INDUSTRIAL MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS LIMITED

What INDUSTRIAL MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS LIMITED does

Industrial Microwave Equipment Manufacturers Limited (IMEM) is a UK-based industrial process equipment company that designs and builds continuous-flow microwave systems for pasteurisation, anaerobic digestion pre-treatment, and chemical extraction. The company is headquartered in South Queensferry, Edinburgh, and operates through a direct sales-led model targeting enterprise customers in food and beverage, anaerobic digestion, and extraction industries globally, with a disclosed partnership presence in India via Fiberight.

The underlying technology is a patented continuous-flow microwave system operating at 2.45 GHz that applies precision microwave volumetric heating (MVH) to pumpable liquids and semi-liquids. The modular platform scales from 50 l/hr laboratory units to industrial systems processing up to 12,500 l/hr (approximately 12.5–20 tonnes/hr), with maximum operating conditions of 140°C and 15 bar. All industrial designs incorporate triple-layer metal shielding with leakage levels below regulatory limits, PLC-driven interlocks on doors and access panels, and remote diagnostics for ongoing performance monitoring. The technology was invented by founder Dr. Yuriy Zadyraka in 2008 after he relocated to Scotland from the General Physics Institute (IOFAN) in Moscow, where he had led microwave and plasma projects for Scottish Water, Thames Water, and Heineken. The company holds a granted patent on the core invention and lists three application verticals: Like-Fresh pasteurisation for soups, sauces, juices, and food slurries; anaerobic digestion pre-treatment that hydrolyses cellulosic feedstocks to lift methane yields by 25–35%; and microwave enhanced extraction using water as solvent instead of hazardous organic solvents.

IMEM monetises the platform through one-time capital equipment sales and a leasing option arranged via third-party financing partners, complemented by service and maintenance packages tied to customer shutdown schedules. Systems are sold either as complete end-to-end processing setups — including heat recovery exchangers, pumping and pipework, PLC control, and SCADA/DCS integration — or as standalone microwave units built to customer specification. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company has no disclosed external funding, no disclosed revenue, and no public headcount, and is described in the source data as founder-owned and bootstrapped under Dr. Zadyraka as Founder & Technical Director.

Name

INDUSTRIAL MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS LIMITED

Legal name

Industrial Microwave Equipment Manufacturers Limited

Website

https://imem.bio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

IMEM designs and builds patented continuous-flow industrial microwave systems for pasteurisation, anaerobic digestion pre-treatment, and chemical extraction, serving food and beverage, biogas, and extraction customers worldwide from its Edinburgh headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Microwave Processing Equipment

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical Processing Equipment (Reactors, Mixers, Agitators) (IMAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Continuous flow microwave systems
• Industrial pasteurisation equipment
• Anaerobic digestion pretreatment
• Microwave enhanced extraction
• Food beverage processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Microwave Equipment Sales: Sale of capital equipment including continuous flow microwave systems. Equipment can be provided as complete end-to-end processing solutions (including heat recovery exchangers, pumping systems, pipework, PLC, SCADA/DCS integration) or as standalone microwave technology constructed to customer specification.
2. Equipment Leasing: Capital equipment offered with leasing options to meet customer requirements. Financing partners available to spread costs over set periods to maximise return on investment.
3. Service and Maintenance: Engineers can train customer staff to perform basic maintenance using standardised parts. Service packages available that can fit customer shutdown schedules. Remote monitoring systems for ongoing support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

IMEM designs and manufactures continuous-flow industrial microwave processing systems operating at 2.45 GHz, deployed across three application areas: pasteurisation of liquid food and drink products, pre-treatment of feedstocks for anaerobic digestion (AD), and microwave-enhanced chemical/botanical extraction (MAE). Systems scale modularly from 50 l/hr laboratory units to 12,500 l/hr industrial units (up to 20 tonnes/hr), and can be supplied as complete end-to-end processing lines (heat recovery, pumping, PLC, SCADA/DCS integration) or as standalone microwave skids to customer specification, with both purchase and leasing options supported by external financing partners.

