Green Steel Environmental LLC
The University of Colorado Connection
is entering a $2 billion wastewater treatment chemicals market with a patented, cost-effective alternative to hazardous nutrient removal chemicals. The company was co-founded by and through the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator.
Green Steel PSR™ is a patented wastewater treatment technology that originated in the lab of company co-founder Mark Hernandez (CU Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering) that enables the direct sequestration of phosphorus and sulfur using upcycled iron- and steel-manufacturing slags. When added to anaerobic digesters, sludge streams, or biosolids handling processes, the material sorbs and immobilizes nutrients, significantly reducing their presence in liquid effluent and associated biogas—without reliance on conventional metal salts or hazardous reagents.
Funding Status and Investment Opportunities
- Industry Applications: Advanced Materials, Environment and Sustainability, Cleantech, Food and Agriculture, Chemicals
- Funding Stage: Series A
- Contact for Investment Inquiries: , jteaford@greensteelenvironmental.comÌý
In the News
- CU Boulder hosts showcase of investment-ready ventures from across the Inter-Mountain West (2026)
- Destination Startup announces startups across the region to present at annual showcase (2026)
- Sustainable Spinouts: Innovation in Action (2025)
- First cohort of CU Boulder’s Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator launches groundbreaking innovations (2024)
- Pitch competition celebrates and funds new CU Boulder ventures founded on scientific discoveries (2024)
- 2024 cohort of CU Boulder’s Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator launches new startups (2024)
- The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade announces grants to CU researchers and startups (2024)
- New deep tech startup creator Embark announces first cohort of entrepreneurs (2023)
- State and university partner to award over $1.5 million in funding to University of Colorado innovations (2023)
- Lab Venture Challenge announces finalists in funding competition for leading innovations (2023)
Venture Partners Programs​
- Destination Startup (2026)
- Lab Venture ChallengeÌý(2023)
- Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator (2023)
- Intellectual Property Management (2017)
ÌýÌý ÌýThis page was last updated on Feb. 27, 2026. Please email vpnews@colorado.edu for corrections or updates
The Insider Investor eNewsletter
Media Inquiries
For marketing inquiries and news tips, contact Daniel Leonard,Ìýsenior marketing and communications specialist for Venture Partners at CU Boulder.
For media inquiries, please visit .