CaptuREE designs protein-based filters that recover rare earth elements directly from existing e-waste recycling pipelines — turning residues into strategic resources instead of waste.
Rare earth elements power smartphones, wind turbines, EV motors, LEDs, and semiconductors — yet the world still mines them as if they were disposable.
Today, most rare earth elements are mined and refined in a handful of regions, with China dominating extraction and processing. Mining and separation are energy-intensive and often rely on harsh chemicals, leaving behind contaminated soils, water, and large volumes of toxic waste.
At the same time, electronic waste volumes keep growing. Devices are designed for short lifetimes and rapid replacement, yet less than one percent of their rare earth content is recovered — representing tens of billions of dollars in lost material every year.
Along the e-waste chain, stakeholders optimise for precious metals and bulk materials. Rare earths drift into process residues and wastewater. The result: valuable REEs are lost, transport and processing emissions are higher than needed, and our dependence on primary mining persists.
CaptuREE integrates directly into existing hydrometallurgical lines, capturing rare earths where smelters and refiners already dissolve metals into acidic process streams.
We design polymeric filter materials coated with rare-earth-binding proteins that exhibit high affinity and selectivity for lanthanides in complex mixtures, inspired by state-of-the-art biomolecular separation research.
Core IPThe cartridges operate in the same acidic leachates that recyclers already use for base and precious metals, enabling rare earth capture in existing columns and reactors with minimal hardware changes or downtime.
Plug & PlayBy turning residues into feedstock, European recyclers gain a local, resilient source of high-purity rare earths that aligns with the EU's Critical Raw Materials ambitions and reduces exposure to export caps.
EU-Aligned
Overview of a precious-metal leaching pipeline.
Engineered to withstand industrial conditions while maintaining high selectivity.
CaptuREE slots into the process that recyclers already trust. We simply add a dedicated, selective step for rare earths — right where they are currently unexploited.
End-of-life electronics are shredded; plastics are separated from metals, and high-value fractions are sent to smelters and hydrometallurgical plants. Today, this step ignores the rare earth content embedded in magnets, LEDs, and semiconductor components.
Metal fractions are dissolved in acidic solutions, yielding a dense cocktail of base, precious, and rare earth ions. Recyclers recover copper, gold, and other metals through established processes; rare earths, however, still slip through as "waste" ions.
Our protein-coated filter is installed in these same circuits. As the leach solution passes through, rare earth elements bind selectively to the proteins and can later be desorbed and integrated into the same refining workflow as other recovered metals.
We collaborate with recyclers and OEMs to design modules that fit their existing hydrometallurgical hardware, reducing logistics, avoiding new greenfield plants, and cutting the environmental footprint per kilogram of rare earths recovered.
CaptuREE turns e-waste into a local resource, aligning industrial practice with climate goals and the EU's Critical Raw Materials agenda.
By recovering rare earths already circulating in Europe's devices and waste streams, recyclers can supply OEMs with high-purity, low-footprint materials, reducing dependence on distant mines.
Protein-based capture avoids many solvents and extreme conditions used in conventional REE separation, cutting emissions and pollution compared with mining new ores.
Our model channels value back to local recyclers and manufacturers, helping build an economy where industrial growth is decoupled from ever-increasing extraction.
Values shape not only how we build the company, but the legacy we will leave behind. Six pillars to shape Europe's electronics manufacturing future.
Sustainable development means innovating around existing infrastructures, moving beyond physical boundaries, creating value whereby none was thought left.
Combining synthetic biology, material sciences, and protein engineering to lay the groundwork for the industrialisation of bio-manufacturing.
Fostering collaboration and co-creation with e-waste recyclers and metal smelters — fundamental stakeholders we aim to serve and value.
Making mistakes is encouraged, as long as learning moments follow. Innovative solutions require trial and error, building something better time after time.
We accommodate personal needs and welcome everyone's differences — as long as the work is carried out efficiently and productively. Movement encourages focus.
We foster proactivity at every level. When it comes to innovative ideas, we believe in a horizontal approach — all ideas will be heard, the good ones will become.
Chloé, Julien, and Emma — molecular biology and bioengineering students combining protein engineering, experimental design, and entrepreneurship.
Leads molecular biology and experimental design, translating conceptual frameworks into robust, testable filter architectures implementable in real industrial conditions.
LinkedIn →
Combines protein engineering, synthetic biology, and a business-oriented mindset to connect scientific innovation with investors, industry partners, and policy incentives.
Website →
Drives communication, outreach, and web presence, keeping partners aligned and the project organised from lab bench to stakeholder meetings.
LinkedIn →CaptuREE started from a simple observation: rare earths are everywhere in modern devices, yet almost never recovered at end-of-life. Our passion for synthetic biology led us to ask how metal-binding proteins could turn this missed opportunity into a scalable, plug-and-play technology for recyclers.
Alongside recognition in international competitions and venture programmes, we are building partnerships with recyclers across Europe and tapping into Switzerland's unique biotech ecosystem to de-risk the path from lab prototype to industrial pilot.
We are currently looking for industrial partners, research collaborators, and mission-aligned investors to co-develop pilots for protein-based rare earth recovery from e-waste and metal-rich residues.