Cottonwood leads €3M round in plasma finishing startup plasmotion
What's the deal? PlasmotionDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a German deeptech startup that builds machines and electrolytes for plasma-electrolytic surface finishing of metal parts, has raised €3 million in an early-stage round. Cottonwood Technology FundDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → led, with backing from the European Innovation Council Fund. The round was announced on September 29, 2026.
What does it do? Based in the Chemnitz region and spun out of TU Bergakademie Freiberg, plasmotion combines electrochemistry and plasma physics to polish, deburr, clean, and modify metal surfaces. The process skips conventional mechanical polishing and aggressive chemicals.
What sets it apart? Its JETPEP technology applies plasma-electrolytic polishing selectively, using a controlled electrolyte jet to treat specific areas rather than immersing a whole component. That opens up large, complex parts and production lines where different pieces need different finishes.
The technology works across stainless steels, titanium, aluminum, copper, and specialized alloys, reaching surface roughness down to roughly Ra 0.02 μm.
What's the money for? Plasmotion will commercialize its plasma polishing technologies, scale its standard machine platforms, and expand with industrial customers in Europe and beyond. Its dive.pro systems already run on customer shop floors; JETPEP is next.
Why it matters. Many high-value metal components still rely on labor-intensive mechanical polishing or multi-step electrochemical processes. Plasmotion wants to replace those chains with automated, reproducible finishing built directly into production lines, with no hazardous substances or special facilities.
"We never set out to build lab equipment," said co-founder and chief executive officer Vincent Stepputat. "With Cottonwood and the EIC Fund on board, we will now bring JETPEP to the same industrial maturity and scale plasmotion internationally."
The signal: At €3 million, the round sits near the midpoint for comparable early-stage deals — a measured bet on industrializing a niche manufacturing technology. Backing from the EIC Fund alongside a deeptech specialist points to continued appetite for European hardware startups targeting advanced manufacturing.
Read more: cottonwood.vc
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
