Into the PFAS Battle: Oxyle Scales Up Fast

Swiss startup Oxyle raises $16M to scale tech that destroys PFAS as EU rules tighten

10 Feb 2025

In the world of water treatment, removal has long been good enough. Now Europe wants destruction. That shift is proving an opportunity for Oxyle, a Swiss startup that has raised $16m to expand a technology designed to break down PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals”. The new funding brings its total to $26m.

PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are prized for their resistance to heat, water and grease. They are found in products ranging from food packaging to firefighting foam. That same durability makes them hard to eliminate. They accumulate in soil and water and have been linked to cancer and other health risks. As evidence of harm has mounted, so too has regulatory zeal. The European Union is tightening standards, increasingly insisting not just on filtering PFAS out of water, but on destroying them entirely.

Most existing systems merely capture the chemicals and shift the problem elsewhere, often to landfills. Others rely on energy-intensive incineration. Oxyle claims its system works differently, breaking PFAS down at the molecular level. The firm says it can eliminate more than 99% of the compounds without producing harmful by-products.

“This funding empowers us to scale rapidly and help our partners meet strict new regulations,” said Oxyle CEO Dr. Konstanze Schreiber. Investors in the round include 360 Capital, Axeleo Capital, Founderful and SOSV.

The company is in discussions with large water infrastructure firms about integrating its technology into existing treatment plants. For utilities and manufacturers facing tighter compliance deadlines, retrofitting current systems may be cheaper and quicker than building new ones from scratch.

The broader trend is clear. As environmental enforcement stiffens across Europe, advanced water treatment is shifting from a specialist concern to a regulatory necessity. Yet challenges remain. New technologies must prove that they work reliably at scale and at a cost utilities can bear.

If Oxyle succeeds, it will show that stricter rules do not merely raise costs; they can also spur innovation. Europe’s campaign against “forever chemicals” may yet prove that even the most stubborn pollutants have a shelf life.