HAMPTON, VA — The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $2.2 million to Pancopia LLC to scale and commercialize its FreshFlush™ nitrogen management technology for livestock operations. The funding, provided through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, includes a $1.1 million Phase II-B award that will enable the company's first full-scale installation at a North Carolina swine farm.
The FreshFlush system addresses a critical challenge in livestock operations: managing excess nitrogen in wastewater that drives ammonia emissions, odor, and performance losses. Pancopia’s technology stabilizes nitrogen biologically, improving air quality, supporting animal health, and enabling more effective water reuse while reducing environmental impact.
"This award validates years of research and development," said William Cumbie, founder and CEO of Pancopia. "The FreshFlush system builds on proven biological science to deliver practical improvements in nitrogen management, animal welfare, and environmental performance. DOE support allows us to move this technology from pilot work into full-scale commercial validation."
The technology originated from water treatment systems Pancopia developed for NASA's long-duration space missions, where efficient resource recycling is mission-critical. The company has adapted these biological treatment processes to address the vastly different scale of agricultural operations, where livestock facilities generate high-strength wastewater that requires specialized treatment.
Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck noted the city's pride in supporting Pancopia's growth. "Hampton is committed to nurturing innovative companies that can change the world," said Tuck. "Pancopia represents exactly the kind of high-tech environmental industry we're building in this region."
The first full-scale FreshFlush installation is planned for summer 2024, where it will demonstrate the system’s performance under real-world farm conditions.
About Pancopia LLC
Pancopia LLC is an environmental technology company headquartered in Hampton, Virginia, focused on creating and commercializing technologies that maximize the asset-value of waste. The company adapts water technologies originally developed for NASA to solve pressing challenges in the agricultural sector. For more information, visit www.pancopia.com.
Media Contact:
William Cumbie
Pancopia LLC
bill@pancopia.com
Hampton, Virginia
