OCOchem
OCOchem develops the Carbon FluX Electrolyzer, a proprietary CO2 electrolysis technology that converts captured carbon dioxide, water, and clean electricity into formate chemicals for industrial, agricultural, de-icing, and hydrogen-carrier applications, selling directly to enterprise and government customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersRichland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What OCOchem does
OCOchem is a Pacific Northwest-based clean chemistry company that has developed the Carbon FluX Electrolyzer, a proprietary CO2 electrolysis device that converts captured carbon dioxide, water, and clean electricity into hydrogen formate (formic acid) and formate salts such as potassium formate. The company's patented gas diffusion electrodes achieve 100x greater CO2 conversion than conventional aqueous systems, and its industrial-scale cells measure 15,000 cm2 — the world's largest CO2 electrolyzer cells, 650% larger than previously reported platforms. The technology operates at ambient temperature and pressure, produces no waste by-products, and achieves 104% carbon-to-product efficiency and 85% energy efficiency. Modular, skid-mounted units enable deployment in under six weeks and load-following operation alongside intermittent renewable power sources.
The company sells formate molecules directly to enterprise and government customers and partners with organizations to finance, build, and operate Carbon FluX Electrolyzer facilities on-site. Its customer base spans agriculture (formate for silage preservation and crop protection), industrial chemicals (formate as a sustainable feedstock replacing fossil-derived inputs), de-icing (potassium formate as a non-corrosive alternative to chloride-based road salt), and distributed hydrogen (hydrogen formate as a liquid carrier enabling 90% lower storage and transport costs versus compressed gas). Key customers and partners include the U.S. Army, ADM, Tacoma Power, Nutrien, AirCapture, INPEX, the U.S. Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and b.fab.
OCOchem is a venture-backed private company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Richland, Washington, with 11-50 employees. The company has raised a $5 million seed round led by TO VC in November 2023 (with subsequent ~$2.15M in January 2026), plus substantial non-dilutive grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, ARPA-E, Washington State, and the U.S. Army. In May 2025, OCOchem commissioned the world's first multi-cell industrial-scale pilot plant (60 tons/year formate capacity), and in October 2025 it shipped its first commercial product — potassium formate — becoming the first company to sell a product made from CO2 at lower cost than its fossil-based alternative.
OCOchem firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OCOchem
- Legal name
- OCOchem
- Website
- https://ocochem.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- OCOchem develops the Carbon FluX Electrolyzer, a proprietary CO2 electrolysis technology that converts captured carbon dioxide, water, and clean electricity into formate chemicals for industrial, agricultural, de-icing, and hydrogen-carrier applications, selling directly to enterprise and government customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OCOchem industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Chemicals & Carbon Conversion Technology
- NAICS
- Chemical Manufacturing (325), All Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (32599)
- SIC
- Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electrochemical CO₂ Conversion Systems (electrolyzers, catalysts, reactors, balance‑of‑plant) (EUABAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- E‑Fuels & Synthetic Hydrocarbons (e‑kerosene, e‑diesel, e‑gasoline, e‑methane) (EUABAIAA)
Keywords
Where OCOchem is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
OCOchem business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Formate Product Sales: OCOchem directly manufactures and sells formate molecules (hydrogen formate/formic acid and formate salts like potassium formate) to customers. Products are sold in various forms and grades for applications including de-icing, agriculture, industrial chemicals, and liquid hydrogen carriers. The company ships first commercial products (potassium formate in 1 metric ton IBC Totes) and is scaling production with partners like ADM to meet early customer demand at competitive market prices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Potassium Formate (Standard Grade) — 1 metric ton IBC Tote |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
OCOchem product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OCOchem develops and commercializes the Carbon FluX Electrolyzer, a proprietary CO2 electrolysis system that converts captured carbon dioxide, water, and clean electricity into hydrogen formate (formic acid) and formate salts at industrial scale. The company manufactures and sells formate molecules directly to enterprise and government customers, including potassium formate for de-icing, formic acid for agriculture and silage preservation, and hydrogen formate as a liquid hydrogen carrier. OCOchem also partners with organizations to finance, build, and operate electrolyzer facilities on-site at customer locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Carbon FluX Electrolyzer: Proprietary modular cell stack technology that converts CO2, water, and electricity into formate using CO2 electrolysis process.
- Hydrogen Formate Reformer
Products and services
- Potassium Formate Potassium formate is a non-corrosive, chlorine-free deicing agent produced from captured CO2, water, and clean electricity. Sold to enterprise and government customers for winter de-icing of roads, runways, driveways, and military equipment, replacing chloride-based deicers that cause corrosion damage costing over $100B/year in the U.S.
