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Guided by our ethos and goals, we’re pleased to join and sign the Terra Carta, looking tosupport this initiative committed to delivering drinking water PFAS free by 2030.
"The 'Terra Carta' offers the basis of a recovery plan that puts Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation – one that will harness the precious, irreplaceable power of Nature combined with the transformative innovation and resources of the private sector." - HRH The Prince of Wales -
The name derives from the historic Magna Carta, which inspired a beliefin the fundamental rights and liberties of people over 800 years ago, the Terra Carta aims to reunite people and planet, by giving fundamental rights and value to Nature, ensuring a lasting impact and tangible legacy for this generation.
"In moving towards a more equitable planet and even with the present pandemics, we have to address the macro vector of the climate crisis, which is not an undertaking for a single individual, company or government. It is a collective effort that we're thrilled to support with the signing of the Terra Carta as a key step. We see the Terra Carta as a catalyst, with the resulting actions being the outcome we invite you to judge all of its signers by." - Henrik Hagemann, CEO Puraffinity -
During the One Planet Summit in France on 11th January 2021 – HRH The Prince of Wales announced the Terra Carta (Earth Charter) – a plan towards 2030 for businesses to act for a sustainable future. This project's principles look to articulate the power of Nature combined with the transformative power, innovation, and the private sector.
The private sector leaders worldwide are being called to join efforts and support the intent.The Terra Carta is a living document that will be reported on and updated annually. This modality will keep up with global progress, technological evolution and a shifting investment, starting with creating a Natural Capital Investors Alliance targeting $10 billion by 2022.
This one-day event, hosted by Innovate UK, is designed to inspire, connect, and empower those driving change in these sectors. Network with industry leaders, investors and government representatives, and explore collaborations that will drive the UK’s journey to net zero. Our Co-founder and Chief Product & Innovation Officer, Henrik Hagemann , will be presenting in the Advanced Materials for a Net Zero Future session between 8:30 - 9:15.
Aquatech Amsterdam is the world's leading trade exhibition for process, drinking and wastewater. The following edition takes place from 11 - 14 March 2025. Our Co-founder and Chief Product & Innovation Officer, Henrik Hagemann , will be one of the Innovators for The Innovation Forum Digital Derby: The Great PFAS Solutions Pitch. CEO, Vincent Caillaud , and Sales and Business Development Manager, Jamie Dawson , will also be in attendance.
The World Water-Tech Innovation Summit will bring together 600 global water utilities, regulators, engineering firms, technology giants and start-ups to accelerate energy efficiency and circular solutions for climate-resilient water systems. Our CTO, Jess Middlemiss , will be speaking on the Aligning Policy and Innovation to Fight Water Pollutants panel, on Wednesday February 26, 2025.
Neal Megonnell brings over three decades of experience in various leadership, technology and sales roles in the carbon industry to his new position at Puraffinity. His extensive background and expertise in the water treatment sector and the specific technologies for removing contaminants make him an invaluable addition to the company's executive team. In his role as CCO, Neal will be responsible for driving Puraffinity's commercial strategy, expanding market presence, and accelerating growth in the rapidly evolving field of PFAS removal technologies. "We are thrilled to welcome Neal to our team," said Vincent Caillaud, CEO of Puraffinity. "His impressive track record in the industry, coupled with his deep understanding of PFAS-related challenges, aligns perfectly with our mission. His background in R&D, with multiple published papers and two patents related to activated carbon, will be instrumental in driving our commercial success and furthering our goal of providing innovative PFAS removal solutions." Neal holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master’s in Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces. This strong academic foundation, combined with his extensive industry experience, positions him well to lead Puraffinity's commercial efforts in addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Neal's expertise is extensively demonstrated through his strategic involvement in various professional committees, including Chair of the American Water Works Association Standards on Activated Carbon Committee, the ASTM D28 Activated Carbon Committee, and serving as Chairman of the Standards for Activated Carbon. "I am thrilled to join Puraffinity at this exciting time," said Neal Megonnell. "The company's commitment to developing sustainable adsorbent materials for PFAS removal aligns with my passion for innovative water treatment solutions. I look forward to working with the talented team at Puraffinity to expand our market reach and deliver cutting-edge technologies to communities and industries worldwide."
