Cairo Startups Are Selling Water Forecasts Like Stock Tips
By Syed John
Nile-dependent neighborhoods now buy push alerts telling them when taps will run dry.
A Cairo founder pitched me "Robinhood for water" without irony. Their app predicts pressure drops street by street using illegal sensors strapped to municipal pipes. Subscribers get alerts telling them when to fill rooftop tanks. Utility officials pretend not to notice because the predictions embarrass them.
We talk about water scarcity like it's an abstract climate model. In Cairo it's a subscription service that sends you panic emojis. Investors love it because recurring revenue beats public infrastructure funding. Residents love it because it's the only thing that respects their time.
Does this commoditize a basic right? Absolutely. But until states deliver reliable service, citizens will pay whoever tells them the truth first. Water is becoming data, and data is becoming hustle.