In our first issue, we explore the digitisation of water utilities in Africa and Asia. Today, 844 million people globally still lack access to clean water. Ensuring clean water and sanitation for all by 2030 (Sustainable Development Goal 6) is important to meeting wider goals of ending poverty, advancing sustainable development and ensuring peace and stability. However, we are not on track to achieve this goal. Water utilities in countries with poor access to clean water are stuck in a cycle of huge operational losses, making it impossible to invest in infrastructure that would serve more people and leaving many to rely on unsafe alternative sources of water. Can digitisation help solve the problem?