Seamoretech Turns Brine Into Freshwater and Minerals

Jan de Vries · 2026-11-02

### From Waste to Resource: Seamoretech's Brine Breakthrough What if the salty waste from desalination plants could become a source of clean water and valuable minerals? That's exactly what Seamoretech, a startup from Porto, Portugal, is doing. They've just raised $1.2 million (€1.1 million) in the first closing of their Seed round to scale their technology. The round was led by Rypples, 7Seas Capital, and Crédito Agrícola—investors with deep experience in OceanTech and ClimateTech. This brings Seamoretech's total funding to $3.2 million (€3 million). ### The Problem with Brine Desalination plants around the world produce huge amounts of brine—a hyper-saline waste stream that's typically dumped back into the ocean. This can harm marine ecosystems and waste valuable resources. Seamoretech saw an opportunity to turn this liability into an asset. Founded in 2021 by Sofia Delgado and Eva Sousa, the company is a spin-off from the University of Porto's Faculty of Engineering (FEUP). Their proprietary technology recovers purified freshwater and high-value minerals like magnesium, calcium, copper, and lithium from brine. ### How It Works Seamoretech's system is containerized and plug-and-play, using forward osmosis to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge—meaning nothing is returned to the ocean. It integrates seamlessly into existing plant infrastructure without operational downtime or upfront capital expenditure from operators. > "We are entering Seamoretech's next phase with a clear ambition: to scale our technology, accelerate our market entry, produce freshwater at a lower cost, and establish a European reference in critical raw materials recovery, while helping protect marine ecosystems," said Sofia Delgado, CEO and co-founder. The company claims its system doubles freshwater production yield, cuts energy consumption by 50% compared to reverse osmosis, reduces operating costs by 30%, and lowers carbon emissions by up to 80% relative to conventional mineral mining. ### Addressing Europe's Priorities Seamoretech isn't just another CleanTech startup. It's tackling two of Europe's biggest challenges: water scarcity and securing domestic supply of critical raw materials. By recovering minerals like lithium and magnesium from a local, fully traceable source, they're reducing reliance on imports and new mining. ### What's Next The new funding will fuel Seamoretech's industrialization and commercial expansion, including a planned launch in Spain next year. The company has already demonstrated collaboration in Spain and is building a pipeline of pilot projects in several markets, including Spain and Egypt. A second closing of the Seed round is planned for the coming months. With technology that can deploy rapidly on existing infrastructure and Spanish expansion on the horizon, Seamoretech aims to become Europe's answer to water scarcity and critical mineral shortfalls, reducing global reliance on new mineral extraction by 30% by 2040. ### The Bigger Picture Seamoretech's approach shows how innovation can turn environmental problems into economic opportunities. By recovering resources from waste, they're not only protecting marine ecosystems but also creating a circular economy for water and minerals. As water scarcity intensifies and demand for critical minerals grows, solutions like this will be essential. For investors and industry watchers, Seamoretech is a company to keep an eye on. Their technology has the potential to disrupt the desalination industry and contribute to a more sustainable future.