Bill Gates-Backed Venture Aims to Eliminate ‘Forever Chemicals’

A new venture backed by billionaire Bill Gates is trying to make sure that “forever chemicals” don’t really last that long.

Allonnia LLC, which launched Thursday with $40 million in Series A funding, is working to engineer microbes to get rid of pollutants in wastewater and soil. It’s starting with PFAS, an insidious class of chemicals that are widespread in U.S. drinking water and have otherwise proved resistant to breaking down, earning them the “forever” moniker.

High-automation foundry at Ginkgo Bioworks’ South Boston headquarters

Source: Ginko Bioworks

“We have a waste problem in the world where a solution hasn’t been unlocked yet,” said Chief Executive Officer Nicole Richards, who ...