Remedy Scientific to automate soil decontamination

Environmental remediation automation technology company Remedy Scientific recently emerged from stealth, sharing its plan to help the U.S. address environmentally contaminated land. 

Oakland, Calif.-based Remedy Scientific is introducing an automation-driven technology to address ubiquitous environmental contamination, starting with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals.

Founded in 2023, the startup has raised $11 million in seed funding from Eclipse, Refactor, Cantos, and Box Group.

Remedy Scientific is on a mission to redefine how the world combats environmental pollution. The company said it empowers landowners, developers, and government agencies to tackle pervasive contamination with its innovative, scalable, and science-based solutions that effectively remediate polluted sites - safeguarding public health and creating a cleaner future for all.

Current cleanup methods slow, unsustainable

The global scale of environmental contamination remains largely unquantified. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates there are over 450,000 brownfield contamination sites nationwide, a decades-old figure that likely understates the true extent of the issue. 

Remedy Scientific estimates that more than $3 trillion in real estate value across the United States is adversely impacted by contamination. 

Randol Aikin, Remedy Scientific CEO and founder. Source: Remedy Scientific

Current land remediation methods are slow, costly, and unsustainable. The average timeline for federally designated Superfund cleanups is 12 to 15 years, with some extending beyond 30 years. 

Remedy Scientific said its technology platform can accelerate the cleanup process, unlocking the development potential of contaminated sites across the country.

“We believe that land remediation should be scalable and permanent - not a temporary fix,” said Randol Aikin, Remedy Scientific CEO and founder. “By introducing automation and precision to this field, we’re enabling a paradigm shift in how contaminated land is treated. Our technology restores land and enhances its value, creating opportunities for redevelopment and addressing the growing demand for usable land assets, while at the same time improving human health and minimizing risks for stakeholders.”

Sensors and algorithms to optimize treatment

PFAS are among the most challenging contaminants to remove due to their persistence in the environment. These toxic substances have been detected at over 8,865 sites across the U.S. and can pose long-term health risks due to their accumulation in critical human organs. 

For these reasons, Remedy Scientific said it is tackling this problem at the source, with plans to expand its technology platform to address other contaminants in the future.

In-house testing, along with automated sensing and algorithms allow Remedy Scientific to optimize contaminated soil treatment processes. Source: Remedy Scientific

Unlike traditional methods requiring extensive excavation, chemical-intensive approaches, off-site hazardous waste disposal, or stop-gap chemical solutions, Remedy Scientific’s remediation platform uses algorithmically optimized treatment processes and advanced sensing to detect and destroy contaminants at their source. 

As one of the first land remediation startups, Remedy Scientific said its proprietary solution reduces remediation timelines and lowers costs, making land restoration viable at scale by developing a treatment solution that generalizes across different site conditions.

Decontaminating land for redevelopment

Public concern over environmental contamination, coupled with increasing pressure on land availability and a backlog of contaminated sites, has created a multi-billion dollar market for land remediation. 

As people pollute the soil faster than it can be treated, and with 44% of the remediation workforce set to retire in the next five years, automating site remediation can help address this escalating issue. 

Remedy Scientific said its proprietary solution reduces remediation timelines and lowers costs, making land restoration for redevelopment viable at scale. Source: Remedy Scientific

This transformative potential is drawing increasing interest from private investors. 

“Land remediation is more than just an environmental issue - it’s an industrial challenge with high economic stakes,” said Lior Susan, Eclipse founding partner. “Eclipse invested in Remedy Scientific because their technology addresses a massive market opportunity while delivering results that align with the needs of industry, government, and communities.”

Remedy Scientific’s initial focus includes high-priority pilot projects with federal agencies and private partners, addressing contaminated sites critical to infrastructure, defense, and industrial development. By shifting site remediation from projects to products, Remedy said its approach redefines the scalability and speed of land cleanup efforts compared to site-specific solutions.