Sustainable materials-focused startup Claros Technologies announces that it has raised $22 million in new funding, with proceeds aimed at supporting its technology to destroy PFAS, widely known as “forever chemicals.”

PFAS are a group of chemicals that have been in use in a wide range of consumer and industrial products since the 1940s, and are commonly found in food packaging, fabrics, kitchenware products, fire-fighting foam, and electronics, among other products. The chemicals tend to be very persistent, and don’t break down over time, and have been found to accumulate in the human body and in the environment.

Founded in 2018, Claros provides environmental solutions based on green chemistry and advanced material science, aimed at enabling sustainable use, recovery and reuse of resources. The company has developed technologies that filter PFAS out of a system, concentrate them, and submit them to a process that breaks the carbon fluorine bond in these chemicals, returning the elements to their naturally occurring state. According to Claros, the technology has been tested by third parties and demonstrated 99.99% destruction and defluorination performance on all PFAS types including long, short and ultra-short chain PFAS.

The company also offers PFAS analytical services, as well as solutions for high-value metals recovery, and technology providing antiviral, antifungal, UV-resistant, and odor-resistance textiles with increased durability.

Michelle Bellanca, ClarosTech CEO and co-founder, said:

“Our commitment to PFAS destruction is not just about environmental responsibility, but also about sustainability. By developing and commercializing cutting-edge solutions to PFAS pollution, we’re positioning ourselves at the forefront of a growing market. As the demand for sustainable, scalable, cost competitive chemistries and industrial processes increases, we believe our technologies can be part of ensuring long-term success for our customers, partners and the planet.”

The funding round was co-led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund and American Century Investments with additional investors including Capita3, Children’s Minnesota, Kureha America Inc., Open Door Foundation, F. R. Bigelow Foundation, other corporate investors, as well as several individual investors alongside incumbent investors Groundswell Ventures and the University of Minnesota.

Sasha Brown, Partner at Ecosystem Integrity said:

“PFAS chemicals represent a monumental and increasingly urgent societal challenge. They are ubiquitous in manufactured products, have serious environmental and human health impacts and are persistent in the environment. Industrial producers are finally being held accountable for this pollution: settlements from PFAS litigation in the US are approaching $20 billion; the US EPA has begun regulating PFAS in drinking water; and CERCLA has designated PFAS chemicals as hazardous waste. We are proud to partner with Claros, which provides the most efficacious and cost-effective method of eliminating PFAS and analyzing the contents of effluent for industrial customers.”