Pazul Ltd, a spin-out company from Cranfield University, has raised £600k in its latest investment round to develop real-time phosphate sensing for wastewater treatment and river monitoring. The round, announced on 21 October 2026, was led by Midlands Mindforge with a £300k commitment, matched by investment from a group of high-net-worth individuals.
The company builds on research from Cranfield’s Water Science Institute. Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university in the UK. Pazul said its aim is to develop real-time monitoring that drives action on complex aquatic pollution problems.
Limits of existing phosphate measurement
According to Pazul, current methods for gathering pollution data in water are slow, costly and infrequent, which makes dynamic decision-making difficult. Phosphate measurement still relies on wet chemistry methods developed in the 1960s, which remain in use for lab-based analysis.
Those laboratory methods require many staff hours and sample transport, and results are usually available one to three days after sampling. The company said this makes rapid decisions difficult, particularly as water quality can change quickly.
The same chemistry has been adapted for microfluidic online instruments. These provide timely results but still use corrosive chemicals that are difficult to manage on site. Pazul said the cost of these instruments and their maintenance, particularly the costs of sample preparation, has limited their widespread use.
Real-time phosphate sensing without reagents
Pazul’s approach is an electrochemical sensor platform based on molecularly imprinted polymers. The company said it delivers rapid, low-maintenance measurements without wet chemistry reagents or sample preparation. In practice, phosphate concentrations can be measured within a few minutes.
Dosing system and river data service
The sensor underpins two main products. The first is an automated phosphate iron dosing system for wastewater treatment. It uses real-time phosphate measurements and flow data to optimise coagulant dosing and reduce chemical use.
The second, Pazul RiverIntel, is a real-time river water-quality data service that combines continuous sensing, connected data and analytics. It is intended to support monitoring, decision-making, AI tools and digital twins.
Pazul said the benefits include lower chemical use, sludge production, emissions and operating costs, while stable treatment performance is maintained and receiving waters are protected. Alongside the hardware, the company said it is building data tools for natural and engineered systems that turn continuous monitoring of multiple pollutants into actionable insights.
University-backed investor leads the round
Ana Soares, Professor of Biotechnology Engineering at Cranfield University and co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Pazul, said: “We’re extremely proud to have received this investment. It will help us further develop our technology and strengthen our team, but it also shows confidence in the work that we’re doing and an understanding of our goals.”
She added: “Not only will this technology help us to better understand phosphate in natural and engineered systems, but it will enable utilities to make significant savings on chemical costs without compromising efficiency and industry make faster, better-informed decisions based on real-time information.”
Midlands Mindforge is an investment company set up by eight universities to invest in science and technology companies from across the Midlands. Its founding-partner universities are Aston, Birmingham, Cranfield, Keele, Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Warwick.
Lisa Smith, CEO of Midlands Mindforge, said: “Pazul combines outstanding science, strong commercial potential and a clear route to real-world impact. The company is addressing a critical challenge for the water sector with an innovative technology that can generate actionable insights in real time, helping organisations make better decisions while reducing costs and protecting the environment. This is exactly the type of high-potential, research-driven business that Midlands Mindforge was created to back, and we’re excited to support the team as they scale.”
Frequently asked questions
How much funding has Pazul raised?
Pazul Ltd raised £600k in its latest investment round. Midlands Mindforge led the round with a £300k commitment, which was matched by a group of high-net-worth individuals.
What is Pazul’s phosphate sensor?
It is an electrochemical sensor platform based on molecularly imprinted polymers. The company says it measures phosphate within a few minutes without wet chemistry reagents or sample preparation.
What products does Pazul offer?
Pazul has two main products. One is an automated phosphate iron dosing system for wastewater treatment. The other is Pazul RiverIntel, a real-time river water-quality data service.
Why is current phosphate monitoring slow?
Laboratory analysis relies on wet chemistry methods developed in the 1960s. It needs many staff hours and sample transport, and results are usually available one to three days after sampling.
What is Midlands Mindforge?
Midlands Mindforge is an investment company set up by eight universities, including Cranfield, to invest in science and technology companies from across the Midlands.
