Mark Dawe

Mark Dawe is the founder and CEO of DEPure Dielectrics LTD, an Irish water technology company developing a new approach to removing microplastics from drinking water. Instead of relying on ever finer membranes and replaceable cartridges, DEPure uses electric fields to hold back the smallest plastic particles, which conventional filters struggle to capture, while water flows freely. Mark founded DEPure after carrying out proof-of-concept lab work at Trinity College Dublin, and he leads the company's research, product development and commercial strategy. DEPure's first product is a household filter, with plans to license its filter chip to appliance manufacturers. central focus of Mark's work is the link between microplastics and PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals. Recent research shows that microplastics can act as active carriers of PFAS through the environment, picking them up and releasing them rather than simply trapping them. That means the two contaminants can't be treated as separate problems. As new EU limits on PFAS in drinking water take effect from January 2026, DEPure is exploring how capturing particles can reduce the contaminants they carry. It is also exploring how PFAS could be bound onto particles that a field-based filter can then remove. Mark's aim is drinking water treatment that targets the smallest contaminants, cuts consumable waste and gives users clear evidence that it works.