Novel wastewater treatment technology that completely eliminates the most persistent and toxic micropollutants from water

Swiss cleantech firm Oxyle has raised CHF 2.8m ($3m) in a pre-seed funding round to bring its innovative wastewater treatment technology to market. The funds were led by Wingman Ventures and also included participation from SOSV, Better Ventures, and another.vc. With the addition of pre-seed non-dilutive funds and grants raised last year, Oxyle has now raised a total of CHF 7m.

Oxyle's technology is designed to completely eliminate the most persistent and toxic micropollutants from water in a sustainable, cost-effective manner. The system uses nanoporous catalysts to oxidise and eliminate a wide range of micropollutants, including so-called "forever chemicals" like PFAS, as well as pharmaceuticals, hormones, and pesticides. The treatment process is able to remove micropollutants down to a detection limit of 1 ng/L, even for highly persistent compounds that are resistant to existing treatment methods.

In addition to the treatment process, Oxyle's system also includes proprietary analytics technology that allows for real-time monitoring of micropollutants, helping customers easily comply with strict effluent discharge regulations. The company aims to install its modular, decentralised reactors in a variety of industries, including chemical, pharmaceutical, hospital, and environmental remediation projects. The reactors are remotely operated and can be customized to meet the specific needs of each customer.

Oxyle was founded in 2020 by CEO Dr. Fajer Mushtaq and CTO Dr. Silvan Staufert, who developed the core technology behind the company's system during Dr. Mushtaq's doctoral research at ETH Zurich, which began in 2014. Since its founding, the company has grown to a team of 17 people and has successfully completed several paid pilots with industrial and municipal customers. The company has also advanced its technology to TRL8 through on-site demonstrations.