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Chief Operating Officer: Pete Weaver joins Puraffinity

A Conversation with Henrik Hagemann, CEO & Co-Founder of Puraffinity

Puraffinity wins Morgan Stanley sustainable solutions award $250,000 prize and a year-long partnership to help growth and scale up

With US$13.9m raised in Series A funding, this water treatment company which focuses on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) aims to eliminate these ‘forever chemical’ contaminants in both industrial and domestic settings by scaling its technology and expanding its manufacturing investment, according to Puraffinity CEO Henrik Hagemann.

The Royal Society of Chemistry is calling on the UK Government to overhaul its drinking water standards, after new analysis reveals more than a third of water courses tested in England and Wales contain medium or high-risk levels of PFAS, more commonly known as forever chemicals.

Puraffinity, which develops precision technology for the removal of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ across multiple water treatment applications, has raised $13.9m in Series A funding. The round was led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from existing investors Kindred Capital, HG Ventures, Verve Ventures and Acequia Capital. Materials science sector specialist fund Universal Materials Incubator Co (UMI) also joined the round.

HG Ventures recently increased its investment in Puraffinity, participating in the London-based startup’s $13.9M Series A funding round. Puraffinity is focused on combating the ‘forever chemicals’ found in water; here, Co-founder and CEO Henrik Hagemann shares his insights from participating in this year’s United Nations Water Conference, and his ambitions for the future.

Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals developed in the 1940s that have been used in consumer products and manufacturing processes worldwide ever since. Incredibly resistant, PFAS have been used to make water-repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics, nonstick cookware and cosmetics, but also in the production of mRNA vaccines and semiconductors. Their very resistance however means they do not break down naturally and remain in the environment forever and, most concerning, can accumulate in living organisms leading to harmful health effects in humans such as increased risk of cancer, high cholesterol levels and changes in liver enzymes. In this interview Henrik Hagemann tells us how Puraffinity is tackling the PFAS crisis.

New trials show next generation adsorbent performs better at removing genx water contaminants than current methods