NPHarvest raises €2.2M to recycle nutrients in rainwater

Finnish NPHarvest has raised €2.2M for its nutrient catcher that recycles nutrients from wastewater. Geopolitical instability and increasing prevalence of extreme climate have put the spotlight on food insecurity and supply chain instability over the past five years. With this in mind, the NPHarvest’s treatment equipment separates and collects all excess nutrients from concentrated wastewaters, which can then be recycled and made into fertiliser to reduce wasting valuable nutrients.

The Aalto University spinout has two patents pending and is gearing up towards building its first products, ready to be installed at wastewater management facilities. Their main customers are wastewater management plants, biogas plants, and livestock farms that are trying to cut their costs, reduce their carbon footprint, or earn extra income from recycled fertiliser sales.

The round was led by Nordic Foodtech VC, with participation from Stephen Industries. The round consists of a €1.3M equity investment and a €900,000 grant from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and their RAKI program.

With the new funding, NPHarvest plans to continue product development on its Nutrient Catcher - ready to be installed in their clients’ facilities - with lowering production costs as a key aim so that the catcher can be rolled out commercially . 

“Our process is much more energy and cost-efficient and easier to operate than the current solutions. Our end product is ammonia salt, which is commonly used in the fertilizer industry. We are very excited about bringing this technology to the market after years of research and development, bringing sustainable and affordable recycled nutrients and fertilizers to the market,” says Juho Uzkurt Kaljunen, CEO and founder of NPHarvest.

“No one has done nutrient catching on a real commercial level, which made us as foodtech investors impressed with NPHarvest and its unique technology. Ensuring food security while protecting the environment is one of the top priorities in the food system. NPHarvest´s technology has what it takes to combine these aspects in a very interesting business model,” says Mika Kukkurainen, Partner at Nordic Foodtech VC.