It began with a fascination for chemical synthesis. Today, it has evolved into a cleantech company at the forefront of advanced PFAS treatment in the Nordics and across Europe. Chromafora’s proprietary Selpaxt technology captures PFAS with high precision. Recently, the company expanded its portfolio with a more conventional flocculation-based method – together covering the full spectrum of PFAS treatment needs in industrial wastewater. At the same time, demand is growing for Selmext, Chromafora’s technology for selective metal extraction, which can recover gold from mining residues without the use of toxic chemicals.
There is always an element of timing in innovation. But Chromafora’s development is primarily the result of systematic work, sustained ambition, and a deep understanding of chemical processes in complex water environments.
From Pharmaceuticals to Metals
Gaston Lavén and Martin Kullberg met as PhD students at Stockholm University between 2005 and 2010. Their research focused on phosphorus chemistry, chemical synthesis, and structural changes in DNA nucleotides. Early on, they shared a common ambition: to translate fundamental chemistry into practical solutions. Together they founded Chromafora in 2009.
The company’s initial focus was an environmentally benign method for pharmaceutical production. That work quickly led to a related challenge – pharmaceutical residues in wastewater. Testing their chemistry in this context proved successful, but more importantly, it revealed a broader opportunity.
“We realized that the chemical compound we were working with had a broad functional range and could also attract metals. Together with a customer, we therefore intensified our research into metal extraction from water”, Lavén says.
The shift from removal to selective recovery laid the foundation for Selmext, Chromafora’s technology for extracting metals from water streams. The method was refined and patented, and recent pilot projects have demonstrated its potential at scale. In one case, a non-toxic gold extraction process achieved recovery rates of up to 92 percent, with competitive economics. Additional studies have indicated the possibility of extracting uranium from mining waste streams.
A Chance Encounter Leads to PFAS
In parallel with the development of Selmext, another problem space emerged, almost by coincidence.
At an industry event, Lavén overheard a conversation about PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals”, increasingly detected across water systems. At the time, PFAS had yet to enter the broader public discourse, but its persistence and mobility were already raising concern. Chromafora decided to test its chemistry.
Shortly thereafter, water samples containing PFAS were brought into the lab. The first experiments were conducted by Karin Löfstrand , Chromafora’s R&D Manager:
“The initial results were striking; we saw immediately that the chemistry had potential well beyond what we had anticipated.”
Selpaxt has demonstrated stronger and more stable performance than conventional treatment methods.
The response was swift. Chromafora initiated an intensive development phase focused on PFAS removal, building both the chemistry and the process from the ground up.
“We started in the lab, but very quickly we had to move into the field, designing and building full-scale systems ourselves. There was nothing off-the-shelf we could rely on”, says Kullberg.
That necessity shaped the company’s capabilities. By developing its technology platform end-to-end, Chromafora gained operational insight across the full treatment chain—from molecular design to real-world deployment.
The result was Selpaxt. In comparative applications, the technology has demonstrated stronger and more stable performance than conventional treatment methods such as activated carbon, ion exchange, foam fractionation, reverse osmosis, and flocculation—particularly over extended operation and, critically, for short- and ultra-short-chain PFAS.
Products Require Markets. And Patience
Bringing a new technology to market requires more than technical validation. It demands time, calibration, and long-term investor commitment—something Chromafora has consistently secured.
The commercial breakthrough for Selpaxt has been accompanied by a financing agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB), which entered into force at the end of 2024.
Today, Lavén focuses partly on fulfilling the commitments associated with the EIB agreement, as well as on patent development. Löfstrand leads the company’s ongoing research efforts and emphasizes the importance of balancing rigor with adaptability.
“To bring a viable product to market, you need both demand and careful validation at every step. More fundamental research takes time, persistence—and a certain tolerance for uncertainty”, says Löfstrand.
Looking ahead, her focus extends beyond PFAS. Selmext remains a priority, as does the ambition to enable repeated reuse of Chromafora’s chemistry across applications.
“I also want to ensure that we can address a broader range of environmental contaminants with even greater precision”, she adds.
Future Challenges and Opportunities
Solving today’s environmental problems is only part of the task. Equally important is anticipating those yet to emerge. For Lavén, the mining sector represents both:
“Mining will remain essential. Each mine is based on a specific metal, but in reality, every excavation brings up much of the periodic table. With the right technologies and the right regulatory frameworks, it should be possible to recover far more of the materials already being brought to the surface.”
Kullberg points to a parallel challenge: increasingly complex waste streams.
“That complexity is not going away. If anything, it will increase. The question is how we design systems that can handle it, and extract value at the same time”, he says.
Löfstrand highlights PFAS as a case in point. While long-chain PFAS have historically dominated attention, the focus is now shifting toward short- and ultra-short-chain variants—often formed as degradation products, and significantly harder to remove.
Responsibility and Regulation
The management of hazardous chemicals is governed by a growing set of technical and regulatory requirements. But for Chromafora, the issue ultimately comes down to responsibility.
“Each time research identifies a PFAS compound as harmful, that knowledge carries consequences. Responsibility follows from awareness”, says Kullberg.
Lavén agrees but argues that regulation must go further.
“For the technology to have real impact, we need more than general frameworks, he says. We need clear, enforceable limit values. Without them, progress will be slower than it needs to be.”
Research as Foundation—and Future
Chromafora’s origins in research continue to define the company. The mindset, Kullberg suggests, is one of disciplined persistence.
“You have to accept that nature does not always behave as expected. At the same time, you have to remain convinced that a solution exists—and keep working until you find it.”
So far, that approach has proven effective. Chromafora’s technology platform has repeatedly demonstrated its adaptability across different classes of environmental challenges – from pharmaceuticals to metals to PFAS. There is little indication that this range will narrow.
For Johan Seijmer, CEO of Chromafora, that continuity is central to the company’s trajectory.
“We are extremely proud of our researchers and the work we have built in R&D. It is this combination of innovation, persistence, and a deep understanding of future needs that enables us to solve complex environmental challenges for companies across the Nordics and Europe”, he says.