Nexion Technologies Showcases Next-Generation Membrane Separations and Wins FYELABS PRARE Prize at McMaster Investor Innovation Showcase
June 23, 2026 - Hamilton, ON
Nexion Technologies brought membrane separation science to life for a room of fellow entrepreneurs, investors, and science enthusiasts at McMaster University's annual Investor Innovation Showcase, held at McMaster Innovation Park on June 23, 2026. The event brings together early-stage companies and the investment community to spotlight emerging technologies coming out of the region's innovation ecosystem.
Nexion's CEO and Founder, Nathan Mullins, PhD, spent the day walking attendees through how membrane technology is applied in pharmaceutical purification and, in particular, the role that PEEK membranes play in alleviating the performance degradation that has long limited harsh separation applications.
Membrane separations can be difficult to picture, so Mullins used a simple, vivid demonstration to make the science tangible. Using blue dextran dissolved in water, he showed how a single membrane platform can perform several distinct jobs at once.
Blue dextran is a large, brightly colored molecule that is easy to track by eye, which makes it an ideal stand-in for the valuable products and impurities encountered in real purification workflows. As the solution moved through the membrane, attendees could watch the fundamental operations of membrane-based processing unfold:
Concentration — removing solvent to increase the concentration of the retained product.
Diafiltration — washing the product and exchanging buffers to carry away small, unwanted species while the product of interest stays behind.
Impurity removal — separating components by size so that contaminants pass through while the target molecule is retained.
The demonstration illustrated how all three of these operations, concentration, diafiltration, and impurity removal, can be achieved with membrane-based processes rather than requiring separate, more complex, or more costly unit operations.
Why PEEK membranes matter for harsh separations
Many conventional polymeric membranes struggle under the aggressive conditions found in demanding pharmaceutical and chemical separations, such as harsh solvents, extreme pH, and elevated temperatures. Over time, these conditions can cause the membrane to swell, foul, or break down, leading to performance degradation and a shortened operating life.
The materials that have traditionally handled these conditions are fluoropolymers, but regulatory pressure on this class of materials is reshaping the landscape. As restrictions tighten, manufacturers in pharma and radiopharma face a looming supply gap for membranes capable of withstanding their most demanding processes. The alternatives that can survive those conditions, such as ceramics, tend to carry a heavy cost and footprint penalty.
This is the gap Nexion is working to fill. Membranes made from PEEK (polyether ether ketone), a high-performance polymer prized for its chemical resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical strength, are engineered to hold up where standard materials fail, without the drawbacks of the incumbent options. By maintaining consistent performance under harsh conditions, PEEK membranes have the potential to make difficult separations more reliable, more efficient, and more economical for the manufacturers who depend on them.
"Membrane separations are central to how modern medicines are made, but the toughest applications in pharma and radiopharma push conventional materials past their limits. With the restriction of fluoropolymers, there is a significant supply gap coming, and we intend to fill it," said Nathan Mullins, PhD, CEO and Founder of Nexion Technologies. "By building membranes that are stable under the harshest of conditions, we can help manufacturers run cleaner, more consistent processes with fewer trade-offs. We offer the inertness of Teflon without the footprint or price tag of ceramics."
Recognized with the FYELABS PRARE prize
Adding to a strong showing at the event, Nexion was named a recipient of the FYELABS Product Readiness Assessment & Roadmap Evaluation (PRARE) prize. This in-kind package is designed specifically for startups that already have a working prototype and design files and are now focused on refining, de-risking, and preparing their product for commercialization.
For a company like Nexion, moving from a validated concept toward a market-ready product, the PRARE package provides exactly the kind of engineering and commercialization support that helps close the gap between a promising prototype and a manufacturable, scalable product.
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