A Surrey start-up developing pioneering technology to destroy toxic ‘forever chemicals’ is preparing to accelerate its growth with support from the Surrey Economic Growth Fund.
Mantisonix, co-founded by a team of engineers from the University of Surrey, has received funding to help establish a new testing facility and strengthen its business development capacity. This will help the company respond to potential customers more quickly and reach new markets.
The company has developed a pioneering process that uses soundwaves to destroys PFAS, commonly known as ‘forever chemicals’. Its technology breaks them down into naturally occurring compounds without adding any chemicals to the system.
Explaining how the Economic Growth Fund support will help the business grow, co-founder Professor Madeleine Bussemaker said: “This grant will help us create a new facility where we can do enhanced testing of our process. At the moment we rely on external sources, so having enhanced testing in-house will mean we can tell clients much more quickly whether we can work with them, and how.”
The funding will also enable Mantisonix to bring in a new member of staff dedicated to business development, expanding the range of customers the can reach as it looks to grow beyond Surrey.
Tackling the challenge of ‘forever chemicals’
Professor Bussemaker and fellow co-founder Dr Mehrdad Zare explained why finding new ways to tackle PFAs is so important.
“Forever chemicals are a problem because they don’t get destroyed naturally – hence the name,” said Prof Bussemaker. “They last for thousands of years in our environment. There are probably five to ten thousand different types, and some have been linked to very serious health effects, including cancers, endocrine disruption and developmental disorders. Because of their toxicity and persistence, we really need to get rid of these chemicals by actually destroying them.”
Mantisonix’s processes use ultrasound to remove PFAS from sources including landfills, contaminated ground and water systems.
Explaining what sets the technology apart from other approaches, Mehrdad added: “We break PFAS down into naturally occurring compounds. And we can work with renewable energy because we can handle intermittent supply, and we don’t add any chemicals to our system.”
With its technology developed in Surrey and new support helping the company move towards further commercial growth, the founders believe Mantisonix could also help establish the county as a centre for expertise in this emerging field.
Mehrdad added: “By establishing Mantisonix at Surrey, we can say that Surrey can become the hub and the leader for PFAS destruction in the UK and maybe in Europe.”
The Surrey Economic Growth Fund
To date almost £2 million has been awarded to dozens of recipients across the county via the Surrey Economic Growth Fund. This funding has helped to unlock significant match funding and private investment, growing Surrey’s economy by £9 million.
Although the Growth Fund is now closed to new applications, any Surrey business looking for funding or help to grow can receive fully-funded support from Business Surrey. Get in touch to find out more via our Contact us form.
