Finnish company secures €2.2m funding to recycle nutrients from wastewater

Nutrient fertilisers are essential for ensuring food production. However, excessive amounts can end up in the environment through wastewater or nutrient leaching from agricultural areas. This leads to pollution of the ground and eutrophication in seas and lakes, causing the overgrowth of algae and weeds, ultimately depleting oxygen and killing animal life. Wastewater is also responsible for approximately five percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

NPHarvest has developed an innovative hardware solution, soon to be patented, for collecting and recycling nutrients from wastewater. The equipment can separate and collect excess nutrients from concentrated wastewaters, which can then be recycled and sold back to the fertiliser industry. This not only makes businesses more profitable but also helps mitigate eutrophication and enhance local food security.

The funding round was led by Nordic Foodtech VC, with contributions from Stephen Industries and Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry, a non-profit organization in Finland. The round includes a €1.3 million equity investment and a €900,000 grant from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment.

With the new funding, NPHarvest plans to build the first commercially ready Nutrient Catcher, designed to be installed in clients’ facilities. The modular design of the Nutrient Catcher allows it to scale to different use cases and fit various facilities while keeping production costs low.

“Our process is more energy and cost-efficient and easier to operate than current solutions. Our end product is ammonia salt, commonly used in the fertiliser industry,” said Juho Uzkurt Kaljunen, CEO and founder of NPHarvest. “We are excited to bring this technology to the market after years of research and development, offering sustainable and affordable recycled nutrients and fertilisers.”

Why is losing valuable nutrients in wastewater such a missed opportunity?

Losing valuable nutrients in wastewater is a missed opportunity for the entire agricultural ecosystem, according to the company. Fertiliser prices are volatile and often imported from abroad, reducing self-sufficiency. The company argues that the inability to remove excess nutrients from the ecosystem will lead to soil contamination over time. Farmers may resort to using fossil-based mineral fertilisers or nutrient-rich manure, which can result in nutrient deficiencies in plants.

NPHarvest’s hardware can capture up to 90% of the excess from wastewater, providing a valuable resource that can be returned to fertiliser companies. The process is energy-efficient, requiring minimal energy consumption without the need for heating or pressure increase, further reducing costs.

“No one has implemented nutrient catching on a commercial scale, which impressed us as foodtech investors with NPHarvest and its unique technology,” said Mika Kukkurainen, partner at Nordic Foodtech VC. “Combining food security and environmental protection is a top priority in the food system, and NPHarvest’s technology has the potential to achieve this through an interesting business model.”

NPHarvest, with two pending patents, is poised to launch its first products for installation at wastewater management facilities. Their main customers include wastewater management plants, biogas plants, and livestock farms looking to reduce costs, lower their carbon footprint, or generate extra income from recycled fertiliser sales.

Antti Myllärinen, CEO of Doranova Oy, a Finnish environmental technology company, noted the critical role of nutrient recovery in the biogas industry and praised NPHarvest’s innovative methodology. Similarly, Hamse Kjerstadius, Development Engineer at Swedish NSVA, highlighted the potential benefits of NPHarvest’s technology for nitrogen and phosphorus recovery in achieving climate neutrality.

NPHarvest sees significant opportunities in the European water management market, estimating it to be worth around 170 billion euros, with the concentrated water management market in the EU valued at approximately 47 billion euros. The company looks forward to advancing its mission with investors to enhance food security, improve environmental impacts, and make wastewater management and nutrient catching a profitable venture.