EQT Foundation invests in BluumBio, harnessing the power of nature to clean up pollution

EQT Foundation has invested in BluumBio, a U.S.-based biotechnology startup developing microbial products to remove toxic pollutants from the environment. BluumBio’s platform uses naturally occurring organisms to break down persistent contaminants, such as petroleum hydrocarbons, PFAS, PCBs, and plastics, offering a scalable, sustainable, and cost-efficient alternative to traditional remediation methods.

This investment supports BluumBio’s mission to clean up thousands of acres of polluted soil and water by 2030 and expand its portfolio of solutions addressing some of the most hazardous industrial contaminants. With this funding, BluumBio will accelerate commercialization of its petroleum product, advance field trials for its PFAS solution, and continue development of products for PCBs and plastics.

Industrial contamination is a growing global crisis, with over 70% of Earth’s surface affected and long-term exposure linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and biodiversity loss. Despite this, conventional cleanup methods remain costly, energy-intensive, and ecologically disruptive. BluumBio’s bio-based approach leverages its proprietary BioDegra database of over 2,000 genomes to identify enzyme-producing microbes capable of degrading pollutants quickly and effectively, demonstrating over 70%-99% breakdown of industrial chemicals in as little as 2 days for wastewater and 28 days for soil across their three available product lines.

Founded by biologist and ecologist Dr. Katherine French, BluumBio emerged from her work at UC Berkeley and was further supported by the Activate Fellowship. The company’s leadership team brings deep expertise in microbiology, fermentation, and ecological systems.

The EQT Deal Team, Tyler Parker, Charlotte Hoffman, and Anjum Rangwala, will support BluumBio by connecting the company to EQT’s broader ecosystem, including industrial advisors, potential partners in the chemicals and energy sectors, and customer networks across remediation and development.

"The scientific breakthroughs of the BluumBio team has made it possible to productify soil health and clean waters. Their approach combines microbial innovation with real-world viability, and represents an interesting sweet spot for investing to preserve biodiversity, an area that historically has lacked good investment opportunities. We are thrilled to back BluumBio and the shift that they represent."
Cilia Holmes Indahl, CEO EQT Foundation

"At BluumBio, we’re strongly committed to a future where all have access to clean air, water and soil. With the support and mentorship of EQT, we’ll be able to scale our products and bring them to the hands of commercial partners in the US, EU and Australia. We’re so proud to be included within their impactful portfolio of sustainability and climate-tech solutions."
Dr. Katherine French, Founder & CEO, BluumBio

"Katherine and the BluumBio team are combining deep scientific rigor with a pragmatic path to commercialization. Their approach is both technically sound and market-ready, and we’re excited to help them grow into a global leader in bioremediation."
Tyler Parker, EQT Deal Team