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'Sokcho' ultrasonic technology startup First Lab has successfully completed the Japanese government's 'PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) reduction demonstration project' in collaboration with Japanese equipment company Hitachi High-Tech. First Lab plans to accelerate its global market expansion based on the demonstration results.
According to relevant industry sources on the 17th, First Lab and Hitachi High-Tech received a successful verdict from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment's PFAS reduction demonstration project, which began at the end of last year. Specifically, they succeeded in reducing the combined concentration of PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), both included under PFAS, to 50ng/L or less—the government's standard limit (1 gram per 1 billion parts per liter).
PFAS are artificially formed molecular bonds that rarely decompose in natural environments, continuously accumulating in the environment and human bodies, earning them the nickname 'zombie chemicals.' Starting with the United States in 2024, advanced countries including the European Union (EU) and Japan have been strengthening PFAS regulations. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Ministry of the Environment also mandated a combined concentration limit of 50ng/L for PFOS and PFOA in tap water standards since April.
Notably, First Lab and Hitachi High-Tech received high praise for their 'Sokcho' ultrasonic technology, which concentrates ultrasonic energy inside a cylindrical inline reactor to break the carbon-fluorine molecular bonds in PFAS. The technology requires no additional chemical additives such as oxidants or adsorbents and can decompose pollutants under continuous flow conditions, achieving both environmental friendliness and economic efficiency.
The Japanese Ministry of the Environment officially included this demonstration result in its official document 'PFOS and Other Concentration Reduction Technology Collection' as one of nine technologies and business operators. It has now become an official option for local companies and municipalities in Japan to choose when reducing PFAS levels. First Lab considers this a significant milestone in establishing a foothold in the local market.
Furthermore, following the successful demonstration with Hitachi High-Tech, First Lab was also selected as a recipient of subsidies from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). First Lab has established a Japanese subsidiary in Tokyo and is conducting business and R&D (research and development) centered around its research facility in Ibaraki Prefecture. Leveraging JETRO subsidies, First Lab plans to strengthen local business infrastructure in Japan and accelerate expansion into key industrial sectors including local governments, semiconductors, chemicals, and shipbuilding.
Hwang Bo-min, CEO of First Lab, stated, "Achieving results in the Japanese market, which has strict regulatory standards, carries even greater significance. Based on our collaboration with global partners including Hitachi High-Tech, we will become a core leader in building an environmentally friendly water treatment supply chain that achieves fundamental destruction of pollutants."
[MoneyToday Startup Media Platform Unicorn Factory]
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