naion.tech develops custom nanofiltration membranes for selective recovery of lithium, cobalt, phosphorus and rare earths from complex industrial wastewaters. Proprietary neural‑network‑guided coating selection enables rapid customization, retrofit deployment, higher product purity, and lower treatment costs.
naion.tech is a German startup headquartered in Aachen that develops tailor-made nanofiltration membranes for selective recovery of critical raw materials from industrial wastewaters. Founded by Milan Abel, Dr.-Ing. Ilka Rose, Dr.-Ing. Berinike Bräsel, and Dr.-Ing. Alexander Limper and originating from RWTH Aachen research, the company applies artificial neural network–guided surface functionalization to adapt commercial membrane modules for specific separations. naion.tech’s stated mission is to deliver robust, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable filtration solutions that improve material purity, reduce wastewater volumes, and integrate with existing industrial processes.
naion.tech functionalizes commercial nanofiltration membranes by applying tailored surface coatings selected via proprietary artificial neural network models. The models predict coating recipes for varying wastewater chemistries, accelerating customization from weeks to days. Coated membranes increase ion selectivity and product purity relative to unmodified commercial membranes and enable recovery of lithium, cobalt, phosphorus, and rare earths. The technology supports modular plant layouts and retrofit of existing membrane modules, which reduces wastewater volumes and treatment costs and limits additional chemical separation steps. Process and materials handling follow standard membrane safety protocols.
The company supplies custom-functionalized nanofiltration membranes and modular filtration plants that retrofit existing membrane modules. Key features include rapid coating recipe selection, application-specific selectivity, and scalable deployment. Primary applications are hydrometallurgical streams, battery manufacturing and recycling wastewater, and industrial effluents. Benefits include higher-purity recovered materials, reduced treatment volumes, and lower operational expenditure for recovery projects.
In 2025 naion.tech secured a €1.5 million EXIST Research Transfer grant to advance lab-scale results to pilot demonstrations. Project work includes pilot-scale membrane testing, feasibility studies with industrial partners in battery-materials recycling, and process engineering to validate modular integration, recovery yields, and material purity as preparation for market entry.
naion.tech is funded through the German EXIST program, which awarded a €1.5 million grant in 2025 to support research transfer, scale-up, and pilot activities. The company remains founder-owned; no venture capital or corporate investors are publicly reported. EXIST provides non-dilutive support aimed at university-based startups moving technology toward commercialization.
