Cleantech company Chromafora to tackle widespread chemical pollution with €22.5 million EU backing

European Investment Bank €22.5 million financing will advance technology to remove PFAS from water

The EIB is the European Union's bank. We are the only bank owned by and representing the interests of the European Union Member States. We work closely with other EU institutions to implement EU policy.

The  European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €22.5 million non-dilutive financing to Chromafora , a Swedish cleantech company, to step up Europe’s fight against widespread pollutants known as “forever chemicals”. Chromafora will use the loan to  advance a technology for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – or PFAS – from water .

The credit from the EIB, the European Union’s lending arm, will support the development and deployment by Chromafora of water-treatment units at sites across Europe between 2024 and 2028.

PFAS are highly persistent and have been detected in water, soil and food across Europe, creating a serious environmental challenge. PFAS contamination poses significant risks to human health, with long-term exposure linked to cancer, decreased fertility and developmental disorders.

“This operation highlights our commitment to supporting clean-water technologies that benefit both the environment and public health,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “Chromafora’s innovation addresses a critical challenge while contributing to Europe’s transition to sustainable water systems.”

Chromafora’s technology, known as SELPAXT,  combines advanced filtration with proprietary chemical processes to remove PFAS , including the short-chain variants that are particularly difficult to treat. The company has devised compact, container-based water-treatment systems that are designed for quick deployment and that will serve  primarily industrial customers such as landfill operators in Belgium, Sweden and other European markets .

About SELPAXT
The PFAS removal efficiency of the SELPAXT technology has been confirmed in studies conducted by the research institute RISE and through evaluations at a number of landfill sites. Results show that SELPAXT removes over 90% of both long and, otherwise difficult-to-capture, short PFAS chains from water. The removal process usually occurs upstream, before PFAS contamination reaches water bodies. The SELPAXT technology combines ultrafiltration with proprietary chemical processes, making it particularly well suited for complex water streams with high PFAS concentrations.

The EIB loan takes the form of venture debt, a relatively flexible form of financing aimed at supporting company growth without diluting ownership. Chromafora, founded in 2010, is seeking to bridge a funding gap to full commercialisation, expand its reach and attract further investment.

“The EIB loan is a fantastic verification of our technology, as well as an enabler for faster expansion in Europe,” said Chromafora CEO Johan Seijmer. “In addition to Sweden, we have already established units in Belgium and will soon also establish in more European markets. In both these countries and the neighboring ones, there is a high demand for treating wastewater from PFAS.”

The financing is backed by InvestEU and aligns with EU laws on water quality and pollution control, supporting the European Green Deal and transition to a circular economy.

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Taxonomy

• PFAS