Hgen makes clean hydrogen using a higher-efficiency alkaline electrolyzer designed for industrial feedstocks like chemicals and steel production. Its electrolyzer achieves 20x higher volumetric power density versus conventional alkaline systems by using hydrogen-generating cells that are 9% more efficient and 6x thinner, resulting in a more compact and lower-cost system. The company emphasizes pre-assembled modules that include the balance of plant to avoid custom on-site construction. Hgen scaled from a benchtop prototype to an industrial-scale demonstration at its Hawthorne facility with early support from Breakthrough Energy Fellows. Founded in 2021, the company is focused on commercial deployment at customer sites and is hiring in Los Angeles. Hgen aims to address a $100B+ hydrogen market that currently produces nearly 100 million metric tons of fossil-fuel derived hydrogen per year. Hgen is building modular alkaline electrolyzers aimed at producing green hydrogen for hard-to-decarbonize industries such as steel and ammonia production. The startup emphasizes an integrated design approach to eliminate redundant parts and improve electrode design, drawing on the founders' Tesla and SpaceX experience. Initially it will focus on distributed electrolyzers sited near end-use facilities to avoid large-scale distribution and storage infrastructure. As the design is refined and production scales, Hgen envisions moving toward more centralized production in the longer term. The company is designing its systems with renewable integration in mind to allow ramping without degrading catalysts and to lower total plant costs. Hgen targets driving down the cost of green hydrogen, with an ideal long-term price goal of roughly $1 to $1.50 per kg, compared with current reported green-hydrogen costs of $3 to $8 per kg.

Total raised

$7M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Sep 2024