Swedish startup Adsorbi has raised €1 million in funding to construct a pilot plant in Gothenburg, Sweden, and expand its customer base for its innovative cellulose-based air purification material.
The funding comes from Metsä Spring, Chalmers Ventures, Jovitech Invest, and a grant from Sweden’s Innovation Agency. This marks a significant step for the three-year-old company, which originated as a spinout from Chalmers University of Technology.
Adsorbi’s material, derived from Nordic wood cellulose, offers a sustainable alternative to activated carbon for capturing air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, acids, and aldehydes. Its applications range from air filters and odour removal products to museum artefact protection. Unlike traditional solutions, Adsorbi’s material is water- and fire-resistant, emits no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and has lower CO2 emissions—50% less than activated carbon.
The funding will enable Adsorbi to scale production, develop new products, and meet growing demand amid stricter EU air quality regulations set for 2030. CEO Hanna Johansson expressed gratitude for investor support, emphasizing the company’s mission to provide clean air solutions while reducing reliance on fossil-based materials.
Adsorbi’s achievements include partnerships with companies like Icebug and Smellwell for deodoriser products and collaborations with multinational air filtration firms. The company’s innovative approach positions it as a leader in sustainable air purification technologies.
Adsorbi was founded in 2022 from research in applied chemistry at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. Adsorbi is a startup company developing bio-based materials for air pollutants and odour removal. By using wood-based cellulose as a raw material, Adsorbi offers innovative materials with both sustainability and high performance in focus. www.adsorbi.com.
Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring invests in and supports potential innovations and technologies that find new purposes and higher value for Nordic wood to replace fossil-based materials and chemicals in everyday products. We promote a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion. To date, Metsä Spring has made six external startup investments (Woodio, Innomost, Montinutra, Fiberwood, Adsorbi, and FineCell), and has launched three in-house development projects, Kuura textile fibre, Muoto packaging solutions and capture of biogenic CO2. metsaspring.com.