Adsorbi, a Chalmers University spinout, has secured €1M in funding from Metsä Spring, Chalmers Ventures, Jovitech Invest, and Sweden’s Innovation Agency to scale its cellulose-based air purification material. The fresh capital will fund the construction of a pilot plant in Gothenburg, expand its product line, and accelerate customer adoption. Adsorbi’s bio-based material offers a sustainable alternative to activated carbon, efficiently capturing pollutants like nitrogen oxides and aldehydes while cutting CO₂ emissions by 50%. With partnerships in filtration, footwear, and museum conservation, the company is poised to capitalize on tightening EU air quality regulations.
Adsorbi is a Gothenburg-based company developing bio-based materials for air purification, using cellulose derived from Nordic wood. Founded in 2022 as a spinout from Chalmers University of Technology, the company focuses on capturing pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and aldehydes for use in air filters, odor control products, and museum conservation. Adsorbi’s material is positioned as an alternative to activated carbon, with properties that extend its lifespan and reduce carbon emissions. The company is based in Gothenburg and collaborates with industry partners in air filtration and sustainable materials.
“We joined Adsorbi’s journey 1.5 years ago. The company has achieved all the goals agreed upon at the time and even surprised us investors positively in a few areas. The plan for the company’s next phase was very logical, and we are excited to support its implementation. Their development of a pulp-based new product makes them particularly relevant to Metsä Group’s mission. With Adsorbi in our portfolio, we move closer to replacing fossil-based materials in everyday applications,” says Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring.
In October 2024, the European Union (EU) approved the new Ambient Air Quality Directive. The directive prioritises public health by introducing stricter air quality standards for key pollutants, including particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide – all known to cause respiratory issues. The new limits, to be achieved by 2030, bring EU standards closer to the WHO air quality guidelines, pushing businesses into a race to find new air filtering solutions.
According to the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution killed over 3 million people in 2020. Many ailments, such as asthma, heart disease, and lung cancers, can be caused by bad air quality. As people in industrialised nations spend up to 80–90% of their time indoors, maintaining air quality is crucial to keeping people’s health intact.
Adsorbi’s high-performing material, derived from Nordic tree cellulose, is designed for targeted pollutant capture, including key nitrogen oxides like nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – major contributors to air pollution – as well as acids and aldehydes. Aldehydes are commonly found in cosmetics, perfumes, cleaning products, odourant dispensers, and grooming aids. This means Adsorbi’s patented material can be used wherever gaseous air pollutants are a problem – in air filters, products that remove odours, and in museums to protect artefacts and works of art.
Unlike the current market standard, which is activated carbon, Adsorbi’s material lasts longer, doesn’t release any hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) back into the air, is water and fire-resistant, and changes color to indicate when it needs to be replaced. Adsorbi is also a more energy-efficient alternative, generating around 50% lower CO2 emissions – 3.5 kg CO2 per kilogram of material – compared to activated carbon, which has an emission factor of 7.5 kg CO2 per kilogram of material.
“We’re grateful to our investors for their continued support. With the funding we will establish pilot production, a crucial step for scaling Adsorbi. Air pollutant control is needed in many markets, and we’re ready to offer a commercial solution that ensures the air we breathe is clean without extensive use of fossil-based materials,” says Hanna Johansson, CEO of Adsorbi.
In September 2024, Adsorbi company won the national final at the SEB Next Awards in the New Ideas category. Additionally, Adsorbi announced its partnership with Icebug, a world leader in grip footwear, and Smellwell, launching a new generation of commercial shoe deodoriser inserts available on Icebug’s online store and in selected retailers. The company has also entered collaborations with multinational air filtration companies and launched several other products, including air fresheners for homes and sustainable art conservation products.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/adsorbi-raises-e1m/
