Elmery was recognised among Europe’s leading circular technology innovators for its patented electrochemical solution for recovering critical raw materials from complex industrial streams.

Elmery has been selected as one of the finalists for the Knorr-Bremse Circular Technology Award 2026, in the Critical Raw Materials Recovery category. The award highlights Europe’s leading green technology startups and SMEs developing practical solutions for circular industrial value chains.

The competition, organised by Knorr-Bremse, Heinz Hermann Thiele Familienstiftung, and CIRCULAR REPUBLIC, focuses on two key areas: automated disassembly and critical raw materials recovery. Elmery was recognized among the finalists for its patented pulse-based electrochemical technology, which selectively recovers metals from dilute, complex recycling and refining streams using only electricity.

This recognition strengthens Elmery’s position as a European technology company helping industrial partners recover more value from existing resources. Critical metals are essential for electrification, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and resilient supply chains. Yet many valuable metals remain difficult to recover from side streams, residues, and complex process solutions.

Elmery’s approach addresses this challenge by turning underutilised liquid streams into recoverable metal value. Instead of relying on chemical-heavy processing, Elmery uses controlled electrical pulses to target valuable metals with high selectivity. The technology is designed to integrate into existing industrial processes, helping refineries, recyclers, and metal producers improve recovery, reduce waste, and lower chemical use.

For Elmery, the award is another signal that selective, low-impact metal recovery is becoming a central part of Europe’s circular economy.

By recovering valuable metals from streams that are currently difficult to treat, Elmery helps reduce dependence on primary extraction while improving the efficiency of existing refining and recycling operations. More metals, less waste – and a cleaner path toward circular raw materials.

Elmery warmly congratulates the winners, DEScycle and HyProMag, for their outstanding achievements in advancing circular technologies. We are proud to have been recognized alongside such strong innovators and fellow finalists, all working toward the same essential goal: recovering more value from existing resources and building more resilient, circular raw-material value chains for Europe.