Circular Materials, an Italian cleantech company developing technology to recover critical and strategic metals from industrial wastewater, secured €11.8 million in financing from CDP Venture Capital, the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, EIT RawMaterials, 360 Capital, Corbites and Lumar S.r.l. The investment will accelerate industrial deployment of the patented Supercritical Water Precipitation (SWaP™) technology.
Recovering Strategic Metals From Wastewater
Founded in Padua in 2019, Circular Materials developed SWaP™ to recover more than 99% of dissolved metals from complex industrial wastewater while reducing hazardous sludge. The technology targets waste streams from electroplating, battery recycling and chemical manufacturing, transforming valuable metals into secondary raw materials for reuse in industrial supply chains.
The first industrial facility in Padua has achieved End-of-Waste status under the European Waste Framework Directive. Circular Materials was also selected by the European Commission as a Strategic Project under the Critical Raw Materials Act in 2025.
Scaling Industrial Capacity
The funding will support operational growth, expansion of SWaP™ technology and development of a new Circular Materials Hub in Ferrara. The expansion is expected to increase annual treatment capacity from 3,000 to 20,000 tonnes.
“Europe faces a dual challenge: securing access to critical raw materials while reducing the environmental impact of industrial processes. Industrial wastewater is not simply waste, but a valuable resource that remains largely untapped. Our focus is on developing the infrastructure needed to recover strategic materials, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and contribute to increasingly circular supply chains", Marco Bersani, Chief Executive Officer of Circular Materials