Synhelion
Synhelion is a Swiss cleantech company that uses concentrated solar thermal energy and thermochemical processes to produce renewable drop-in jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline, serving aviation, maritime, road transport, logistics, and industrial customers seeking fossil fuel replacement.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLugano, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Synhelion does
Synhelion AG is a Swiss cleantech company founded in 2016 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), headquartered in Zurich with operating subsidiaries in Lugano (Synhelion SA) and Jülich, Germany (Synhelion Germany GmbH, the operator of plant DAWN). The company develops and operates Sun-to-Liquid technology, which uses concentrated solar thermal energy (up to 1,500°C via a proprietary solar receiver) to drive thermochemical reactions that convert certified biomethane, CO2, and water into syngas, subsequently refined into renewable synthetic fuels — Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), solar diesel, and solar gasoline — that are drop-in compatible with existing engines, refineries, and fuel distribution infrastructure. An integrated thermal energy storage system enables 24/7 continuous operation despite solar intermittency, and the IP stack spans 23 patent families across the receiver, thermochemical reactor, and storage subsystems.
The company runs a B2B enterprise sales motion, signing multi-year (typically 5-year) offtake agreements with anchor customers in aviation (SWISS, Pilatus Aircraft), logistics (Kuehne+Nagel), airport ground operations (Zurich Airport), maritime (SGV), automotive (AMAG Group), tourism (Lenzerheide Bergbahnen), and construction (Eberhard), with volumes scaling from demonstration (several thousand liters per year at DAWN) toward 1,000 tons per year at the planned RISE plant in Spain in 2027, and a 10-year target of 1 million tons annually. Revenue streams include direct synthetic fuel sales via offtake contracts and a planned future technology licensing business once initial commercial plants are proven. To date, Synhelion has raised approximately CHF 100 million in cumulative funding from a mix of strategic corporate investors (Eni, CEMEX, SMS group, AMAG Group, SWISS, Lufthansa Group, Pilatus, Wood) and government grants (German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, U.S. Department of Energy).
Synhelion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Synhelion
- Legal name
- Synhelion AG
- Website
- https://synhelion.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Synhelion is a Swiss cleantech company that uses concentrated solar thermal energy and thermochemical processes to produce renewable drop-in jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline, serving aviation, maritime, road transport, logistics, and industrial customers seeking fossil fuel replacement.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Synhelion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Renewable Synthetic Fuels
- NAICS
- Petroleum Refineries (32411)
- SIC
- Petroleum Refining (2911)
- akta.pro primary industry
- CO₂‑Derived Synthetic Fuels for Aviation & Marine (SAF e‑fuels, e‑ammonia/e‑methanol bunkering pathways) (EUABAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Production (HEFA, FT, ATJ) (EUAAAHAE), Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) & Alternative Fuels (e-fuels, biofuels, hydrogen) (THABANAA), Alternative Low-Carbon Marine Fuels Bunkering (Methanol, Biofuels, Ammonia, Hydrogen) (TLAHAKAC)
Keywords
Where Synhelion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lugano
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Synhelion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Synthetic Fuel Sales: Synhelion generates primary revenue from selling renewable synthetic fuels (solar kerosene, diesel, gasoline) produced at its DAWN demonstration plant and future commercial plants. Customers sign long-term offtake agreements (typically 5 years) committing to purchase specified fuel volumes. Fuel is sold to aviation, maritime, road transportation, and industrial customers.
- Technology Licensing: Synhelion plans to license its proven solar fuel technology globally for deployment in commercial plants worldwide, following the build-and-operate phase for initial commercial plants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Production cost target at commercial scale |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Synhelion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Synhelion manufactures and sells renewable synthetic drop-in fuels — Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), solar diesel, solar gasoline, and synthetic wax — produced from concentrated solar thermal energy, CO2, and water via its proprietary Sun-to-Liquid thermochemical process. The company operates industrial-scale solar fuel plants (DAWN in Jülich, Germany; RISE planned in Spain) and secures long-term offtake agreements with enterprise customers in aviation, maritime, road transportation, and industrial sectors.
Product overview
Synhelion is a Swiss cleantech company that produces renewable synthetic drop-in fuels to defossilize the transportation sector. The company offers a portfolio of solar-derived fuels including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Solar Diesel, Solar Gasoline, and Synthetic Wax. Production is enabled through industrial-scale solar fuel plants: Plant DAWN serves as the world's first industrial demonstration plant in Jülich, Germany, while Plant RISE (planned for Spain) will be the first commercial-scale facility. All fuels are fully compatible with existing global fuel infrastructure and conventional engines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Renewable synthetic jet fuel produced from solar energy, CO2, and water via thermochemical processes; fully compatible with existing aircraft engines and fuel infrastructure. Targeted at commercial airlines, business aviation, and cargo operators.
- Solar Diesel Renewable synthetic diesel fuel produced from solar energy, compatible with existing diesel engines and infrastructure; suitable for ships, trucks, construction equipment, buses, and snow groomers.
- Solar Gasoline Renewable synthetic gasoline produced from solar energy, fully drop-in compatible with conventional internal combustion engines without modifications. Targeted at automotive fleets and ICE vehicles.
- Synthetic Wax Synthetic wax produced as a co-product of Synhelion's solar fuel production process via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, demonstrating the versatility of the underlying thermochemical technology.
- Plant DAWN World's first industrial-scale solar fuel production plant located in Jülich, Germany, featuring a 20-meter solar tower, heliostat mirror field, solar receiver, thermochemical reactor, and thermal energy storage; produces several thousand liters of fuel per year at demonstration scale.
