Digiclean Solutions redefines how industry uses chemicals

The chemical sector is the world’s largest industrial energy consumer and the third-largest source of direct industrial carbon emissions, according to the IEA. Optimising this chemical usage is not only an industrial efficiency issue – it is also a critical environmental and regulatory challenge.

Industrial manufacturing depends on chemicals for cleaning, lubrication and surface treatment. Yet these processes are still managed through manual sampling and static dosing schedules, based on fixed inventories and occasional checks. This leads to significant overuse of chemicals, increased carbon emissions, fluid waste and quality issues.

Rethinking the industry built on volume

Charlotte Stigen Låstberg, CEO and Founder of Digiclean Solutions, developed an AI-powered sensor technology that enables manufacturers to use fewer resources more efficiently. The numbers speak for themselves: up to 60% reduction in chemical use, 97% less wastewater, 50% lower CO₂ emissions and more than 1000% longer lifespan of cleaning fluids. The startup has submitted two patents for its core innovations and is paving the way toward industrial sustainability.

Låstberg started her career in the industry at her family’s chemical company. What prompted her to found her startup was observing how the industry was focusing on selling volumes, overlooking efficiency and value. This idea brought her to the nomination for the EIT Venture Award 2025, celebrating startups in the EIT Community with strong growth potential.

“The industry of the industries”

The European Commission refers to chemicals as “the industry of the industries”. It is the EU’s fourth-largest manufacturing industry, contributing to over 96% of manufactured goods. Chemicals are crucial for a wide range of applications in strategic sectors, such as automotive, defence, clean tech and digital. The primary building blocks, like petrochemicals, ammonia and chlorine, are the foundation of numerous value chains, from pharmaceuticals to batteries.

At the same time, the industry must transition toward a clean and circular economy model – embracing innovation, strengthening its global competitiveness and ensuring the protection of human health and the environment.

When deep tech meets clean tech

For the innovation ecosystem, Digiclean Solutions shows how AI and sustainability can co-exist in industrial deep tech, opening new business models and accelerating clean tech adoption. The team combines deep chemical domain knowledge with real-time sensing and applied AI. Their system is tailored for industrial fluids and integrates directly into operations – setting the startup apart from generic monitoring tools.

The startup’s solution targets large manufacturing companies across Europe and globally. The team currently focuses on automotive, metalworking and precision component sectors. Key end-users include companies like Volvo Group Trucks, SKF and Parker Hannifin, as well as global chemical suppliers seeking to transform from volume-based to result-based business models.

Digiclean Solutions tested at Volvo facility

A pathway to monetise sustainable results

With new regulations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and EU Taxonomy, companies are under pressure to cut emissions, improve resource efficiency and adopt new processes to achieve sustainability goals.

Digiclean Solutions helps manufacturers radically cut chemical waste and operational costs while meeting growing sustainability reporting demands. In collaboration with Open Impact, the team created a measurable impact framework – aligned with SFDR, CSRD and the EU Taxonomy – with automated tracking tools that help customers comply with EU regulations.

Advancing technological development

Digiclean Solutions comes from the EIT Manufacturing community, where it received support in both technological and commercial development. The company participated in the EIT Manufacturing Accelerator Call 2024 via the Venture Building Programme, where it received business coaching and go-to-market support. The team was also selected for the Supernovas RocketUp Programme 2024, focusing on investor readiness and international scaling.

But it all began back in 2022 with the CoMoSyMe research project, co-funded by EIT Manufacturing. The company Industrikemiproduktion i Viared, the company from which Digiclean spun out, was a beneficiary in this project and worked on the digitalisation and optimisation of process fluids in industrial manufacturing.

Digiclean Solutions team: Adrian Welter (CTO), Charlotte Stigen Låstberg (CEO and Founder), Adriana Rodríguez (Marketing Manager) and Gabriel Grahn (Application Engineer)

Scaling impact across industries

The initial focus on process fluids in metalworking industries is only the beginning. The core technology has already been validated for use in adjacent sectors such as water treatment, defence applications, where fluid integrity is mission-critical, and CIP (Clean-in-Place) cleaning systems in the food and beverage industry. These markets represent substantial expansion opportunities, all facing similar challenges around chemical use, compliance and traceability.

Låstberg is ready to compete for the EIT Venture Award 2025 to gain wider recognition for her solution that scales environmental and economic impact across industries.