Why we’re betting on Ecofilter Tek to fix an industry that hasn’t changed in decades
October 2025
Here’s something you probably don’t think about: the filters cleaning your drinking water are basically the same technology your grandparents used. That’s a problem.
We’re excited to share that we’ve invested in Ecofilter Tek, a company that is actually doing something about it. They’re using charge-switching smart polymers to create filtration systems that work better, last longer, and generate far less waste.
If you’d like to read the article in La Presse (in French), see: Investissement de 950,000 $ : une technologie d’ici pour retirer les polluants éternels de l’eau La Presse.
The filtration problem nobody talks about
Think about all the places we need filtration: drinking water, milk, pharmaceuticals, industrial processes. It’s everywhere. Yet the technology hasn’t really evolved.
Most systems today rely on single-use materials that wear out quickly, require harsh chemical cleaning, and end up in landfills. It’s wasteful and expensive, but for decades it has been considered “good enough.”
Until now, when it clearly isn’t.
Water utilities are facing a crisis with PFAS, the “forever chemicals” you’ve been hearing about. They are toxic, heavily regulated, and extremely expensive to remove. Current methods often rely on hazardous solvents and create new disposal problems.
Dairy producers face a similar challenge. Membrane filters get clogged, which stops production, increases chemical use, and drives up costs. It’s a cycle of inefficiency that has been difficult to break.
How three scientists decided to fix it
Dr. Farhad Farnia started thinking about this during his PhD at Université de Sherbrooke. He was studying polymer surface chemistry and discovered something interesting: you could make materials change their electrical charge based on their environment.
This might sound academic, but it is revolutionary. Imagine a filter that can switch modes: capture contaminants in one state, release them in another, all without harsh chemicals or producing waste.
Farhad teamed up with two brilliant scientists: Dr. Yue Zhao, a polymer chemistry expert from Université de Sherbrooke, and Dr. Alireza Abbaspourrad, a food science specialist from Cornell. Together they founded Ecofilter Tek with a clear mission: make filtration regenerative instead of disposable.
What they’ve actually built
They’ve developed two flagship materials that are already being tested in real-world applications:
- AmphoPoly™ is an FDA-approved additive that transforms regular dairy filtration membranes into self-cleaning ones. Early results show it can cut chemical use by up to 70% and boost productivity by 20%. That’s not incremental improvement: that’s game-changing.
- AmphoRes™ tackles the PFAS problem head-on. It’s a regenerable resin that can remove both short- and long-chain PFAS from municipal water supplies. Here’s the kicker: it regenerates using just pH-adjusted water. No methanol. No toxic solvents. And it delivers up to 40% cost savings over five years.
The smart part: they’re not reinventing the wheel
What we love about Ecofilter Tek’s approach is that they’re not asking water utilities or dairy plants to rip out all their equipment and start over. That’s a non-starter in conservative industries where infrastructure investments are huge.
Instead, they’re partnering with major material manufacturers and embedding their polymers directly into existing products. It’s an ingredient-branding strategy that lets them scale fast without requiring customers to overhaul their entire operation.
Their polymers don’t replace filtration, they make it smarter.
What’s coming next
Right now, Ecofilter Tek is running pilot programs across Canada and the U.S. with some impressive names in different sectors such as membrane manufacturing, dairy processing, engineering water treatment firms and municipalities. They’re working on NSF 61 certification, which is crucial for water treatment applications.
Long-term, they’re looking beyond just PFAS and dairy. The same charge-switching chemistry can work in wastewater treatment, agriculture, and food processing. It’s a platform technology, not a one-trick pony.
From a market perspective, this is huge. They’re addressing both environmental compliance (regulations are only getting stricter) and operational efficiency (everyone wants lower costs). That’s a rare combination.
Why we invested
We’re proud to be a part of Ecofilter Tek’s $950K pre-seed round alongside Cycle H2O and Cycle Momentum.
For IRV, this company checks all the boxes:
The science is transformative but grounded in real market needs. This isn’t research for research’s sake, it solves problems that cost industries billions.
Sustainability and economic value aren’t trade-offs. Companies can do the right thing environmentally and save money.
The team knows how to turn research into commercial products. They understand manufacturing, partnerships, and go-to-market strategy.
The bigger picture
The timing couldn’t be better. PFAS regulations are tightening worldwide. Companies are under pressure to reduce carbon footprints and waste. Everyone is looking for scalable solutions that actually work.
Ecofilter Tek isn’t just cleaning water. They’re proving industrial processes can be both efficient and sustainable. We don’t have to choose between performance and environmental responsibility.
We are excited to partner with Farhad and his team. The era of single-use, wasteful filtration is ending. The future is regenerative, intelligent, and already underway.