Impakter
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
    • Entertainment
    • Literature
    • Music
    • Photography
  • Style
    • Architecture
    • Design
    • Fashion
    • Foodscape
    • Lifestyle
  • Society
    • Business
    • Environment
    • Foreign Affairs & Politics
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Science
    • Start-up
  • Impact
    • Eco Life
    • Circular Economy
    • COP26
    • CityLife
      • Copenhagen
      • San Francisco
      • Seattle
      • Sydney
    • Sustainability Series
      • SDGs Series
      • Shape Your Future
      • 2030: Dream or Reality
    • Philanthropy
      • United Nations
      • NGO & Charities
      • Essays
    • Your Voice
      • Empower Earth
      • Empower Equality
  • SUSTAINABILITY INDEX
  • Partners
  • About
    • Team
    • Global Leaders
    • Contributors
    • Write for Impakter
    • IMPAKTER Italy
    • Republishing Content
    • Permissions and Copyright
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
    • Entertainment
    • Literature
    • Music
    • Photography
  • Style
    • Architecture
    • Design
    • Fashion
    • Foodscape
    • Lifestyle
  • Society
    • Business
    • Environment
    • Foreign Affairs & Politics
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Science
    • Start-up
  • Impact
    • Eco Life
    • Circular Economy
    • COP26
    • CityLife
      • Copenhagen
      • San Francisco
      • Seattle
      • Sydney
    • Sustainability Series
      • SDGs Series
      • Shape Your Future
      • 2030: Dream or Reality
    • Philanthropy
      • United Nations
      • NGO & Charities
      • Essays
    • Your Voice
      • Empower Earth
      • Empower Equality
  • SUSTAINABILITY INDEX
  • Partners
  • About
    • Team
    • Global Leaders
    • Contributors
    • Write for Impakter
    • IMPAKTER Italy
    • Republishing Content
    • Permissions and Copyright
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Impakter
No Result
View All Result
Home Society Business

Silicon Valley Insider: Phospholutions vs. Phosphorus Pollution

byMike Anderson
June 14, 2019
in Business, Environment, Science, Society, Start-up, Uncategorized
Crop Corn Harvest Farming Agriculture Corn Silage

Crop Corn Harvest Farming Agriculture Corn Silage

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Our featured Silicon Valley Insider is addressing one of the most serious threats to our planet’s coasts and lakes: nutrient pollution. Last week, Phospholutions, a State College, PA-based fertilizer startup, raised up to $1.5m in funding.

Backers in the deal included 1855 Capital and Maumee Ventures, the venture capital subsidiary of The Andersons, Inc., a diversified U.S. agribusiness. The Company will use the funds to expand its team and support the launch of the Company’s first commercial product line, RhizoSorb® and RhizoSorb® Plus. Both products aim to reduce phosphorus runoff and enhance plant health, decreasing the amount of water and fertilizer needed for successful plant growth.

In certain amounts, this nutrient is critical to support life in freshwater systems, but excessive and wasteful use of phosphorus in both the industrial and agricultural applications pose an incredible threat to the planet’s water sources. Eutrophication, or excess nutrients in a water system, can cause “dead zones”, toxic algal blooms and reduced biodiversity, among other harmful effects. In the UK, about 40% of lakes fail to meet the water quality targets of the EU’s Water Framework Directive, mostly as a result of phosphorus runoff. This runoff has also led to increased consumption by livestock and humans alike, raising health concerns.

In this Picture: Hunter Swisher, CEO of Phospholutions giving a presentation. Photo Credit: Penn State Alumni Association

Earlier this week, I caught up with Hunter Swisher, Phospholutions CEO, to learn more about this issue and their solution. He was attending the 87th Annual International Fertilizer Conference (IFA2019) in Montreal. I caught him as he was preparing for the Plant Nutrition Startup Showcase, which was set to take place the next day. It was clear to me that his pitch was well-rehearsed, as his delivery was succinct and thorough.

He obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Plant Sciences from Penn State University, which was also the birthplace of the company. After hearing that one of his professors was issued two patents for his soil-enhancement inventions, and learning that they were sitting on the shelf in the intellectual property office of the university, he set out to pursue commercialization. His timing was impeccable as the university’s new president had launched a new initiative to support economic development, called Invent Penn State, which helped Hunter get the idea off the ground.

When asked about the intellectual property behind RhizoSorb®, Hunter explained, “Our IP focuses on using an absorbent to both adsorb and desorb phosphorus in fertilizer.” He continued, “RhizoSorb® soaks up what fertilizer is being applied and keeps in place like a sponge until it’s soaked up by the plant.”

