Ecolectro
Ecolectro develops proprietary alkaline exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzers for green hydrogen production, eliminating precious metals and PFAs from the stack. Founded in 2015 in Ithaca, NY, the company sells modular container-sized systems to utilities and hard-to-abate industrial customers via direct enterprise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ecolectro does
Ecolectro is a private U.S. clean-energy hardware company developing proprietary alkaline exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer systems for green hydrogen production. Founded in 2015 in Ithaca, New York by Cornell PhDs Gabriel Rodriguez-Calero (CEO) and Kristina Hugar (CTO), the company has built a patented hydrocarbon-based AEM chemistry that avoids precious metals (platinum, iridium), titanium components, and PFAs, instead using nickel catalysts and abundant raw materials. Demonstrated performance includes peak current densities above 4 A/cm² at voltages under 2.1V and cell efficiencies above 74%, with claimed stack cost reductions of up to 78% versus conventional PEM electrolyzers.
The company's product portfolio spans membrane and ionomer materials, electrode components, and modular container-sized electrolyzer systems scaling from 10kW pilots toward 100kW and 1MW commercial units targeted for 2024-2025. Revenue mechanics are hardware sales of electrolyzer systems supplemented by licensing or sale of its proprietary polymer chemistry. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales into hard-to-abate sectors including utilities, transportation, heavy industry, steel production, fertilizer, sustainable fuels, industrial heating, and long-duration energy storage. Only one customer relationship (Liberty Utilities) is publicly disclosed, and commercial availability is expected only in late 2025.
Ecolectro has raised approximately $25M+ cumulatively across equity rounds (including a $10.5M Series A led by Toyota Ventures in November 2024), grants (DOE ARPA-E, NYSERDA, NSF SBIR), and a convertible note offering launched in late 2025. Strategic partnerships include Toyota Ventures and Starshot Capital on the capital side, Liberty Utilities and Re:Build Manufacturing on the commercial/manufacturing side, and Proton OnSite and NREL for technical scale-up. The company remains pre-revenue as of the latest available data, with capital deployed toward pilot deployments, manufacturing scale-up, and the transition to commercial product.
Ecolectro firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ecolectro
- Legal name
- Ecolectro Inc.
- Website
- https://ecolectro.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ecolectro develops proprietary alkaline exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzers for green hydrogen production, eliminating precious metals and PFAs from the stack. Founded in 2015 in Ithaca, NY, the company sells modular container-sized systems to utilities and hard-to-abate industrial customers via direct enterprise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ecolectro industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Green Hydrogen Electrolyzers
- NAICS
- Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353), Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519), Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hydrogen Energy Storage & Power-to-X Equipment (electrolyzers, storage, fuel cell systems) (IMAGAHAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Separators & Membranes Manufacturing (EUAFABAE)
Keywords
Where Ecolectro is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ecolectro business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- AEM Electrolyzer Systems: Sale of proprietary alkaline exchange membrane electrolyzer systems for green hydrogen production. Products range from pilot-scale units to commercial 100kW and 1MW systems planned for 2024-2025.
- Custom Electrolyzer Units: Building and selling custom electrolyzer units (10kW scale) as part of pilot demonstration projects with partners like Liberty Utilities.
- Membrane and Polymer Materials: Sale of proprietary alkaline exchange membranes and ionomers for use in fuel cells and electrolyzers. The company licenses or sells its patented polymer chemistry materials.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ecolectro product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ecolectro manufactures and sells proprietary Alkaline Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzer systems and associated membrane/ionomer materials for green hydrogen production. Its products include 10kW pilot units, planned 100kW and 1MW commercial stacks, and modular shipping-container-sized systems that use abundant, non-precious metal catalysts such as nickel instead of iridium or platinum. The company also licenses its patented hydrocarbon-based polymer chemistry for use in fuel cells and electrolyzers.
Product overview
Ecolectro offers a portfolio of proprietary alkaline exchange membrane (AEM) products for green hydrogen production. The core offering consists of AEM electrolyzers and associated membrane/ionomer materials that enable cost-competitive hydrogen production without precious metals (platinum, iridium) or forever chemicals (PFAs). The product line includes modular container-sized electrolyzer systems for on-site hydrogen generation. Ecolectro's technology achieves >74% cell efficiency and production rates exceeding 4A/cm2, with a claimed 78% cost reduction compared to traditional PEM electrolyzers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Alkaline Exchange Membrane (AEM) Electrolyzers Proprietary AEM electrolyzers designed for green hydrogen production through water electrolysis. The technology combines traditional alkaline electrolysis economics with membrane-based performance, eliminating the need for platinum group metals and PFAs, and is offered to industrial and utility customers at pilot and planned commercial scales.
- Alkaline Exchange Membrane (AEM) Materials Proprietary hydrocarbon-based alkaline exchange membranes and ionomers that enable high-performance electrolysis without iridium catalysts or titanium components, achieving cell efficiency above 74% and production rates above 4A/cm2. Materials are sold or licensed to fuel cell and electrolyzer manufacturers.
- AEM Electrode Components Proprietary electrode components formulated for use with non-precious metal catalysts, featuring high oxidative stability under voltage and compatibility with Ecolectro's matching AEM membranes for use in electrolyzer stacks.
