Cambridge Future Tech backs RemePhy to extract metal in soil restoration technology
Cambridge Future Tech has welcomed Imperial spinout RemePhy to its portfolio.
RemePhy’s innovative phytoremediation technology uses plants to remove heavy metal pollutants from soil, allowing land contaminated by mining to be restored for agriculture, housing, or environmental rewilding.
Soil contamination is a significant global challenge, with industrial activities like mining polluting over 15 billion tonnes of soil each year. RemePhy’s sustainable solution accelerates land restoration for agriculture, enables the safe redevelopment of industrial sites, and facilitates metal recovery for the mining industry and strengthens the critical mineral supply chain.
The London-based company is working with Cambridge Future Tech (CFT), the venture builder based at The Bradfield Centre providing hands-on support to scientists and entrepreneurs aiming to create innovative deep technology startups.
CFT will commercialise RemePhy’s patented technology, which harnesses the natural symbiosis between plants and soil bacteria to enhance heavy metal extraction from contaminated soils. The approach works up to 17 times more efficiently than existing phytoremediation methods.
The harvested plants can also be processed to recover valuable metals and recycle biomass, thereby supporting the circular economy.
In addition to phytoremediation, RemePhy has also developed a phytomining technique to extract critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, magnesium, and manganese, “helping close gaps in the supply chain of materials needed for the clean energy transition”.
Potential partnerships with other Imperial spinouts, such as the waste biomass processing company Lixea, offer opportunities to scale and expand these innovative solutions further.
RemePhy was founded in July last year using Imperial research by PhD graduates Dr Franklin Keck in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Dr Ion Ioannou in the Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with Professors Karen Polizzi, Jason Hallett and Paul Fennell.
The incorporation of the company lists Cambridge Future Tech as a director alongside Dr Keck and Dr Ioannou.
Dr Keck, CEO of RemePhy, said: “We are excited to bring RemePhy’s technology to market. By providing a sustainable solution for heavy metal contamination, we aim to unlock the potential of polluted land for agriculture, housing, and rewilding, contributing to a greener and more resilient future.”
The solution emerged at Imperial thanks to a pioneering approach called convergence science that sees deeply integrated interdisciplinary research and innovation focused on real-world challenges. Imperial is soon to open four new schools of convergence science in areas that include sustainability.
Professor Mary Ryan, Vice Provost (Research and Enterprise) at Imperial College London, said: “To make a meaningful impact on real-world challenges like clean energy and sustainable agriculture, convergence science is crucial.
“By integrating expertise across science and engineering, seeking innovative ways to embed technical solutions within industrial and economic systems, and fostering cross-sector partnerships, RemePhy is embracing this approach. I’m excited to see what the team achieves next.”
Owen Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Cambridge Future Tech, said: “Franklin and Ion’s innovative approach to sustainable soil remediation, combined with Imperial’s scientific excellence and our venture-building expertise, perfectly positions RemePhy to tackle this pressing global challenge. We are proud to support their journey in bringing this groundbreaking technology to market.”
