Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Jana Söffken, co-founder PFASuiki: PFAS – often called "perennial chemicals" – are among the biggest environmental problems of our time. These substances are used in countless industries and everyday products: from outdoor jackets, pans, and cosmetics to fire-fighting foams and semiconductor production. Their longevity makes them technically valuable, but ecologically highly problematic – PFAS accumulate in water, soil, and organisms and are hardly biodegradable.
With our technology We are achieving precisely what was previously impossible: We are completely destroying PFAS – directly in the water stream, without chemical additives or high temperatures. This provides a genuine solution to a problem that is growing worldwide and will receive even greater attention in the coming years due to regulations.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Jana SöffkenPartially, but existing methods such as activated carbon, ion exchange resins, or incineration do not completely solve the problem. They remove PFAS from the water, but only concentrate them or shift them to other locations. Incineration, in particular, is controversial: it consumes enormous amounts of energy, produces emissions, and often does not completely destroy PFAS.
We go a step further: Our electrochemical process destroys the molecules directly on site – completely, energy-efficiently, and without secondary waste. No transport, no residues, PFAS are truly eliminated.
PFASuiki: Spin-off from a Japanese technology company
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Jana SöffkenIn early 2023, we launched this project at TDK, a Japanese technology company, as an internal innovation initiative with the vision of developing a solution to the global PFAS problem. Two of us were already part of TDK at the time and worked on the project from the beginning, one of them as the originator of the idea. In February 2024, our third founding member joined us: a PFAS expert who had previously conducted research on this topic at the Technical University of Munich and brought valuable scientific expertise to the team.
In July 2025, the company was officially spun off as PFASuiki GmbH. Since then, we have been an independent company with the agility of a startup, but still connected to TDK's decades of materials and manufacturing expertise. This combination of corporate know-how and startup dynamism is our greatest success factor.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Jana SöffkenThe biggest challenge was making the leap from the laboratory to practical application. We tested our technology not only with synthetic samples, but primarily with real water samples from industrial wastewater and landfill leachate – under real-world conditions. The next major step is building our first pilot plant directly at the customer's site to validate and scale the technology in continuous operation.
The first pilot projects are ready to launch.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Jana SöffkenOur first pilot plant is scheduled to go into operation at the beginning of 2026. We plan further pilot projects with industry and public partners across Europe throughout the year.
In five years, we aim to be an established provider in the European market – with multiple locations and a scalable solution that sets the standard for PFAS destruction. Our long-term goal: PFASuiki should become synonymous with sustainable and economical PFAS remediation.
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Jana SöffkenMunich is the ideal location for us: The proximity to our parent company TDK, the Technical University of Munich and the Garching Research Center offers us access to excellent specialists, scientific exchange and strong networks in the field Cleantech and materials technology. Here, research, industry and innovation meet – a perfect environment to further develop our technology and attract talent.
Munich Startup: Hidden champion or shooting star?
Perhaps a little of both. We are working on an invisible but crucial issue: eliminating one of the greatest environmental threats of our time. If we succeed in permanently eliminating PFAS from water and the environment, we will quietly but fundamentally change how we deal with pollutants.
Our goal is clear: With PFASuiki, we want to show that high-tech and sustainability go hand in hand and make the world a better place.