- Plant RISE Synhelion's first commercial solar fuel plant planned in Spain with target production capacity of 1,000 tons of solar fuel per year, scheduled to start operation in 2027.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 100% net CO2 emission reduction compared to fossil fuels
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Synhelion
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Synhelion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Synhelion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Kuehne+NagelcoreFive-year offtake agreement starting 2027 to purchase Synhelion-produced synthetic SAF from SWISS for air-cargo shipments via Swiss WorldCargo. First commercial offtake of Synhelion's synthetic SAF.
- INERATECcoreExpanded collaboration to accelerate solar fuel production. INERATEC provides syngas-to-liquid technology that complements Synhelion's solar thermochemical process for complete fuel production.
- WoodminorListed as strategic investor and partner supporting Synhelion's solar fuel technology scaling efforts.
- Sandia National LaboratoriescorePartnership with Sandia and CEMEX to develop concentrated solar thermal process for cement calcination using heat transfer fluid of steam and CO2. Project funded by US Department of Energy, scheduled to conclude December 2025.
- Pilatus AircraftcoreStrategic partnership launched June 2024 with Pilatus becoming shareholder. Signed five-year offtake agreement for 200 tons of solar fuel annually starting 2027. Partnership aims to scale solar fuels for aviation and offer to Pilatus customers.
- University of FloridacoreAwarded $2.7 million by U.S. Department of Energy with University of Florida to support development of concentrating solar thermal power technology for producing green hydrogen and large-scale deployment for decarbonization.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Synhelion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HIF Global: HIF Global produces carbon-neutral e-fuels (e-methanol, e-gasoline, SAF) from captured CO2 and green hydrogen using renewable electricity. It is the closest direct competitor to Synhelion in the e-fuels space, targeting the same aviation and maritime end markets with a multi-plant global rollout model.
- Norsk e-Fuel: Norsk e-Fuel is building one of Europe's first commercial e-SAF plants in Mosjøen, Norway, using green hydrogen and CO2. It directly competes with Synhelion in synthetic SAF for European aviation customers and shares a similar build-and-license scaling ambition.
- Infinium: Infinium (formerly Greyrock Energy) produces e-fuels including e-SAF, e-diesel, and e-naphtha from green hydrogen and captured CO2. It targets the same aviation, marine, and heavy transport markets as Synhelion with a comparable e-fuels technology platform.
- Prometheus Fuels: Prometheus Fuels develops synthetic gasoline, SAF, and diesel from CO2 and renewable electricity using proprietary electrochemistry. It competes with Synhelion for the same drop-in replacement transport fuel value proposition, particularly in aviation and road transport.
- Sunfire: Sunfire is a German power-to-X company producing e-fuels (e-SAF, e-diesel, e-methanol) and green hydrogen via high-temperature electrolysis. It targets aviation and industrial fuel markets with overlapping customers and a comparable technology-first commercialization model.
- Gevo: Gevo produces SAF and renewable hydrocarbons using alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) pathways from low-carbon ethanol. It directly competes with Synhelion for SAF offtake agreements with airlines and aviation customers, though via a different feedstock and process pathway.
- LanzaTech: LanzaTech produces low-carbon fuels and chemicals via gas fermentation of industrial off-gases into ethanol, then SAF. It overlaps with Synhelion in the aviation SAF market and shares a focus on drop-in renewable fuels, though via a fundamentally different conversion pathway.
- Velocys: Velocys is a UK/US Fischer-Tropsch technology provider focused on converting biomass and waste gases into SAF. It addresses the same aviation decarbonization customer base as Synhelion through a competing drop-in synthetic fuel pathway.
Broad incumbents
- Neste: Neste is the world's largest producer of renewable diesel (HVO/HEFA) and a major SAF supplier via its HEFA pathway. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Synhelion for SAF blending mandates, offering established volume but a less scalable feedstock-constrained pathway.
Others
- Eni: Eni is an integrated energy major that is both a Synhelion investor and an emerging producer of biofuels and e-fuels through its Enilive and Plenitude subsidiaries. It is an ecosystem participant that combines customer, investor, and competitive roles in renewable fuels.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Synhelion social profiles
Digital presenceSynhelion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Synhelion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Synhelion subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Synhelion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Synhelion 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 Synhelion
What does Synhelion do?
Synhelion manufactures and sells renewable synthetic drop-in fuels — Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), solar diesel, solar gasoline, and synthetic wax — produced from concentrated solar thermal energy, CO2, and water via its proprietary Sun-to-Liquid thermochemical process. The company operates industrial-scale solar fuel plants (DAWN in Jülich, Germany; RISE planned in Spain) and secures long-term offtake agreements with enterprise customers in aviation, maritime, road transportation, and industrial sectors.
Is Synhelion a public or private company?
Synhelion is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Synhelion founded?
Synhelion was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Synhelion based?
Synhelion is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Synhelion make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Synthetic Fuel Sales are the primary driver. The others are technology Licensing.
Who are Synhelion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HIF Global, Norsk e-Fuel, Infinium, Prometheus Fuels, Sunfire, Gevo, LanzaTech and Velocys. Neste is listed as a broad incumbent. Eni is listed as an others.
Does Synhelion have an API?
No public API is recorded for Synhelion.
What industry is Synhelion in?
Synhelion's product category is Renewable Synthetic Fuels. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAIAH, CO₂‑Derived Synthetic Fuels for Aviation & Marine (SAF e‑fuels, e‑ammonia/e‑methanol bunkering pathways), with a secondary code of EUAAAHAE, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Production (HEFA, FT, ATJ). Its NAICS code is 32411 and its SIC code is 2911.