Metalysis
UK metal-powder producer using the FFC Cambridge solid-state electrolysis process; with ESA funding (contract 4000131940, 2020) it produced oxygen and metal from lunar regolith simulant in the laboratory. The original company entered administration in 2019 and was dissolved in 2021; the business operates through Metalysis Ltd (company 11498722), which is active and in 2025-2026 reports mainly terrestrial and aerospace alloy work.
An organization's level is recorded separately and is not a ranking of its linked missions' results. How the ladder works.
Resources and evidence
Each resource shows the highest step primary sources support. How the ladder works.
| Resource | Evidence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Oxygen | Claimed | says it will |
| Metals (general) | Claimed | says it will |
| Regolith | Claimed | says it will |
Demonstrated
Laboratory extraction of oxygen and metal from lunar regolith simulant under ESA contract 4000131940 (General Support Technology Programme, awarded 2020); sponsor of the 2020-2021 Metalysis-ESA Grand Challenge for miniaturised versions of its process. No flight hardware.
Claimed or planned
Metalysis states it has 'a clear 5-year focus on the Moon' and a 5-10 year focus on asteroid metals and Mars. Its 2026 ESA-funded project (about EUR 1 million) is for terrestrial titanium production, not ISRU.
Facts
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Type
- Company
- Founded
- 2001
- Status
- Activeas of 2026-08-17. Companies House lists Metalysis Ltd (11498722) as Active with accounts to 31 Dec 2025; company releases through 2026-08-17. Space-resource work specifically has no dated activity after the 2020-2021 ESA projects.
- Funding rounds
- 1 in this dataset. Most recent: 2016-02-18 (details)Each amount is shown as its source states it and amounts are never added together. The count is of records, not a count of distinct rounds: separate notices may concern the same financing. Rounds still under review are not listed.
- Roles
- Processing / ISRU
- Also known as
- Metalysis Ltd (11498722); Metalysis Limited (04304849, dissolved 2021); FFC Limited (former name of 04304849)
- Website
- www.metalysis.com
Dated events
Amounts are shown one at a time as each source states them. They are never added together.
- 2020-11-06
ESA contract 4000131940 to Metalysis for FFC oxygen production from regolith (ISRU)
Metalysis announced ESA funding under the General Support Technology Programme for 'The Metalysis FFC Process for Extra-Terrestrial Oxygen Production from ISRU'; value not disclosed.
Company statements only. No independent or government source is recorded here.
Sources (1) and evidence gaps
has been awarded European Space Agency (ESA) funding, contract number 4000131940, for its project titled, "The Metalysis FFC Process for Extra-Terrestrial Oxygen Production from ISRU,"
- ESA-side record of contract 4000131940 and its value not retrieved.
- 2019-06-25
Metalysis Limited (04304849) enters administration
Companies House records the appointment of an administrator for Metalysis Limited on 25 June 2019, a move from administration to dissolution filed 9 June 2021, and dissolution following liquidation on 9 September 2021.
Sources (2) and evidence gaps
25 Jun 2019 AM01 Appointment of an administrator
09 Jun 2021 AM23 Notice of move from Administration to Dissolution
- How the business and assets passed to Metalysis Ltd (e.g. pre-pack sale) not documented in retrieved records.
- 2016-02-18
Metalysis 2016 investment by Iluka Resources and Woodford Patient Capital Trust
Iluka Resources' Australian Securities Exchange notice of 18 February 2016 says it committed an additional £6 million to Metalysis Limited, with an undertaking to commit a further £4 million before 15 July 2016, alongside a £10 million investment by Woodford Patient Capital Trust.
Sources (3) and evidence gaps
it has committed an additional £6 million (A$12.2 million) to its investment in the private, UK based, Metalysis Limited
a further £4 million (A$8.1 million) before 15 July 2016
together with an investment of £10 million by UK based, Woodford Patient Capital Trust
- Total round size is not stated in a primary source read (press reported a £20 million round), so amount is left null
- Whether Iluka's further £4 million undertaking was paid before 15 July 2016 is not confirmed in a primary source read
- No Metalysis release or UK filing for this round was read; round name unknown
Open evidence gaps
- Which legal entity (04304849 in administration from June 2019, or 11498722) held ESA contract 4000131940 is not stated.
- ESA's own pages on the regolith-oxygen work (esa.int) returned HTTP 403 and were not retrieved.
- Contract value of ESA 4000131940 not disclosed.
Record history
changes to this record's facts, newest first
| Changed | Field | Was | Now | Reason | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-09 | status | Active (Metalysis Limited, 04304849) | Business continued by Metalysis Ltd (11498722) after 04304849 entered administration (2019-06-25) and dissolved (2021-09-09) | Source update | [5] |
Sources
7 excerpts from 6 publicationsOne web address counts as one publication.
has been awarded European Space Agency (ESA) funding, contract number 4000131940, for its project titled, "The Metalysis FFC Process for Extra-Terrestrial Oxygen Production from ISRU,"
Metalysis' successful collaboration with the European Space Agency in 2020/21, in a competitive procurement process, commenced this strategy and has resulted in the extraction of metal and oxygen from replicated lunar rock.
a clear 5-year focus on the Moon, 5-10 years focus on asteroid metals and Mars
Company status Active Company type Private limited Company Incorporated on 3 August 2018
Company status Dissolved Dissolved on 9 September 2021 Company type Private limited Company Incorporated on 15 October 2001
Press Release: Metalysis achieves commercial specification of C-103 alloy
to develop a continuous or quasi-continuous sustainable process for titanium production using the patented Metalysis FFC Process
Cite this record
SpaceMiningData, “Metalysis”, dataset version a00fa2c68a45, built 2026-11-11, https://spaceminingdata.com/organizations/metalysis.html. Record checked 2026-09-25.