In this Picture: Soil in hand for planting. Credit: US Dept of Agriculture

He was also excited to share the news that their new product, RhizoSorb® Plus, which is expected to be released by the end of the year, would come preloaded with the nutrients needed for plant growth.

Hunter went on to explain in great depth that phosphorus is a finite resource, and the nutrient is wasted at several points in its life cycle.

“More than 60% of the phosphorus in fertilizer is never utilized by the plant”, he mentioned, “and that’s scary when we apply about $78 billion dollors of phosphorus globally each year.”   

The good news is that Phospholution isn’t the only company working on new ways to remove excess phosphorus from the environment. The Vancouver, British Columbia company, Ostara, raised $11 million in January of this year to continue to expand their global nutrient recovery products in farming and municipal water treatment.

We are excited and hopeful to see the positive impact of Phospholution’s products on the environment, and hope to catch up with Hunter in the future.

A few other deal’s we are paying attention to from this past week:

  • Delhi-based startup Chakr Innovation raises $2.7 million to cut India’s air pollution.
  • Seattle, Washington’s LevelTen closes $20.5 million to enable companies to switch to renewable power.
  • Norway’s Spacemaker raises €22 million to help urban developers build sustainably.

Check back next week for more impact-focused venture deals of the Week in the Silicon Valley Insider!

In the Cover Picture: Crop Corn Harvest Farming Agriculture. Photo Credit: Pixabay. 


EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com.

Tags: AgricultureHunter SwisherPhospholutinsPollution
Previous Post

Financing the Sustainable Development Goals — How Will We Pay for the Green Energy Infrastructure We Need?

Next Post

The Extradition Bill: The Beginning of the End for Hong Kong?

Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson is a tech enthusiast and entrepreneur living in San Francisco. He’s a Growth Manager with an AI-powered virtual care company, Intellivisit, and is the co-founder of a SaaS fundraising platform for schools and nonprofits, HowToFund. Mike spent the last 7 years working for an investment bank and an investor relations consulting firm where he collaborated with public companies to craft their financial message. He holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago, and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Augustana College.

Related Posts

3 Positive ‘Tipping Points’ That Could Help us Out of Climate Crisis
Climate Change

3 Positive ‘Tipping Points’ That Could Help us Out of Climate Crisis

January 27, 2023
The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Anti-Climate Formula: ‘Deny, Deceive, Delay’
Climate Change

The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Anti-Climate Formula: ‘Deny, Deceive, Delay’

January 26, 2023
woman fixing smartphone
Business

Big Tech Layoffs: Has the Bubble Burst?

January 26, 2023
Next Post
The Extradition Bill: The Beginning of the End for Hong Kong?

The Extradition Bill: The Beginning of the End for Hong Kong?

Please login to join discussion

Recent News

3 Positive ‘Tipping Points’ That Could Help us Out of Climate Crisis

3 Positive ‘Tipping Points’ That Could Help us Out of Climate Crisis

January 27, 2023
The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Anti-Climate Formula: ‘Deny, Deceive, Delay’

The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Anti-Climate Formula: ‘Deny, Deceive, Delay’

January 26, 2023
woman fixing smartphone

Big Tech Layoffs: Has the Bubble Burst?

January 26, 2023
impakter-logo-light

Impakter informs you through the eco news site and empowers your sustainable lifestyle with its eco products marketplace.

Visit here IMPAKTER ECO for your eco products needs.

Registered Office Address

32 Lots Road, London
SW10 0QJ, United Kingdom


IMPAKTER Limited

Company number: 10806931

Impakter is a publication that is identified by the following International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is the following 2515-9569 (Printed) and 2515-9577 (online – Website).


Office Hours - Monday to Friday

9.30am - 5.00pm CEST


Email

stories [at] impakter.com

About Us

  • Team
  • Contributors
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Partners

By Audience

  • Lifestyle
  • Green Finance
  • Culture
  • Society
  • Style
  • Impact

Impakter Platforms

  • Media
  • Index

© 2023 IMPAKTER. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • ECO Products Shop – Try now!
  • Culture
  • Style
  • Society
  • Impact
  • Sustainability Index
  • About
    • Partners
    • Team
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

© 2023 IMPAKTER. All rights reserved.

Impakter.com uses cookies to enhance your experience when visiting the website and to serve you with advertisements that might interest you. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.