French deep-tech company Grapheal has secured a €2.5m grant through the latest European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator programme to advance its next-generation PFAS monitoring technology.
The funding will support the development and commercialisation of PFAST, a portable graphene-based sensing platform that detects harmful PFAS contaminants in water within minutes.
The grant comes as European regulators introduce stricter controls on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals.”
New requirements under the EU Drinking Water Directive are increasing pressure on water utilities to conduct more frequent testing and demonstrate compliance with tighter contamination limits.
With the additional funding, Grapheal aims to accelerate deployment of its field-ready sensor system, enabling water treatment operators to perform real-time PFAS monitoring without relying on laboratory analysis that can take weeks to deliver results.
Rising demand for faster PFAS monitoring
PFAS comprise a family of roughly 12,000 synthetic chemicals used across a wide range of industrial, consumer and technological applications.
Their extreme persistence in the environment has led to widespread contamination across Europe, with studies identifying thousands of affected locations.
Health experts and environmental agencies have linked PFAS exposure to a range of serious concerns, including long-term health risks, ecosystem damage and increasing costs for public health systems.
As a result, regulators are demanding more comprehensive PFAS monitoring strategies to identify contamination earlier and respond more effectively.
However, the industry-standard testing method, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), remains heavily dependent on specialised laboratories.
While highly accurate, the process can create delays that hinder rapid decision-making for water treatment facilities.
Bringing PFAS detection to the point of need
Grapheal’s PFAST platform is designed to move PFAS monitoring from the laboratory directly into the field.
The compact system incorporates a miniature electronic sensor roughly the size of a credit card, allowing operators to analyse water samples on-site and receive results in near real time.
Beyond helping utilities comply with evolving regulations, the technology is intended to lower operational costs by supporting continuous monitoring of filtration systems and treatment processes.
Vincent Bouchiat, CEO of Grapheal, added: “Regulatory pressure is accelerating adoption of portable rapid detection sensors for PFAS, and we have already received strong interest for this technology from Europe’s largest water utilities.
“This EIC award, widely recognised as a mark of excellence, will allow us to refine PFAST and further improve its capabilities.
“We are now looking for partners to support the industrialisation of this solution and expand manufacturing capabilities ahead of our anticipated market launch in 2027.”
Decade of graphene innovation
The platform is built on more than ten years of graphene research and is protected by eight patent families encompassing over 50 patents.
Grapheal says the technology leverages graphene’s ultra-thin structure, high electrical performance and adaptable surface chemistry to generate reliable signals even in complex water environments.
According to the company, PFAST delivers sensitivity levels up to ten times greater than existing field-deployable alternatives.
The graphene-based approach also offers sustainability advantages, with production and integration generating significantly lower carbon emissions than comparable silicon-based technologies while avoiding reliance on critical raw materials.
As regulatory scrutiny intensifies and demand for faster PFAS monitoring grows, Grapheal’s latest funding award positions the company to play a significant role in the future of water quality management across Europe.