Porelio raises €2.4M pre-seed to scale materials that clean water and recover metals
What's the deal? Porelio, a Germany-based deeptech startup, has raised €2.4 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round to scale advanced materials for industrial separation and water treatment. FaberDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → led the round, with participation from Polytechnique VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Grupo Foco TecnologiaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and better venturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
What's the endgame? Founded in 2025, Porelio develops materials that recover precious metals from industrial effluents and strip persistent PFAS chemicals from water. Its technology uses Functionalized Ordered Mesoporous Silicas (FOMS), which selectively capture targeted molecules while letting the rest of the liquid pass through.
Why now? Porelio's core innovation is a patented continuous-flow manufacturing process it says produces FOMS around 30 times faster than conventional methods, under more sustainable conditions. The materials can also be regenerated, potentially cutting treatment costs.
How does it perform? In proof-of-concept tests across Europe, Porelio's materials captured palladium around six times faster than conventional adsorption technologies and removed more trifluoroacetic acid — one of the most persistent PFAS compounds — than commercial activated carbon under comparable conditions.
The fresh capital will accelerate technology development and scale production from pilot-stage output, measured in kilograms per day, to industrial volumes measured in tonnes per year. Porelio also plans to convert existing industrial collaborations into commercial partnerships.
"This chemistry has sat on laboratory benches for thirty years," said Dr Rhea MachadoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, chief executive officer and co-founder. "A material that works by the gram cannot clean a contaminated water supply nor recover the metal lost in an industrial stream. We solved the scale, so it can finally do that work."
The signal: The round lands amid rising investor interest in industrial water treatment and filtration materials, driven by tighter EU water rules and industrial decarbonisation pressures. Sizable deals in the niche remain rare compared with software-centric climate plays, making the round a notable bet on hard-tech resource efficiency — one whose payoff hinges on Porelio proving its materials work economically at industrial scale.
Read more: Tech.eu
Image credit: Richard Hurd
