Sofi Filtration, a women-led CleanTech company based in Espoo, Finland, has secured €900,000 in funding from EIT RawMaterials to accelerate industrial pilot projects, expand internationally, and further develop and validate its ultrasound-based water filtration technology.
The financing consists of €600,000 from the EIT RawMaterials ERMA Booster programme and €300,000 through its Fast Track initiative. In addition to capital, EIT RawMaterials will provide Sofi Filtration with hands-on support, including entrepreneurship coaching as well as financial and management advisory services.
“We are deeply grateful for the commitment from EIT RawMaterials,” says Riina Salmimies, CEO of Sofi Filtration. “Their support enables us to take major steps toward commercialisation. We are strengthening our team, building strategic partnerships, and preparing to scale into new markets—across Europe, Türkiye, and soon North America.”
Sofi Filtration’s raise comes amid a broader wave of investment in European CleanTech and critical-raw-materials startups in 2025. Italy-based Resilico recently raised €5 million to convert industrial waste into secondary raw materials for construction, while Estonia’s UP Catalyst secured €18 million to scale production of battery-grade graphite and carbon nanotubes derived from CO₂ emissions.
Although smaller in absolute terms, Sofi Filtration’s €900,000 round is strategically significant. The funding is targeted at industrial pilots, market entry beyond Europe, and continued refinement of its ultrasound-driven filtration technology designed specifically for mining side streams. Compared with larger peers, Sofi’s raise reflects a focused transition from proof-of-concept to early commercial deployment rather than a full-scale rollout.
Taken together, publicly disclosed funding in this segment in 2025—estimated at around €30 million including Sofi’s round—points to a steady flow of capital into European ventures working on resource efficiency, waste valorisation, and the resilience of critical raw-material supply chains. Within this cohort, Sofi Filtration stands out as a Finnish company addressing circular-economy challenges from a Nordic innovation base.
“Europe cannot afford to waste what it needs to win,” says Bernd Schäfer, CEO and Managing Director of EIT RawMaterials. “As an innovation impact investor, we back technology pioneers like Sofi Filtration. Their solution transforms wastewater into a source of critical minerals—advancing circularity, reducing water consumption, and strengthening Europe’s security of supply.”
Founded in 2011, Sofi Filtration develops ultra-fine particle filtration solutions for mineral recovery and industrial process-water cleaning, helping industries improve resource efficiency while reducing waste and environmental impact. Its current commercial offering is built on Sofi Prima, a fine-particle filtration system already proven across sectors including power generation, construction, and pulp and paper.
The company’s newest business line, Sofi Alchemist, extends the Sofi Prima technology platform to mining operations, enabling the recovery of critical minerals from concentration-plant side streams. The Sofi Alchemist filter system is reported to be the first globally to combine ultrasound-powered self-cleaning with the ability to capture ultra-fine particles as small as 0.3 micrometres. This capability can increase recovery rates of critical minerals by up to 20% in existing mines, supporting more sustainable resource utilisation.
“This is how Europe accelerates its leadership—by investing in scalable technologies that move from pilot to real-world impact,” Schäfer adds. “We are delighted to support Sofi Filtration’s growth and to advance our mission of securing the critical raw materials Europe needs to remain competitive.”
A key milestone in Sofi Filtration’s scaling journey is the recent deployment of its system at Finnish battery chemicals producer Terrafame. Installed at Terrafame’s Sotkamo facility, the technology enhances nickel sulphate production and demonstrates Sofi’s potential contribution to strengthening Europe’s battery-materials value chain.
The latest investment builds on a €1 million financing round completed by Sofi Filtration earlier this year. As demand for critical raw materials continues to rise in support of the green transition, Sofi Alchemist is positioned to play a meaningful role in securing more sustainable mineral supplies for the future.
