CHARTRES, France , April 30 — Tenchijin Inc., a Japanese space-tech innovator transforming sustainable water infrastructure management, today announced a partnership with Aqualter. In April 2026, both parties signed a Strategic Software License Agreement. Under this agreement, KnoWaterleak—Tenchijin’s platform, powered by satellite data and AI, will be deployed in Aqualter’s long-term water service operation project for metropolitan Chartres to optimize the detection and management of water leakages. Additionally, both companies concluded a reseller agreement, making Aqualter the first official distributor of KnoWaterleak in the French market.
Trust Rooted in PoC Success
Headquartered in Chartres, Aqualter has over 50 years of experience in the production and distribution of drinking water, wastewater collection and treatment, and the construction of water infrastructure and treatment plants throughout France.
From January to April 2025, Tenchijin and Aqualter jointly conducted a Proof of Concept (PoC) to evaluate the effectiveness of KnoWaterleak in predicting pipe leaks in the metropolitan area of Chartres (141,407 inhabitants served, 1,251.52 km of network lines excluding connections; 2025 data). By analyzing historical data from 2017 to 2023, KnoWaterleak successfully predicted 45.5% of the 2024 leaks within the top 12.6% of highest-risk areas, thereby meeting the project’s success criteria and confirming the model’s reliability. Building on this foundation of trust, Tenchijin and Aqualter have concluded a license agreement for the metropolitan Chartres project. Aqualter thus becomes the first official user of KnoWaterleak in France, marking the start of a collaboration to modernize water management across the territory.
Future Collaboration
Within the metropolitan Chartres project, KnoWaterleak will be functionally integrated with Walter, Aqualter’s network supervision platform. While Walter monitors on-site hydraulic performance, Tenchijin’s space-tech expertise adds a complementary prediction. By combining large-scale satellite analysis with field data, this synergy covers the entire value chain: from leak risk identification to the optimization of interventions. This innovative approach contributes to resource preservation and infrastructure sustainability. The partnership also foresees the adoption of this solution in other projects managed by Aqualter. Furthermore, both companies will collaborate on joint promotional initiatives targeting new client segments in France, aiming to stimulate innovation in water infrastructure management.
Jean-Patrick LE VAN, CIO & COO, Groupe Aqualter |France
The functional integration of KnoWaterleak into our Walter platform is a significant milestone for digitizing water network management. Powered by AI and satellite data, we now anticipate leaks and optimize field operations with greater precision. This innovation not only supports network performance but also plays a vital role in water conservation.
Keitaro ASABA, Partnership Manager, Tenchijin Inc. | Japan
We are delighted that KnoWaterleak is being implemented for the first time in France within a local authority. Chartres is a historic city with complex infrastructure, where old and new networks overlap in an environment highly sensitive to ground movement. This deployment in such a challenging setting will provide us with invaluable insights for the future. Furthermore, the conclusion of this first official distribution agreement marks a major turning point for Tenchijin. Leveraging Aqualter’s deep expertise and robust network, we are confident in our ability to pave the way for innovative, data-driven water infrastructure management across all of France.
