Kurita Invests in Cyclopure to Accelerate PFAS Business Expansion

Kurita Water Industries Ltd. (Head office: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President: Hirohiko Ejiri; hereafter “Kurita”) has invested in Cyclopure Inc. (Head office: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.; Chief Executive Officer: Frank Cassou; hereafter “Cyclopure”), a U.S.-based company focused on the development of PFAS adsorbents and expanded its partnership with Cyclopure. As part of this partnership expansion, Kurita obtained exclusive sales rights from Cyclopure for its PFAS adsorbent, DEXSORB, for industrial and certain municipal water applications in the United States. Through this investment, Kurita will accelerate the expansion of the Kurita Group’s PFAS business utilizing DEXSORB, starting in the United States.

PFOS and PFOA(*1) are two of the more than 10,000 PFAS(*2) substances believed to exist. They have been widely used in industrial and consumer products because they repel water and oil and offer high heat and chemical resistance. At the same time, concerns have been raised regarding their harmful effects, including carcinogenicity and impacts on children’s development, as well as their persistence in the environment. As a result, regulations have been tightened in recent years, particularly in the United States and Europe. In the United States, regulations establishing a standard of 4 ng/L each for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water were introduced in 2024; the demand for solutions related to PFAS analysis, removal and concentration, and destruction treatment has been rising rapidly.

Cyclopure, founded in 2016, is an Illinois-based water technology company focused on the development of PFAS adsorbents. DEXSORB, Cyclopure’s PFAS adsorbent, is based on plant-derived beta-cyclodextrin and offers targeted PFAS removal; consistent performance in diverse water conditions, resistant to effects of NOM (natural organic matter), inorganic ions, and pH; with simple regeneration and PFAS waste concentration. These features help reduce environmental impact, promote health and safety, and provide high cost-effectiveness. DEXSORB is fully commercialized with engineered system treatment operations in the United States, providing PFAS removal and waste concentration for drinking water, industrial wastewater,  groundwater, and residential applications.

Kurita America Inc. (hereafter “Kurita America”), the Kurita Group’s U.S. operating company, entered into a partnership agreement with Cyclopure in September 2025 to expand PFAS removal solutions(*3). Under this partnership, Kurita America has been conducting technical evaluations to apply DEXSORB to water treatment systems for municipal and industrial water applications in the United States. Kurita America is also responsible for the design, construction, and commissioning of equipment for a regeneration plant that Cyclopure plans to build in Michigan to process spent DEXSORB for reuse and concentrate PFAS waste for destruction.

Going forward, Kurita America and Cyclopure will work together to expand PFAS operations in the United States, targeting municipal and industrial applications, and will collaborate in the construction of an industrial-scale DEXSORB regeneration plant and the distribution of regenerated media. At the same time, Kurita America will incorporate DEXSORB into the water treatment systems it provides to water utilities in the United States and build a track record of effective PFAS removal that meets strict U.S. standards. Through these efforts, the Kurita Group will establish a business foundation for PFAS remediation in the United States and expand DEXSORB solutions to other regions, including Japan and Europe.

The Kurita Group will continue to apply its decades of water-related expertise to develop cutting-edge technologies, products, services, and business models that deliver new value to customers and society. Kurita also aims to contribute to realizing a sustainable society by resolving social issues related to water and the environment.