Southern Sweden has a water crisis. Ecodrop built the answer.

Ecodrop, a Malmö startup incubated at Minc, has sold 985 units to MKB Fastighets AB — Malmö’s municipally owned housing company — in a pilot deployment across its residential portfolio, as the Skåne region faces critically low groundwater levels. The company makes a small hardware device that attaches directly to any kitchen or bathroom tap and transforms water consumption into real-time data, creating the behavioural nudges that drive lasting water savings in homes, buildings, and cities.

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Residents across Malmö have received emergency SMS alerts urging them to stop watering lawns and filling pools. The cost of water has risen 70% since 2015. Water saving campaigns struggle to change people’s behaviour as they lack real-time feedback — and that is the gap Ecodrop fills. Ecodrop’s current model — the Plus — clips onto any tap in around 30 seconds with no tools and no plumber. A display shows water consumption in real time, at the point of use. The upcoming Pro version adds app connectivity, letting households track usage over time and giving building managers granular data dashboards.

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“The idea came from my wife asking why she couldn’t see her water use in real time — the same way we can see electricity. Water has lost its value because it’s always been there. We’re putting that value back. What’s happening in Malmö right now is exactly why this technology exists.”

— Ahmed Noor, Co-founder, Ecodrop

“When we started this, we thought we were building for the future. But then we realised we are also building for now — because the problem is real today.”

— Khalil Jaber, Co-founder, Ecodrop

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The Ecodrop device is already deployed across 60 schools in Sweden, out of which most are located in Malmö. The active units have collectively saved over 11 000 000 litres of water — equivalent to approximately 26.1 tonnes of CO₂ avoided. The average reduction in water waste across deployments is 43%, and the annual saving per residential unit amounts to around 5,000 SEK. It is roughly 10x cheaper than a standard water meter — a conventional meter costs approximately 2,000-5,000 SEK per residential unit. Ecodrop carries no installation cost.

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The technology has already proven its commercial readiness. MKB Fastighets AB — one of Sweden’s largest public landlords — has purchased 985 Ecodrop units in a pilot deployment across its residential portfolio in Malmö, with a potential to purchase more in the future. The pilot represents a direct response to the region’s water crisis: a data-driven tool to drive measurable conservation across 326 Malmö households.

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“As Malmö's largest landlord, we have a responsibility to protect our shared resources. Through the pilot project, we want to help our tenants reduce their water consumption, not least since households account for the largest share of usage. We are also pleased to collaborate with Minc in their mission to support the growth of innovative companies in Malmö and the region.”

— Marie Thelander Dellhag, CEO, MKB Fastighets AB

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“Malmö is once again the starting point for groundbreaking innovation. We see daily how our founders are solving difficult and important problems for their customers. Te fact that an actor like MKB is now opening up to validate their technology at scale is a perfect example of Malmö's development as a test bed for promising technology and young companies."

— Tomas de Souza, CEO, Minc

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About Ecodrop

Ecodrop builds water intelligence infrastructure for homes, buildings, and cities. Its hardware device attaches to any tap and transforms real-time water consumption data into measurable savings through behavioural feedback. ecodrop.io

About Minc

Minc is Malmö's leading growth engine and the driving force behind Southern Sweden's innovation economy. Home to Fast Track Malmö, Skåne Ventures, and a portfolio spanning more than 40 nationalities, Minc has turned some of the region's most ambitious founders into world-class companies. Founded in 2002 and owned by the City of Malmö. minc.se