- Carbon FluX Electrolyzer A modular CO2 electrolysis system that converts captured carbon dioxide, water, and clean electricity into hydrogen formate (formic acid) and formate salts using patented in-house developed gas diffusion electrodes. The system operates at ambient temperature and pressure, produces formate concentrations exceeding 35%, and enables load-following operation with intermittent renewables. Deployed as factory-assembled skid-mounted units installable in under six weeks, available for direct sales and on-site deployment partnerships with enterprise customers.
- Hydrogen Formate Reformer (H248) A prototype device that decomposes hydrogen formate to generate 99.99% pure green hydrogen for use in fuel cells, microgrid power generators, transportation, and industrial applications. Uses a heterogeneous (solid) catalyst developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for improved performance, durability, efficiency, and reliability. OCOchem partners with OEMs to scale the reformer into larger units.
- Hydrogen Formate / Formic Acid Hydrogen formate (formic acid) is a platform chemical produced from CO2, water, and electricity that serves as a precursor for synthesizing derivative chemicals, fuels, and materials. Used as a liquid hydrogen carrier for distributed green hydrogen, as silage and animal feed preservative, in agriculture (fertilizers, crop protection), and as feedstock for biosynthetic production of biochemicals. Each ton of formate produced removes and avoids 7.2 tons of CO2 emissions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 7.2 tons of CO2 emissions avoided per ton of formate produced (EcoEngineers)
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use OCOchem
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
OCOchem technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
OCOchem partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core, flagship and major.
- Launch AlaskaminorOCOchem was selected as one of eight startups in Launch Alaska's portfolio following the 2025/2026 Tech Deployment Track. Launch Alaska brings its total portfolio to 53 companies focused on energy, transportation, and industrial technologies.
- b.fabcoreOCOchem and b.fab announced a partnership to accelerate biochemical production using OCOchem's sustainably made CO2-based formate. B.fab develops biosynthetic pathways for converting formates into biochemicals. The collaboration enables b.fab to scale its technology using OCOchem's industrial process (previously validated only with fossil-based formates), closing the industrial CO2 circle. Both companies will start at small pilot scale in 2026, expanding capacity together. OCOchem makes the formate that feeds b.fab's microbes.
- ADMflagshipOCOchem and ADM announced a production partnership to build a groundbreaking field demonstration CO2 conversion plant at ADM's corn processing complex in Decatur, Illinois. OCOchem will build, deploy, and operate modular Carbon FluX Electrolyzer systems, converting biogenic CO2 from ADM's ethanol production into carbon-negative formate molecules for use across consumer and industrial products. Plant construction expected to commence 2025 and complete by end of 2026. Companies also plan to collaborate on value chain development for formate derivatives.
- MobivoltcoreOCOchem partnered with Mobivolt to complete and commercialize the prototype Hydrogen Formate Reformer (H248), which decomposes hydrogen formate to generate 99.99% pure green hydrogen. Mobivolt's CEO Ian Kaye stated that hydrogen formate will be the way the world moves hydrogen and syngas more safely and affordably for distributed and off-grid fuel applications. OCOchem will partner with OEMs to scale the reformer into larger units.
- NutrienmajorNutrien, one of the world's largest fertilizer manufacturers, is the host site for OCOchem and AirCapture's integrated carbon capture and conversion plant at Nutrien's Kennewick Fertilizer Operations plant in Kennewick, WA. Nutrien has committed to at least 30% greenhouse gas emission reduction per ton of product by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.
- Tacoma PowermajorTacoma Power partnered with OCOchem to demonstrate how OCOchem's hydrogen formate can replace fossil fuel in power generator systems for refrigerated cargo containers at the Port of Tacoma. Tacoma Power's Manager of Energy R&D called the approach 'as carbon neutral as green hydrogen gas but much safer, uses existing fuel infrastructure and is delivered at nearly half the price.'
- Washington Maritime BlueminorWashington Maritime Blue is a partner in the Port of Tacoma project, contributing expertise in maritime and clean energy initiatives in the Pacific Northwest.
- Sacre-Davey EngineeringminorSacre-Davey Engineering (Seattle) is a project partner providing engineering expertise for the Port of Tacoma green energy generator and electro-fuel demonstration project.
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)coreOCOchem entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with PNNL to develop formate conversion pathways for derivative products, winning a prestigious Technology Commercialization Fund grant. PNNL also collaborated on OCOchem's hydrogen formate reformer catalyst and reactor design development. PNNL serves as a partner in multiple OCOchem projects including the Port of Tacoma demonstration.
