Nanofiltration startup SEPPURE raises US$2.55m seed round led by SOSV

SINGAPORE nanofiltration firm SEPPURE has raised US$2.55 million in seed funding led by US deep tech investor SOSV, the startup announced in a press statement on Tuesday.

Other investors in the round include accelerator Entrepreneur First, deep tech investor SGInnovate, venture firms 500 Startups and Rekanext, as well as Credence Partners chairman Koh Boon Hwee.

Founded in 2018, SEPPURE creates nanofiltration solutions that can separate chemical mixtures at a molecular level with minimal energy. Existing separation technologies require heat for processes such as evaporation and distillation.

The startup's technology can be used in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals. It will use the seed funding to scale up production of chemical-resistant nanofilters and run industrial pilots with potential customers.

SEPPURE's technology traces back to four years ago when its chief executive, Mohammad Farahani, embarked on a PhD programme in membrane technology at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

With a grant from the National Research Foundation of Singapore, Dr Farahani and his technical adviser, professor Neal Tai-Shung Chung, developed the startup's core technology.

"This is a revolutionary technology in an often overlooked area, which promises incredible impact in energy-saving through hardware-enabled material science. We are excited about this technology and the future of working together to disrupt the space," said Duncan Turner, general partner at SOSV.

Vishal Harnal, general partner at 500 Startups, added that SEPPURE's innovation "allows corporations to produce sustainably and responsibly by exponentially lowering the behemoth carbon footprint chemical separation processes leave on the planet".