Xylem’s Sivan Zamir: The "Silver Tsunami" & The Thirsty Cloud

Xylem’s Sivan Zamir: The "Silver Tsunami" & The Thirsty Cloud

From Liquid Assets by Ravi Kurani

January 14, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

Sivan Zamir discusses the critical role of water infrastructure in technology and business resilience with host Ravi Kurani.

Sivan Zamir is the VP of Innovation & Venture at Xylem , a Fortune 500 leader in water technology. In this episode, Ravi Kurani and Sivan pulls back the curtain on the massive, invisible machine that keeps the modern world running. Sivan challenges the abstract concept of "the cloud," revealing that every data center, semiconductor chip, and cup of coffee relies on a complex, physical water infrastructure that operates "behind the fence." Her mission is to transform water from a silent, overlooked utility into a visible, investable asset, proving that the resilience of the Fortune 1000 depends entirely on the management of this finite resource. The conversation dives deep into the cultural psychology of water, contrasting the "scarcity mindset" of Israel, where Sivan witnessed traumatic drought campaigns, with the "invisibility" of water in the US. They explore the critical "Silver Tsunami" facing the industry as experts retire, and how Xylem is turning to Augmented Reality (AR) and AI to download "tribal knowledge" to a new generation. From the struggles of pitching water tech to VCs to the future of flood…

People in this episode

Host: Ravi Kurani

Guest: Sivan Zamir

Topics covered

  • water technology
  • cloud infrastructure
  • business resilience
  • cultural psychology of water
  • Silver Tsunami
  • Augmented Reality
  • AI in water management

Keywords

  • water infrastructure
  • cloud
  • data centers
  • business resilience
  • Silver Tsunami
  • Augmented Reality
  • AI
  • water scarcity
  • investment
  • Fortune 1000

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Xylem, Fortune 500

Places: Israel, US

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