Born from materials research at the University of Puerto Rico and Cornell University, Ecolectro develops membrane technology and electrolyzer systems for lower-cost green hydrogen production. Ithaca-based cofounders Gabriel Rodríguez-Calero and Kristina Hugar built the company around new polymer electrolyte materials designed to address the cost and durability challenges of water electrolysis. Its alkaline exchange materials are intended as a drop-in alternative for PEM electrolyzer stacks and are already in the marketplace.
Evolve Hydrogen, IncFounded by two Long Island innovators who began experimenting in their garages, Evolve Hydrogen develops polymer-based electrolyzers that produce green hydrogen directly from seawater and other water sources. Its Evolve™ design avoids precious metals and desalination while using injection molding to support faster, simpler manufacturing. In 2022, the Stony Brook company won Phase One of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Shot H-Prize, one of only 10 winners and the sole company from the Northeast.EAST NORTHPORT, NY
Orion PolymerBorn from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute research led by Dr. Chulsung Bae, Orion Polymer makes self-supporting anion exchange membranes for hydrogen and other clean-energy systems. Its CMX membrane is produced in formats ranging from laboratory sheets to 25-meter rolls, building on polymer chemistry that an independent National Renewable Energy Laboratory study found retained performance under 80°C alkaline testing for 1,000 hours. The Saratoga Springs company combines academic materials research with polymer scale-up and membrane manufacturing for commercial energy developers.COHOES, NY
Power to HydrogenColumbus-based Power to Hydrogen develops and supplies modular Hybrid AEM electrolysers that split water into hydrogen and oxygen, from 10-kW demonstration units to systems built from 250-kW stacks for installations up to 25 MW. Its technology combines renewable-compatible dynamic operation with lower-cost, non-precious-metal components and a simpler balance of plant, and was invented through a U.S. Department of Energy project. Founded by Dr. Paul Matter and Christopher Holt, the company has piloted its systems with partners including Shell, Enel Green Power and EDP.COLUMBUS, OH
Ion Power, IncFounded in 1999 by Stephen Grot, Ion Power, Inc. develops, manufactures, and distributes Nafion™-based materials for electrochemical applications, including fuel-cell membrane electrode assemblies and water-electrolysis membranes. The Tyrone company is also Chemours’ sole authorized distributor of Nafion™ materials and supports customers through application-focused research, custom membrane work, and recycled Nafion™ initiatives. Its history is closely tied to Nafion’s origins: Grot’s father, Dr. Walther Grot, spent nearly four decades at DuPont and is widely credited with finding applications for the polymer.326199TYRONE, PA