Metal Morph Raises £700K Pre-Seed to Turn Wastewater into a Circular Supply Chain for Aluminium and Iron Chemicals

London-based water technology startup Metal Morph is turning water treatment plants into urban mines. Founded in 2025, the company has raised £700,000 in pre-seed funding to scale its infrastructure-as-a-service model that recovers aluminium and iron-based treatment chemicals from municipal and industrial wastewater — and the early results are striking .

The funding round and the investors

The pre-seed round was co-led by Sustainable Ventures and Green Angel Ventures, with participation from Aqcelerator and Found Capital . The syndicate includes two of the UK's most active climate-tech investors, signaling confidence in Metal Morph's circular-economy thesis.

How the technology works

Metal Morph's first product focuses on recovering coagulants — aluminium and iron-based chemicals — from wastewater streams. Rather than selling equipment outright, the company deploys its recovery infrastructure as a service, meaning water utilities and industrial customers can adopt circular chemical reuse without upfront capital expenditure .

Live test results

During field trials, Metal Morph's technology achieved :

• Up to 90% recovery of target coagulants
• 95% purity in the recovered material
• 26% reduction in overall treatment chemical costs for operators
• 89% reduction in embedded carbon emissions compared with producing virgin chemicals

These metrics suggest the solution can deliver both cost savings and significant environmental impact — a dual incentive for utilities facing tightening regulatory and net-zero pressure.

Utility partnerships and market reach

Metal Morph has already secured partnerships with six UK water utilities, which together represent 56% of the UK water market . These partnerships provide access to live testing sites and commercial pathways, giving the startup a direct route to deployment at scale.

Ofwat grant and regulatory backing

The company won a £100,000 grant from Ofwat's Water Discovery Challenge, with eligibility for up to £450,000 more in follow-on funding as it hits specified milestones — a total potential of £550,000 from the water regulator's innovation fund . The grant provides both capital and validation from the UK's water sector regulator.

Expansion plans

Metal Morph plans to use the combined funding to expand beyond treatment chemicals into standalone metals recovery from industrial wastewater. The company also aims to launch pilots with industrial customers and enter European markets in the coming months .