CNM TECHNOLOGIES GMBH

Their core work

CNM Technologies is a Bielefeld-based SME that manufactures and commercializes carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) — ultrathin 2D materials used for water purification, filtration, and separation processes. They bridge the gap between laboratory-scale nanomembrane research and industrial membrane production. Their work spans from point-of-care diagnostics platforms to energy storage applications, but their core business centers on turning carbon nanomembrane science into market-ready filtration and separation products.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2018), CNM Technologies contributed to broad graphene and layered materials research (GrapheneCore1) and applied their membrane expertise to health diagnostics (PoC-ID). From 2020 onward, their focus sharpened dramatically toward water purification, filtration, and membrane commercialization, with three projects (ITS-THIN, CNergy, THINtoBIG) all centered on carbon nanomembranes for separation applications. The shift from general 2D materials research toward specific water and energy membrane products signals a company moving from technology exploration to market deployment.

CNM Technologies is transitioning from research participation toward product-focused membrane commercialization, with water treatment as their primary market and energy storage as a new frontier.

How they like to work

CNM Technologies operates primarily as a specialist partner (4 of 5 projects as participant), contributing their niche carbon nanomembrane expertise to larger consortia. With 206 unique partners across 28 countries, they connect broadly rather than working with a fixed group — typical for a deep-tech SME that provides a specific material or technology component. Their single coordination role (CNergy, a small EUR 100K project) suggests they are beginning to lead initiatives in areas where they hold clear technology ownership.

Extensive European network spanning 206 partners across 28 countries, built largely through participation in major flagship initiatives like Graphene Core1. This gives them reach far beyond what a 5-project SME would normally have.

What sets them apart

CNM Technologies is one of very few companies globally that manufactures carbon nanomembranes — a specific class of 2D material distinct from graphene. This gives them a rare position as both the technology developer and the industrial supplier for CNM-based filtration and separation. For consortium builders, they offer something hard to find elsewhere: a private company that can take CNM research from lab results to manufactured membrane products.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ITS-THIN
  Their largest funded project (EUR 521K) and the clearest expression of their core mission: revolutionizing water separation with ultrathin carbon nanomembranes.
• CNergy
  Their only coordinated project, exploring carbon nanomembranes for energy storage — signals strategic diversification beyond water into the energy sector.
• GrapheneCore1
  Participation in the EU Graphene Flagship gave them access to a massive consortium network (contributing to their 206 partners across 28 countries).