By Saskia Doll · November 2025 · Munich, Germany. Photo: The PFASuiki cleantech team
Munich-based PFASuiki GmbH, a spin-out from Japanese tech group TDK, has emerged from stealth mode with a proprietary electrochemical reactor designed to eliminate PFAS contamination directly at the source—without incineration, carbon replacement, or toxic residues. Backed by TDK’s decades of materials expertise, the company is preparing its first on-site pilot plant for commissioning in early 2026.
PFAS—short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—are valued for their non-stick and fire-resistant properties but persist indefinitely in the environment. Conventional treatment methods typically concentrate the chemicals for later disposal or destroy them through high-temperature incineration above 1,100 °C, a process that can generate incomplete breakdown products and significant CO₂ emissions.
“Our reactor operates at ambient temperature and pressure, requires no chemical additives, and destroys PFAS directly in the water stream,” explained co-founder Jana Söffken. “We’ve validated the process on real industrial effluents and landfill leachates—not just lab samples.”
From In-House Project to Independent Startup
The project began inside TDK in early 2023 as part of an internal innovation sprint. By February 2024, the team had recruited a third co-founder—formerly a PFAS researcher at the Technical University of Munich—to deepen the scientific foundation. PFASuiki was formally spun out in July 2025, giving its 10-person team the flexibility of a startup while maintaining access to TDK’s pilot-manufacturing lines.
“Munich was the natural choice,” said Söffken. “We’re located between TDK’s European hub, TUM’s chemistry department, and the Garching research campus—so talent, partners, and test infrastructure are all within reach.”
Pilot Program and Outlook
PFASuiki is finalizing the site for its first modular 1 m³ h⁻¹ demonstration unit, scheduled to go online in the first quarter of 2026. Discussions are underway with several German industrial clients and a northern European municipal water utility for two additional pilots later in the year.
The company’s five-year roadmap envisions multiple installations across Europe, with technology modules scalable from semiconductor fabs to full municipal treatment plants.
Regulatory momentum is accelerating: the European Union’s planned PFAS restriction aims to ban thousands of compounds by 2030, while the U.S. EPA has set new drinking-water limits of 4 parts per trillion for the two most studied PFAS variants.
“Whether we become a hidden champion or a shooting star will depend on the next 18 months,” Söffken admitted. “But our goal is clear—to make PFASuiki synonymous with sustainable, on-site destruction of forever chemicals.”
The company is currently raising a pre-Series A funding round to support pilot hardware and regulatory certification.
Information source:
PFASuiki: Hightech gegen Ewigkeitschemikalien
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