Rookwood Operations, a company that removes phosphate pollution from waterways and returns it to agricultural soils as a nutrient, has raised £800 thousand in a funding round. The round includes a £550,000 equity investment from the British Business Bank's South West Investment Fund, through The FSE Group, and investment from Sustainable Ventures and private angels. Rookwood Operations has also received a £700,000 Innovate UK award.
Rookwood Operations is commercialising a nature-based technology that takes phosphate out of water and enables its reuse in farming. The approach addresses two linked national challenges: declining river health driven by excess phosphate, and the UK's reliance on imported fertiliser for food production. Phosphate pollution is a major contributor to poor water quality across UK rivers and lakes, while phosphate remains essential for crop growth.
No rivers in England currently meet good chemical status, and water companies face increasingly stringent requirements to improve water quality. Investment in phosphorus mitigation is set to increase significantly, and Ofwat has approved £4.9 billion of phosphorus removal investment for 2025 to 2030 alone. Rookwood Operations is already working with organisations including Bristol Water and Yorkshire Dales National Park. It has received multiple Innovate UK awards, has been featured on BBC Countryfile and was nominated for the Earthshot Prize by its patent advisers.
Founded in 2022 and based near Wells in Somerset, Rookwood Operations will use the investment to strengthen its commercial capability, scale production and expand deployment across a growing number of customer sites. It plans to expand its customer base as water companies, landowners and environmental organisations look for new ways to improve water quality while supporting circular economy principles.
People often treat water quality, farming and economic growth as if they live in different universes. They don’t. They’re tightly connected, and phosphate is one of the clearest examples of that. We remove it from places it’s causing damage and return it to places it’s genuinely useful. It’s not complicated - it’s just sensible. This investment lets us scale faster, bring more people into the team, and tackle two of the UK’s growing risks head-on: nutrient scarcity and freshwater pollution, both of which threaten long-term food and economic stability.
The Rookwood team has developed a compelling solution to a nationally significant environmental challenge, combining strong commercial potential with clear environmental impact. With growing regulatory drivers and increasing demand for phosphorus mitigation, the business is well positioned to scale its technology and create long-term value. We're delighted to support Jane and the wider team as they enter their next phase of growth.
Rookwood is turning an environmental challenge into a commercial opportunity, with technology that improves water quality while recovering a valuable resource for agriculture. It is a strong example of how the South West Investment Fund is supporting the UK’s Industrial Strategy by backing innovative businesses with significant potential to scale.
