SINGAPORE, Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial chemical membrane technology company SepPure Technologies announced today that it had closed a US$12M Series-A round led by SOSV with participation from Anji Microelectronics, RealTech Fund, Seeds Capital, EPS Ventures, and others.
SepPure Technologies has developed a highly sustainable, chemical-resistant, nanofiltration solution that separates chemical mixtures at a molecular level with minimal energy usage. Industrial chemical separation processes today account for 15% of global energy usage and 10% of CO2e emissions. SepPure's nanofiltration technology uses pressure-driven filtration instead of heat, which reduces energy consumption by 90%. The filter technology is applicable across a wide range of industries, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor, maritime, and plant-based oils.
"The problem with existing technologies," said Dr Mohammad Farahani, "is that they burn through massive amounts of energy as they heat and cool chemicals through distillation and evaporation processes. In fact, these technologies have become one of the world's largest silent polluters, accounting for up to 15% of the planet's entire energy consumption. At SepPure, that is something we are determined to change."
"Industries are racing to find less energy intensive, more climate friendly ways to re-invent their processes," said Duncan Turner, general partner at SOSV and managing director at SOSV's HAX, "and its spectacular that SepPure has invented a separation technology that not only works across many industries, it is also far cost effective than the existing solutions. I can't imagine a better example of a high-impact climate tech innovation."
In addition to energy savings and climate benefits, SepPure's filters produce efficiencies that reduce operating expenses by up to 50%. The SepPure nanofiltration membrane in a standard industrial 4040 module (4" in diameter and 40" in length) contains thousands of patented, straw-like hollow fibers that provide 5x more surface area per volume than the competitor's spiral-wound filters. Together with its unique high flux design, SepPure's membrane module is 5-10x faster than the competition. In addition, SepPure's module and nanofilters tolerate a wide range of temperatures and pH levels, and are available in various pore sizes to match separation requirements.
SepPure's first filter production facility is under construction in Singapore. "The state-of-the-art facility will produce enough products for several industrial projects that have been in development since 2021," said Dr Farahani, "As soon as we begin implementing our technology solutions at customer sites, we will quickly reach maximum capacity. In anticipation of growing demand for our modules, our team is already working on expansion plans."
SepPure's first commercial deployment is underway in Singapore, where the company's technology has already been tested for plant-based oil applications with major industrial players. SepPure's pipeline covers more than 50% of the top ten largest vegetable oil producers in the world.
"SepPure's membrane solution has the potential to revolutionize the chemical separation industry, much like how the reverse osmosis membrane has transformed seawater desalination in the 1980s. We can apply similar principles to the separation of solvents," said SepPure's CTO Dr Simon Choong, who joined the firm last November. Simon has an MIT PhD in membrane technology and in his last role, Gradiant International, he commercialized a proprietary membrane-based technology and produced 7 patents.
About SepPure Technologies:
SepPure Technologies is a cutting-edge company specializing in nanofiltration technology, founded in 2018 by Dr Mohammad Farahani. The technology is derived from Dr Farahani's PhD studies at the National University of Singapore and is designed to significantly reduce energy consumption and enable the recycling of solvent waste, making the food, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor, and chemical industries more sustainable and economical. With offices in Singapore and Canada, SepPure is committed to providing innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of businesses around the world.
