SnEW: FLTMC Finalist
SnEW is one of the finalists for the From Lab to Market Challenge.
We spoke with Dzeneta Vrucak, Dominik Büscher, and Damien Latacz (Co-Founders) about SnEW, one of the finalists in the From Lab to Market Challenge.
CHEManager: What is your technology, and what makes it work?
Dzeneta Vrucak, Dominik Büscher, & Damien Latacz: SnEW implements a printed circuit board recycling method that prevents the loss of critical metals from e-waste. Solder is selectively dissolved, enabling the separation of electronic components, which contain critical metals, from the base plate. Further sorting steps create enriched metal fractions for specialized recovery. SnEW integrates into existing recycling chains, recovering value previously lost while improving efficiency and supporting electronics circularity in Europe.
What problem does your technology solve, and what is the business potential?
D. Vrucak, D. Büscher, & D. Latacz: Current processes rely on high-temperature treatment of shredded e-waste, making recovery of metals such as tantalum and gallium inefficient and economically unattractive. SnEW’s technology produces enriched fractions before any value loss happens. This increases resource efficiency and creates additional value for recycling companies. The business potential is driven by rising e-waste volumes, growing demand for critical raw materials, and stricter sustainability regulations in Europe.
What's the next milestone your team is working towards?
D. Vrucak, D. Büscher, & D. Latacz: The next milestone for SnEW is to move from lab-scale, already verified with real waste streams, into pilot-scale and demonstration-scale operation. With support of our first partners, the focus is now on scaling the selective separation process, optimizing performance under continuous conditions, and validating integration into existing recycling infrastructure. To achieve this, we are actively seeking funding to build and operate pilot and demo facilities and generate industrial-scale data.
