UK Tech Firm Gets Funding Boost to Fight PFAS

Puraffinity secures £16.93M Series A, with BGF's £6.73M final tranche fueling PFAS adsorbent scale-up and a new CEO hire.

29 Jun 2026

Water utilities face an expensive paradox: the chemicals designed to last forever must now be removed immediately. In April, Puraffinity, a British startup, closed a £16.93m Series A funding round, finalized by a £6.73m injection from BGF. The capital will expand production of its Puratech adsorbent material, designed to trap per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Yet scaling up laboratory breakthroughs into industrial solutions requires more than money. It requires navigating a fragmented regulatory landscape and high operational costs.

To manage this transition, the company appointed Vincent Caillaud, former head of Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions, as chief executive. His task is converting technology into market adoption across a continent facing stricter environmental rules. European regulations are forcing utilities to eliminate these persistent pollutants, creating a commercial opening for adsorbent materials that promise cost-effective compliance.

The market potential is substantial, driven by public anxiety and looming legal deadlines. Luke Rajah, an investor at BGF, noted that "Puraffinity is well-positioned to fulfil its vision of bringing PFAS-safe water to one billion people by 2030."

However, achieving such scale introduces significant industrial hurdles. Adsorbent media must be manufactured, deployed, and eventually replaced or regenerated, creating a secondary waste challenge. For water-intensive industries and municipal providers, the immediate benefit of cleaner water comes with long-term capital expenditure. Capital alone cannot guarantee success, but with new leadership and fully deployed funds, Puraffinity is testing whether engineering can outpace pollution.