Liverpool spin-out Plasma2X raises £1.3m to cut fertiliser emissions
What's the deal? Plasma2XDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a University of Liverpool spin-out, has raised more than £1.3 million to decarbonise nitric acid and fertiliser production. The package combines a £950,000 pre-seed equity round led by TSP VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → with £368,000 in grant funding from Innovate UK.
Equity backers also include LYVA LabsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the University of Liverpool, DITEVENDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and private angel investors. The grant comes through Innovate UK's Growth Catalyst — Investor Partnerships Round 2 scheme.
What's the endgame? Based at Sci-Tech Daresbury, Plasma2X uses non-thermal plasma technology — described as "lightning in a tube" — to make nitrates and nitric acid directly from air and water. These are key precursors for fertilisers, high-performance materials, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and energetics.
The capital will scale the company's plasma reactor module and commission a pilot plant.
Why now? Traditional Haber-Bosch and Ostwald processes consume about 2% of global energy supply and generate 1.5–2% of global CO2 emissions. Plasma2X says its process is low-carbon, integrates with intermittent renewable power, and is price-competitive without subsidies.
"We are very excited to conclude this funding round, which represents a huge vote of confidence in our team and technology," said Mike Craven, chief executive and co-founder. He added that the technology "restores sovereign production of critical chemical precursors for fertilisers and defence components without relying on foreign supply chains."
What could go wrong? The round is early-stage validation, not proof of commercial competitiveness. The technology's case depends on proving it works at scale and on renewable power — pilot performance and customer uptake remain the key milestones.
The signal: European policymakers have flagged the need to scale low-carbon fertiliser production, while noting green alternatives still cost more and need more investment. Backing remains modest compared with peers — Australian spin-out PlasmaLeap raised US$19.4M in 2026 for a related air-and-water approach — leaving Plasma2X to prove the model before commercial momentum follows.
Read more: insidermedia.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