- AirCapturemajorOCOchem partnered with CO2 direct air capture company AirCapture to use waste heat from Nutrien's fertilizer plant to directly capture CO2 from the air and convert it to formic acid for use by local farmers and ranchers as a silage preservative. OCOchem and AirCapture collaborated with the University of Alabama on the first integrated Direct Air Capture and Conversion FEED study, published in RSC Sustainability journal.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
OCOchem competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BASF: BASF is the world's largest chemical company and a leading incumbent producer of formic acid and formate salts. It competes head-on with OCOchem in the legacy formic acid market that OCOchem is attempting to disrupt with CO2-derived supply.
- Kemira: Kemira is a Finnish specialty chemicals producer with a leading global position in formic acid and potassium formate used for de-icing and agriculture. It is the incumbent OCOchem most directly displaces in its first commercial application (potassium formate for de-icing).
- Air Products: Air Products is a global industrial gas and hydrogen producer with a substantial clean hydrogen and CO2 capture portfolio. It is a broad incumbent operating in the same downstream markets (hydrogen, industrial gases) where OCOchem's formate-based platform competes.
Emerging players
- C2CNT: C2CNT converts CO2 into carbon nanotubes using molten electrolysis. It is an emerging player in CO2 electrolysis with partial overlap to OCOchem's platform, targeting different end products (nanomaterials vs. formate).
- CarbonCure Technologies: CarbonCure injects captured CO2 into concrete during production, enabling mineralization and reduced cement carbon intensity. It is an adjacent emerging player in CO2 utilization, operating in a different vertical (construction materials) than OCOchem but pursuing the same broad 'CO2 as feedstock' thesis.
- Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies: Hydrogenious develops liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology for safe, efficient hydrogen storage and transport using liquid media. It competes with OCOchem's hydrogen formate carrier concept in the hydrogen logistics market.
Others
- AirCapture: AirCapture is a direct air capture partner of OCOchem, providing the upstream CO2 source for OCOchem's integrated DAC + conversion projects. The relationship is cooperative rather than competitive — AirCapture is an ecosystem enabler for OCOchem's integrated pathway.
Direct peers
- Twelve (formerly Opus 12): Twelve is a direct competitor developing CO2 electrolysis technology to convert captured carbon dioxide into chemicals and fuels, including ethylene and other platform molecules. It is the most directly comparable peer to OCOchem, serving overlapping industrial decarbonization customers with electrochemical CO2 conversion.
- Dioxide Materials: Dioxide Materials manufactures electrochemical cells and ion-exchange membranes for CO2 conversion into fuels and chemicals. The company is a direct technology competitor to OCOchem in CO2 electrolyzer hardware and catalyst systems.
- LanzaTech: LanzaTech uses gas fermentation (a different pathway from OCOchem's electrochemistry) to convert waste carbon gases (including CO2) into ethanol and chemical feedstocks. It competes for the same decarbonization of carbon-based chemicals and fuels market that OCOchem targets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
OCOchem social profiles
Digital presenceOCOchem financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OCOchem leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
OCOchem funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds11 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OCOchem 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 OCOchem
What does OCOchem do?
OCOchem develops and commercializes the Carbon FluX Electrolyzer, a proprietary CO2 electrolysis system that converts captured carbon dioxide, water, and clean electricity into hydrogen formate (formic acid) and formate salts at industrial scale. The company manufactures and sells formate molecules directly to enterprise and government customers, including potassium formate for de-icing, formic acid for agriculture and silage preservation, and hydrogen formate as a liquid hydrogen carrier. OCOchem also partners with organizations to finance, build, and operate electrolyzer facilities on-site at customer locations.
Is OCOchem a public or private company?
OCOchem is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was OCOchem founded?
OCOchem was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is OCOchem based?
OCOchem is headquartered in Richland, United States, in the North America region.
How does OCOchem make money?
One revenue line is on record: formate Product Sales.
Who are OCOchem's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BASF, Kemira and Air Products. Emerging players are C2CNT, CarbonCure Technologies and Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies. AirCapture is listed as an others. Direct peers are Twelve (formerly Opus 12), Dioxide Materials and LanzaTech.
Does OCOchem have an API?
No public API is recorded for OCOchem.
What industry is OCOchem in?
OCOchem's product category is Industrial Chemicals & Carbon Conversion Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAIAK, Electrochemical CO₂ Conversion Systems (electrolyzers, catalysts, reactors, balance‑of‑plant), with a secondary code of EUABAIAA, E‑Fuels & Synthetic Hydrocarbons (e‑kerosene, e‑diesel, e‑gasoline, e‑methane). Its NAICS code is 325 and its SIC code is 2860.