Product overview

IMEM offers a portfolio of industrial continuous flow microwave technology products comprising three core applications built on a single patented modular platform: (1) Like-Fresh Pasteurisation for food and drink processing with extended shelf life and reduced thermal degradation; (2) Microwave Pre-Treatment for Anaerobic Digestion that increases biogas yields by breaking down cellulosic feedstocks; and (3) Microwave Enhanced Extraction for chemical and botanical extractions using water as a solvent. All products share the same core continuous flow microwave technology operating at 2.45GHz, scalable from 50l/hr to 12,500 l/hr. The company also provides complete processing setups including heat recovery exchangers, pumping systems, PLC control, and SCADA/DCS integration, with both sales and leasing options available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Like-Fresh Pasteurisation Technology Continuous-flow microwave pasteurisation technology that processes liquids and semi-liquids at industrial scale (up to 20 tonnes/hr) using Precision Microwave Volumetric Heating (MVH) for industrial food and drink manufacturers. Delivers longer shelf life, lower processing temperatures, and reduced thermal degradation versus conventional heat exchangers, supporting premium juice, soup, sauce and food slurry producers.
• Microwave Pre-Treatment for Anaerobic Digestion Industrial high-strength microwave pre-treatment technology that hydrolyses tough-to-digest feedstocks (cellulose, hemicellulose, starch) before anaerobic digestion, increasing methane gas generation by 25–35%, reducing retention time, and improving throughput at new-build and existing AD plants. Feedstocks include potato peelings, grass/rye silage and abattoir waste.
• Microwave Enhanced Extraction (MAE) Continuous-flow microwave technology at 2.45 GHz that enhances solid–liquid chemical extraction and leaching, increasing yields, reducing operating temperatures, and enabling the use of water as solvent in place of hazardous chemical solvents, with process times cut from hours to seconds. Targeted at antioxidant and phenol-rich extracts for food and cosmeceuticals, botanical flavours for gin production, and flavours & fragrances extraction.
• Industrial Continuous Flow Microwave Systems Modular industrial continuous-flow microwave processing systems available from lab scale (50 l/hr) through pilot to industrial scale (12,500 l/hr), generating intense microwave fields over small volumes of flowing liquid, with maximum processing temperature of 140°C, maximum pressure of 15 bar, triple-layer metal shielding, interlock safety, PLC/SCADA/DCS integration and remote diagnostics. The same core design underpins pasteurisation, AD pre-treatment and extraction applications, minimising scale-up risk.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25-35% increase in methane gas generation for anaerobic digestion applications
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FiberightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMEM is working with leading waste management company Fiberight to treat organic fractions of Indian waste. The collaboration is part of an Innovate UK project aimed at transforming the Indian waste sector and helping up to 4 million informal litter pickers. IMEM uses microwaves to break down organic waste fractions so they can be transformed into more useful products for the Indian market.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CoberMuegge: German manufacturer of industrial microwave and RF generator systems used for drying, heating, and plasma processing across food, chemical, and materials applications. Closest like-for-like competitor to IMEM in continuous-flow industrial microwave systems.
• SAIREM: French supplier of industrial microwave and RF generators for food processing, plasma, and chemical applications. Comparable to IMEM as a specialist provider of high-power microwave processing equipment to industrial users.
• EnWave Corporation: Canadian technology company that applies industrial-scale microwave (Radiant Energy Vacuum) processing to food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical dehydration. Comparable to IMEM as a microwave-based industrial processing platform targeting food and adjacent extraction use cases.
• Industrial Microwave Systems: US-based supplier of industrial microwave heating and drying systems for food, materials, and chemical processing. Comparable to IMEM as a specialist industrial microwave systems integrator serving continuous-flow process applications.
• Anaergia: Canadian supplier of anaerobic digestion and biogas plant technology, including feedstock pre-treatment systems. Directly comparable to IMEM in the AD pre-treatment vertical, where IMEM's microwave technology promises 25-35% higher methane yields.
• Ferrite Microwave Technologies: US designer and manufacturer of industrial microwave heating systems for food, ceramics, rubber, and chemical processing. Directly comparable to IMEM in offering continuous-flow and batch microwave systems for industrial process heating.

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: German-listed supplier of process technology and components for food, dairy, and beverage processing, including pasteurisation and homogenisation. Relevant as a broad incumbent whose heat-exchanger portfolio competes with IMEM's continuous-flow microwave platform.
• Alfa Laval: Swedish specialist in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling, including plate and tubular heat exchangers used for pasteurisation. Comparable as the incumbent whose thermal processing technology IMEM's microwave approach is designed to displace in selected food applications.
• Tetra Pak: Global leader in food processing and packaging equipment, including heat-based pasteurisation systems for liquid foods. Relevant as the dominant incumbent whose installed base IMEM must displace or complement in the food pasteurisation market.
• Sulzer: Swiss process equipment manufacturer with mixing, separation, and heat-exchange product lines serving chemical, food, and water applications. Comparable as a broad process-equipment incumbent whose reactor and heat-exchanger portfolios overlap with IMEM's industrial processing footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INDUSTRIAL MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS LIMITED