October, 2024 Puraffinity, which develops precision technologies to remove toxic “forever chemicals” perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water, has appointed Jessica Middlemiss as Chief Technology Officer. Jessica joins from Matter, an environmentally focussed startup which develops technology to remove micro-scale pollution from water. Prior to Matter, Jesscia was Head of Plastics Technology at Sartorius and spent ten years at Dyson including two years as Head of Operations for The Dyson Institute – Dyson’s in-house undergraduate degree-apprenticeship programme. “Jessica has a really broad technical and business network across both industry and academia which is valuable to us,” said Puraffinity co-founder Henrik Hagemann. “Jessica brings relevant start-up experience from her time at Matter, leading a large team of scientists at Sartorius and held a variety of engineering and management positions at Dyson. We are delighted to have her join us.” “I believe I have the combination of technical understanding and people skills which will help Puraffinity flourish,” said Jessica. “I have built my career on an ability to bring together exceptional technical people to work on clear and targeted challenges as a team. I know how to get people motivated and focussed on a common goal that delivers commercially for the organisation.” Jessica has a Masters in materials science and engineering from Imperial College London and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining (IOM3).
Puraffinity, a start-up developing precision technologies which remove toxic “forever chemicals” perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water, has announced ambitious plans to scale, following the appointment of Vincent Caillaud as its new CEO and securing £6.73 million in new investment from BGF. Mr Caillaud brings exceptional industry experience, with more than 20 years working in the water sector. He was previously CEO of Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions, a global water technology business unit within the world’s largest water, energy and waste management company, Veolia. The appointment of Vincent Caillaud as Chief Executive Officer to boost market access for the technology, will allow Puraffinity’s founder Henrik Hagemann to focus on furthering the company’s market-leading technological advantage as Chief Product and Innovation Officer. BGF’s investment completes Puraffinity’s £16.93 million Series A funding round, following existing funding from Octopus Ventures, HG Ventures, Kindred Capital, and Verve Ventures, as well as materials science sector specialist fund Universal Materials Incubator Co (UMI). The funding will enable Puraffinity to scale up production of its patented, PFAS-capturing material, “Puratech ®”, to meet exceptionally strong and growing demand across multiple sectors. It will also support the company’s work developing fresh commercial applications that use Puraffinity’s patented materials. Founded in 2015 by Henrik Hagemann & Gabi Santosa and spun out of Imperial College London, Puraffinity provides a differentiated solution to the world’s ever-growing PFAS problem as its technology consistently and reliably removes PFAS from water, in a much more cost-effective manner compared with conventional treatments. Puraffinity’s precision technologies place it at the forefront of the fight against PFAS, which have been linked to multiple health issues, including cancer. Developed in the 1940s, PFAS’ molecular make-up makes them resistant to water, grease and oil, meaning they have multiple industrial uses. However, these same qualities make them hard to destroy, hence the name “forever chemicals”, and according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, they have entered water supplies worldwide, with an estimated 97% of people having PFAS in their bodies. International regulators are examining bans or limits on the amount of PFAS drinking water can contain in an attempt to tackle the estimated €16 trillion annual cost of environmental remediation and healthcare costs. Puratech, the breakthrough adsorbent media that Puraffinity has developed, can be applied across use cases as it features a customisable plug-in solution that fits into any existing water treatment system. Puratech can also be tailored to capture specific PFAS compounds, ensuring that global users can meet the regulatory standards of different markets. The high-performing material also adopts a green chemistry technology which, according to Systemiq 2022, results in 60% less carbon emissions in its manufacturing than existing petroleum-based products. Henrik Hagemann, founder and Chief Product & Innovation Officer at Puraffinity, said: “Attracting such a respected water industry figure as Vincent, alongside nvestment from BGF underlines not only the progress Puraffinity has already made, but the incredible potential of the business. The new management structure will allow me to focus on accelerating our existing technologies and developing new product roadmaps, confident that Puraffinity’s business development is assured with Vincent as CEO.” Vincent Caillaud, CEO of Puraffinity, said: “At Puraffinity, we are delighted to join BGF’s growing network of climate tech start-ups as the company continues on its mission of providing PFAS-safe water to the world. With BGF’s expertise in helping start-ups in breakthrough technologies achieve transformational growth, we look forward to meaningfully expanding our commercial capability and extending the global reach of our patented PFAS-removal solutions.” Luke Rajah, investor at BGF, said: “Puraffinity is well-positioned to fulfil its vision of bringing PFAS-safe water to one billion people by 2030. BGF is thrilled to work with Puraffinity as it enters a new phase of rapid, global growth, taking a meaningful step towards enhancing water safety. BGF has developed a strong reputation for identifying and providing early-stage support for companies creating technologies which not only have huge potential but offer huge societal benefits.”