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§ Private Profile · Portola Valley, CA, USA
Proprietary materials for PEM water electrolyzers, reducing green hydrogen production cost and improving efficiency for producers.
Based in Portola Valley, California, 1s1 Energy is a climate technology startup that develops proprietary boron-based materials and systems for proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers to reduce the cost of green hydrogen production. The company maintains additional research and development laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal, and Campinas, Brazil, supporting a core team that grew to 10 employees in 2024. Operating as a business-to-business technology developer, the firm targets heavy industries seeking decarbonization solutions and currently conducts paid pilot projects with utility companies. The enterprise has secured $3.4 million in seed funding to scale its operations, with financial backing from venture capital firms including Asymmetry Ventures and Faber. 1s1 Energy was founded in 2019 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained technologist Daniel Sobek, alongside Sukanta Bhattacharyya, Thiago Figueiredo, and T. Don Tilley.
1s1 Energy has raised $3.0M across 2 funding rounds.
1s1 Energy has raised $3.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
1s1 Energy is a technology company developing proprietary materials, systems, and use models for next-generation electrolyzers and fuel cells to enable affordable green hydrogen production and adoption.[1][2][3][5] It targets utilities, hard-to-abate sectors, and industries needing clean hydrogen alternatives to hydrocarbons, solving economic unviability, high maintenance, short system life, and high electricity use in electrolysis.[2][3][4][5] The company's mission is to apply materials innovations for reliable, low-cost green hydrogen production, with a vision of seamless decarbonization solutions coexisting with a healthy biosphere; growth includes seed funding in 2023-2024, team expansion from 5 to 10, paid pilots with utilities like Enel Green Power, and new labs in Lisbon (2024) and Campinas, Brazil (2025).[1]
Founded in 2019 (with early activities by 2022), 1s1 Energy emerged from a group of experienced entrepreneurs and academics focused on boron-based materials innovations for hydrogen tech.[1][6] Key founders include Daniel, an MIT-trained technologist and serial entrepreneur who has CEO'd three startups and excels in customer-collaborative product development; Prof. T. Don Tilley, Ph.D., a co-founder; and Anthony Zorzos, Ph.D., with degrees from Brown and MIT, previously leading tech projects at Kernel and Draper Laboratories.[1] The idea gained traction through 2022 milestones like USPTO patents (11,331,631 and later 11,594,747) on boron materials, European Commission approval for Hy2Tech IPCEI project, NREL collaborations, and initial funding from Asiri, Faber Ventures, Aquarius Capital, Ecoa Capital, and Gibson Lane; this evolved into 2023 Enel Green Power electrolysis pilots, more funding from Faber Ventures and Course Corrected, and 2024 seed round with paid utility pilots.[1]
1s1 Energy rides the global green hydrogen trend, addressing electrolysis's barriers to scale as a hydrocarbon alternative amid net-zero mandates and energy transition pressures.[2][4] Timing aligns with 2020s policy boosts like EU IPCEI projects and US clean energy incentives, plus falling renewable costs favoring low-electricity electrolyzers.[1] Market forces include surging demand from utilities (e.g., Enel pilots) and hard-to-abate sectors like steel/shipping, where hydrogen's storage/transport advantages shine; 1s1 influences the ecosystem via materials IP that lowers barriers, fosters pilots, and accelerates adoption through cross-border labs and investor networks.[1][4]
1s1 Energy is poised for scale via 2025 Brazil lab expansion, ongoing pilots, and seed momentum, potentially unlocking commercial electrolyzer deployments if durability claims hold in field tests.[1][5] Trends like AI-optimized energy systems and hydrogen infrastructure buildouts (e.g., EU/US hubs) will amplify its trajectory, with influence growing through IP licensing or utility partnerships. As a materials innovator, it could redefine clean hydrogen economics, tying back to its core promise of low-cost decarbonization for a healthier biosphere.[1]
1s1 Energy has raised $3.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Seed in October 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2024 | $1M Seed | Faber | Pontifax Venture Capital | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2022 | $2M Seed | Faber | Pontifax Venture Capital | Announced |
1s1 Energy has raised $3.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
1s1 Energy's investors include Faber, Pontifax Venture Capital.