Substantial Funding to Recover more Critical Raw Materials
The Italian company Circular Materials, which recovers strategic metals from industrial wastewater, has raised 11.8 million Euro in SAFE Financing. Investors include CDP Venture Capital, the European Innovation Council Fund, EIT RawMaterials, 360 Capital, Corbites, and Lumar S.r.l., with the operation being supported by independent law firm Bonelli Erede.
As reported, the funding will support the company’s next phase of growth as it moves from industrial validation towards broader commercial deployment of its recovery platform. “Proceeds will primarily be used to advance the development of its next Circular Materials Hub in Ferrara, strengthen operational capabilities, and support the continued scale-up of its proprietary Supercritical Water Precipitation (SWaP) technology.” According to the company, its technology is designed to recover more than 99 percent of dissolved metals from complex industrial wastewater streams while reducing the generation of hazardous sludge.
Founded in 2019, Circular Materials has developed a process that treats industrial wastewater containing dissolved metals and recovers secondary raw materials that can be reintroduced into industrial supply chains. “The company’s technology is designed to address a growing challenge facing European industry: the loss of strategic metals through wastewater treatment processes and the increasing need for more resilient sources of critical raw materials.” The Italian firm currently operates its first industrial facility in Padua. Earlier this year, the facility achieved End-of-Waste status under the EU Waste Framework Directive, enabling materials recovered through the process to re-enter industrial supply chains as secondary raw materials.
(Published in GLOBAL RECYCLING Magazine 3/2026, Page 12, Photo: Circular Materials)
