Deeptech startup HYDGEN raises $5M to make cost-efficient hydrogen
The investment will accelerate HYDGEN’s efforts to make ultra-pure, cost-efficient hydrogen available directly at the point of use through its proprietary Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyser technology.
HYDGEN, a deeptech company developing industrial-scale green hydrogen technology, has raised $5 million in a mix of equity and debt in a round led by Transition VC, with participation from Cloudberry Pioneer Investments (Europe), Moringa Ventures (Singapore), and strategic family offices from India and Singapore.
HYDGEN aims to utilise the investment to make ultra-pure, cost-efficient hydrogen directly available at the point of use through its proprietary Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyser technology, according to its release.
“Many discuss hydrogen's focus on its role in a clean energy future, but the urgent opportunity is about enabling industries to have hydrogen where and when they need it, with purity they can trust,” said Dr Manipaddy Krishna Kumar, Co-founder and COO of HYDGEN. “Our AEM electrolysers allow companies to produce hydrogen on-site at a competitive cost, solving supply chain challenges today while preparing them for the broader transition to green hydrogen in the years ahead.”
Founded by Dr Manipaddy Krishna Kumar, Dr Michael Gryseels, and Dr Goutam Dalapati, HYDGEN’s proprietary stack designs—ranging from 1 kW to 100 kW and scaling up to 250 kW—deliver ultra-high-purity hydrogen in a low-capex, modular system that empowers industries to achieve affordable and reliable hydrogen supply on-site.
HYDGEN’s platform uses a hybrid approach that combines elements of alkaline systems with the efficiency of proton-exchange membrane technology, while avoiding the use of platinum-group metals. Its modular AEM electrolysers are designed to produce high-purity hydrogen cost-effectively, allowing industries to generate hydrogen on-site and on-demand, reducing logistics-related expenses and improving supply reliability.
“HYDGEN is the first team we’ve seen capable of scaling AEM electrolysers to true industrial levels while maintaining cost leadership. This is no longer a research initiative but a commercially ready platform serving industries already dependent on hydrogen today,” said Mohamed Shoeb Ali, Managing Partner at Transition VC.
“Decarbonisation needs solutions that are both green and practical. HYDGEN’s decentralised model makes hydrogen generation more efficient and accessible. The company plans to use the funds to upgrade its Mangalore facility to a semi-automated line, scale its single-stack capacity to 250 kW, and expand into Japan, Europe, and the Middle East—markets seeing strong policy support for industrial hydrogen," added Khoong Hock Yun, Managing Partner at Moringa Ventures.
Edited by Kanishk Singh