London’s DEScycle secures over €10 million in grant funding to scale critical metals recovery platform
London-based DEScycle has secured over €10 million in non-dilutive grant funding from various European and UK innovation programmes within the past ten months. This significant investment underscores the growing strategic importance of domestic critical metals recovery for both the UK and Europe, driven by increasing demand for new processing infrastructure. The funding will enable DEScycle to de-risk its deployment strategy by extending the operation of its demo plant, generating crucial data for design optimization, and integrating complementary technologies to enhance its platform. The startup's proprietary ionometallurgy platform, utilizing eco-friendly Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES), offers a capital-light, modular approach to recovering critical and precious metals, particularly from electronic waste. This innovative technology aims to create a resilient, sovereign supply of metals by transforming underutilised waste streams, thereby reducing reliance on long and geographically concentrated supply chains. DEScycle's solution promises lower capital expenditure and energy consumption compared to traditional smelting, paving the way for faster returns and scalable network growth. This infusion of capital will also fuel the development of digital product passports, designed to ensure traceability and provenance for recovered metals throughout the supply chain. With its demo plant progressing towards a planned launch in H2 2026 in Teesside, DEScycle is solidifying its industrial validation through partnerships with major entities like Mitsubishi, GAP Group, and Cisco, the latter two confirmed for customer trials in 2026. This advancement is a key step towards strengthening European digital sovereignty by establishing robust domestic capabilities in vital resource recovery.
Curated and translated by Europe Digital for our multilingual European audience.
Why this matters for European digital sovereignty
London-based DEScycle's significant grant funding highlights the strategic push for domestic critical metals recovery in the UK and Europe. Their proprietary platform offers a capital-light, modular approach to reduce reliance on geographically concentrated supply chains, aligning with European efforts for a more resilient and sovereign supply of essential materials. The development of digital product passports further supports supply chain transparency, a key concern within European industrial policy.
Source Information
European Alternatives You Might Like
Mangopay
Mangopay is a payment infrastructure provider specializing in payments for marketplaces and platforms. It offers virtual wallet technology for managing funds, enabling features such as split payments, multi-currency support, and KYC/AML compliance. Key functionalities include automated payouts, transaction monitoring, and customizable payment flows. This service is primarily aimed at businesses that manage marketplaces, crowdfunding platforms, and sharing economy models and require complex payment solutions. Mangopay distinguishes itself by offering a flexible and scalable payment solution specifically designed for platform-based business models, allowing them to control cash flows and streamline payment processes.
Scaleway
Scaleway is a European cloud computing provider offering a range of services, including servers, storage, and networking solutions. Key features include bare metal servers, virtual machines, object storage, and managed Kubernetes. It's suitable for developers, startups, and businesses seeking cloud infrastructure for web applications, data storage, and various other workloads. Scaleway distinguishes itself through competitive pricing and a focus on European data sovereignty, with data centers in France and the Netherlands.