thereby enabling the development of resilient and sustainable water systems.

Applications for support through the fund were accepted from municipalities until September 30, 2025. The response significantly exceeded expectations, with entries covering more than 20,000 households nationwide. WOTA is currently working with participating municipalities on a rolling basis to develop decentralized water infrastructure plans.

In December, in preparation for large-scale, nation-level disasters anticipated in the future (*2), WOTA established JWAD (Japan Water Association for Disaster), an inter-municipal wide-area mutual aid platform. This initiative aims to strengthen systems for securing water for daily-use during water outages by enabling mutual support among municipalities and facilitating the rapid deployment of water recycling systems and related equipment to affected areas.

WOTA is currently advancing agreements with prefectures nationwide, with disaster response agreements concluded with 21 prefectures as of April 17, 2026 (*3).

1: Water 2030 Global Water Supply and Demand Model (IFPRI)
2: “Nation-level disaster” is defined by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (2018) as a catastrophic event capable of significantly impairing national capacity and causing prolonged decline in living standards.
3: As of April 17, 2026

Investors Participating in the Series C Round

WOTA conducted fundraising through the following methods:

1. Preferred Equity Financing

(New investors as of April 3, 2026, following the December 17, 2025 announcement are underlined in the original release)

  • Awa Gin Capital Co., Ltd.
  • Elematec Corporation
  • Osaka Steel Trading Co., Ltd.
  • NCB Venture Capital Co., Ltd.
  • Miwa Tech Co., Ltd.
  • Yamakoshi Co., Ltd.
  • Global Infrastructure Management Co., Ltd.
  • Shinkin Capital Co., Ltd.
  • Nakabayashi Construction Co., Ltd.
  • Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd.
  • Persol Holdings Co., Ltd.
  • Fujino Kogyo Co., Ltd.
  • Flex Co., Ltd.
  • Honmachi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
  • Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation

    (Listed in Japanese alphabetical order)

2. Financing from Specified Investors via J-Ships

WOTA raised funds from specified investors through the J-Ships framework facilitated by SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. This marks the first application of the J-Ships program by SMBC Nikko Securities.

• Investment from Specified Investors

Comment from SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.
Taka Furukabu, Deputy Head of Private Corporate Finance Division　

We are honored to have supported WOTA’s fundraising through our first application of the J-Ships framework. WOTA’s proprietary technology and innovative business model—enabling safe reuse of limited water resources—have the potential to make a significant impact on solving urgent water challenges both in Japan and globally. We are pleased to contribute to WOTA’s continued growth and creation of social value. Going forward, we will continue to actively support startups that contribute to solving social issues and driving sustainable economic growth in Japan.

3. Venture Debt Financing

WOTA secured syndicated venture debt financing arranged by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, with participation from:

  • Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (Arranger)
  • The Awa Bank, Ltd.
  • Shoko Chukin Bank, Ltd.
  • The Tokushima Taisho Bank, Ltd.
  • The Higashi-Nippon Bank, Ltd.
  • JA Mitsui Leasing, Ltd.

(Participating institutions excluding the arranger are listed in Japanese alphabetical order)

WOTA will continue accelerating the social implementation of small-scale decentralized water recycling systems to pass on sustainable water infrastructure to future generations, contributing to structural solutions for water challenges in Japan and globally.

About WOTA Corp.
WOTA is a private company aiming to provide structural solutions to water-related problems.

Since our founding in 2014, to address issues arising from the uneven distribution, depletion, and pollution of the planet’s water resources, WOTA has been developing “small-scale decentralized water-regeneration systems,” which regenerate and maximize the use of domestic wastewater, and the “autonomous water-treatment control technologies” that enable them. WOTA has already launched two products, contributing to emergency water use during water outages in disasters and to improvements in public health. WOTA has also developed a “household water-regeneration system” that enables everyday water use, and has begun water supply services in select areas both in Japan and overseas.

Details here:https://wota.co.jp/en/