- Modular Container-Sized Electrolyzer Systems Shipping container-sized electrolyzers designed for on-site hydrogen production, providing a scalable solution targeting small-to-medium scale customers with reduced logistics challenges.
Quantifiable outcome
- 78% stack cost reduction compared to traditional PEM electrolyzers
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Ecolectro
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Ecolectro technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Ecolectro partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Re:Build ManufacturingmajorStrategic partnership to scale low-cost renewable hydrogen production in the U.S. Announced via GlobeNewWire press release in May 2025.
- Liberty UtilitiescorePilot demonstration partner for 10kW electrolyzer units in New York. Partnership aligns with Liberty Utilities' dedication to scaling green hydrogen production and advancing clean energy solutions.
- Proton OnSitemajorPartner in ARPA-E project for development of alkaline exchange membranes and ionomers. Collaboration with industry partner for scale-up and commercialization.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)majorPartner in ARPA-E project. NREL provides technical expertise and research capabilities for advancing electrochemical technologies.
- Cornell University Center for Alkaline-based Energy SystemscoreOrigin of Ecolectro's technology from Cornell research labs. Company born out of research in the Center for Alkaline-based Energy Systems. Cofounders developed technology under professors Hector Abruña and Geoffrey Coates.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ecolectro competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Enapter: Enapter is the most direct AEM electrolyzer peer, producing anion exchange membrane electrolyzers for small-scale and residential green hydrogen production. Competes head-to-head with Ecolectro in the modular AEM space targeting distributed green hydrogen generation.
- Electric Hydrogen: U.S. startup developing PEM electrolyzer stacks for industrial-scale green hydrogen production. Directly comparable early-stage competitor pursuing similar industrial customer segments with funding from major climate VCs.
- Verdagy: California-based startup developing advanced alkaline electrolyzers targeting large-scale green hydrogen production. Comparable emerging player pursuing cost-competitive non-PEM electrolyzer technology for industrial customers.
- Ohmium International: India/U.S.-based PEM electrolyzer company producing modular containerized systems for green hydrogen. Direct competitor in the modular, distributed hydrogen production format that overlaps with Ecolectro's container-sized product strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Nel ASA: Norwegian incumbent offering both alkaline and PEM electrolyzers at large commercial scale. A broad incumbent with deep customer relationships and large manufacturing footprint that competes with Ecolectro in industrial-scale green hydrogen projects.
- ITM Power: UK-based PEM electrolyzer manufacturer supplying large-scale projects to utilities and industrial gas companies. Established incumbent that Ecolectro competes against in PEM-substitution opportunities where AEM cost advantage is relevant.
- Plug Power: Large U.S. hydrogen player with PEM electrolyzer stack production and end-to-end fuel cell/hydrogen solutions. Broad incumbent pursuing green hydrogen production, distribution, and end-use applications overlapping with Ecolectro's industrial customer targets.
- Cummins (Accelera): Cummins' Accelera hydrogen business manufactures PEM electrolyzers and fuel cells, with a global industrial footprint. Competes with Ecolectro in industrial hydrogen production deployments and is a well-capitalized incumbent backed by Cummins' balance sheet.
- thyssenkrupp nucera: German electrolyzer specialist offering alkaline and PEM technology at large industrial scale, with strong chlor-alkali heritage. Broad incumbent targeting the same hard-to-abate sectors (steel, chemicals, refining) as Ecolectro.
Regional players
- HydrogenPro: Norwegian alkaline electrolyzer manufacturer with large-scale production focus and a Tianjin, China JV. Provides a comparable alkaline-based alternative; primarily competes outside Ecolectro's near-term U.S. focus but in overlapping end-markets globally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ecolectro social profiles
Digital presenceEcolectro financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ecolectro leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Ecolectro funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds21 records
Investors17 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ecolectro M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ecolectro
What does Ecolectro do?
Ecolectro manufactures and sells proprietary Alkaline Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzer systems and associated membrane/ionomer materials for green hydrogen production. Its products include 10kW pilot units, planned 100kW and 1MW commercial stacks, and modular shipping-container-sized systems that use abundant, non-precious metal catalysts such as nickel instead of iridium or platinum. The company also licenses its patented hydrocarbon-based polymer chemistry for use in fuel cells and electrolyzers.
Is Ecolectro a public or private company?
Ecolectro is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Ecolectro founded?
Ecolectro was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ecolectro based?
Ecolectro is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ecolectro make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. AEM Electrolyzer Systems are the primary driver. The others are custom Electrolyzer Units and membrane and Polymer Materials.
Who are Ecolectro's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Enapter, Electric Hydrogen, Verdagy and Ohmium International. Broad incumbents are Nel ASA, ITM Power, Plug Power, Cummins (Accelera) and thyssenkrupp nucera. HydrogenPro is listed as a regional player.
Does Ecolectro have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ecolectro.
What industry is Ecolectro in?
Ecolectro's product category is Green Hydrogen Electrolyzers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAHAM, Hydrogen Energy Storage & Power-to-X Equipment (electrolyzers, storage, fuel cell systems), with a secondary code of EUAFABAE, Separators & Membranes Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 3353 and its SIC code is 3620.