UniSieve filters use special crystals to reduce industrial emissions.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/25/unisieve/
Author: Catherine Shu
The energy-intensive process of separating and purifying chemicals and gases is a big reason industries like plastic manufacturing cause so much pollution. UniSieve wants to reduce their carbon emissions and operational costs with its tech, which uses a high-precision membrane with special crystals that can filter specific molecules and ions.
Today the Zurich-based startup announced it has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to pilot and expand its operational capacities. The round, which UniSieve said was oversubscribed, included participation from the Amadeus Apex Technology Fund, Wingman Ventures, CIECH Ventures and Zürcher Kantonalbank.
UniSieve was founded in 2018 by ETH Zürich classmates Samuel Hess and Elia Schneider. During the course of their work, they developed a way to integrate porous crystals called zeolitic materials into polymeric membranes and use them for high-precision filters.
They also figured out how to make manufacturing scalable. UniSieve is already making revenue and currently has more than 24 clients, including chemical and energy companies. Currently focused on CO2 capturing, UniSieve is also piloting hydrocarbon (organic compounds made of hydrogen and carbon) separation applications.
Heavy industries, including plastics, chemical and gas plants, have legacy systems in place that are worth billions of dollars, said Hess. These often include processes for separation and purification that require a lot of thermal energy. UniSieve’s modular filters, which Hess compared to Nespresso capsules, can be integrated into existing manufacturing systems.