Swiss startup Oxyle has just announced the successful acquisition of $16 million in seed funding. This investment is poised to accelerate the deployment of Oxyle’s groundbreaking technology, which offers a permanent solution to the global challenge posed by these so-called ‘forever chemicals.’

Company Overview

Established in 2020 by co-founders Fajer Mushtaq and Silvan Staufert at ETH Zurich, Oxyle has rapidly positioned itself at the forefront of water treatment innovation. The company focuses on the degradation and mineralization of persistent pollutants, but particularly PFAS. 

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These chemicals have been in use for many decades in products ranging from non-stick cookware to firefighting foams because of their resistance to water, grease, and oil. Nevertheless, persistent environmental questions lingered as a result of being linked to different health problems, including cancer and endocrine disorders.

Oxyle’s focus is on offering an economical and efficient solution toward the removal of PFAS in wastewater systems so as to reduce their effects on human health and the environment as well. The company’s approach is innovative, not only in combating the inadequacies of traditional treatment methodologies but also by providing new benchmarks in water remediation.

Funding Details

The seed funding round, led by 360 Capital with participation from Axeleo Capital and returning investors Founderful and SOSV, has raised the total funding Oxyle has so far received to $26 million, including non-dilutive grants. It shows the faith investors have in Oxyle’s technology and the potential of that technology to transform water treatment processes.

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Oxyle plans to use this money for:

• Scale Technology Deployment: Accelerate the deployment of its PFAS destruction technology across different industries.
• Increase Treatment Capacity: Treat 100 million liters of contaminated water in the next five years.
• Focus on Key Industries: Chemical and consumer goods manufacturing, semiconductor production, and municipal water treatment facilities.

These strategic initiatives are intended to maximize the impact of Oxyle’s technology and address the pressing need for effective PFAS remediation solutions.

The ‘Forever Chemicals’ Challenge

PFAS belongs to a group of synthetic chemicals characterized by long carbon-fluorine bonds, which they do not degrade easily in the environment. Due to these properties, they have been spreading into the environment and contaminating water sources, posing major risks to ecosystems and human health. Traditional methods of removing or destroying these compounds have proved futile in effectively eliminating them; rather, they have concentrated them without fully removing them.

Oxyle’s technology addresses this challenge by not only removing but also permanently destroying PFAS, thereby breaking the cycle of contamination and offering a sustainable solution to this pervasive problem.

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Oxyle’s Innovative Solution

Oxyle has developed a first-of-its-kind approach to PFAS destruction that combines several advanced processes:

• Foam Fractionation: This initial step involves separating PFAS from water by generating foam, which captures the contaminants.
• Catalytic Destruction: The captured PFAS then undergo a catalytic process that degrades the strong carbon-fluorine bonds fully, thereby degrading the molecules entirely.
• Real-Time AI Monitoring: Through the whole treatment process, real-time monitoring through artificial intelligence is applied to ensure optimal functionality and efficiency in operation, hence continuous optimization.

This complete system yields greater than 99% removal of PFAS with significantly lower energy consumption than alternative destruction processes. Oxyle’s solution will not allow further accumulation in the environment and subsequently limit the potential adverse health impacts.

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Strategic Vision and Future

With funding in place, Oxyle will increase its activities to make a marked difference in global water quality. The company strategic vision is to

• Industry Partnership: Partnering with key players in targeted industries to integrate its technology into existing water treatment infrastructures.
• Regulatory Engagement: Work closely with the regulatory bodies in establishing standards and guidelines for the treatment of PFAS to ensure compliance.
• Research and Development: Continues innovating and perfecting its technology to handle an even larger array of contaminants as well as address the changes happening in the environmental arena.

With its focus on these areas, Oxyle aims to spearhead efforts to effectively solve one of the most significant environmental issues of our time.