Pajarito Powder
Pajarito Powder is a B2B materials science company that develops and manufactures advanced electrocatalysts (supported platinum, iridium oxide OER, and Engineered Catalyst Supports™) for hydrogen fuel cells and PEM electrolyzers, selling directly to fuel cell and electrolyzer OEMs in transportation and stationary power markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersAlbuquerque, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pajarito Powder does
Pajarito Powder, LLC is a privately-held materials science company headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that develops and manufactures advanced electrocatalysts for hydrogen fuel cells and PEM water electrolyzers. The company's product portfolio centers on three offerings: Supported Platinum Catalysts for fuel cell applications, Engineered Catalyst Supports™ (ECS) for enhanced stability and conductivity, and a high-surface-area Iridium Oxide OER Catalyst for PEM water electrolysis, produced at kilogram scale. These materials are sold to fuel cell and electrolyzer original equipment manufacturers serving transportation, stationary power, and green hydrogen production markets.
The company operates a B2B enterprise sales model, partnering directly with manufacturers to optimize their fuel cell and electrolyzer systems. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of catalyst materials, with no publicly disclosed pricing or unit economics. Pajarito Powder has attracted a strategically aligned investor base that includes Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, Bekaert, Ecovyst (which holds a board seat), Verge Fund, and Omphalos Venture Partners, alongside a $20 million U.S. Department of Energy award.
In April 2026, the company appointed Christian Mohrdieck — a 35-year hydrogen industry veteran and former CEO of Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH — as CEO, marking a transition from research-led leadership toward commercialization and scale. The company was originally founded circa 2011 and re-incorporated as Pajarito Powder, LLC in Delaware in 2021, with an SEC Form D filing of approximately $12.6 million at that time. It currently employs 11-50 people and maintains a corporate website and LinkedIn presence as its primary external channels.
Pajarito Powder firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pajarito Powder
- Legal name
- Pajarito Powder, LLC
- Website
- https://PajaritoPowder.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pajarito Powder is a B2B materials science company that develops and manufactures advanced electrocatalysts (supported platinum, iridium oxide OER, and Engineered Catalyst Supports™) for hydrogen fuel cells and PEM electrolyzers, selling directly to fuel cell and electrolyzer OEMs in transportation and stationary power markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pajarito Powder industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advanced Hydrogen Electrocatalysts
- NAICS
- Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Catalyst Supports & Carriers (Alumina/Ceramics/Monoliths) (IMAEAIAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Precious Metals & Catalyst Materials (PGM Catalysts) (IMAEAIAN)
Keywords
Where Pajarito Powder is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Albuquerque
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pajarito Powder business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Catalyst Product Sales: Pajarito Powder develops and manufactures advanced catalysts for fuel cells and electrolyzers, selling these materials to manufacturers in the hydrogen economy. Revenue is generated through product sales of platinum catalysts, iridium oxide catalysts, and engineered catalyst supports to fuel cell and electrolyzer OEMs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Pajarito Powder product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pajarito Powder develops and manufactures advanced electrocatalysts and engineered catalyst supports for hydrogen fuel cells and PEM electrolyzers. The product portfolio comprises three core offerings: Supported Platinum Catalysts for PEM fuel cell applications, Engineered Catalyst Supports™ (ECS) — a proprietary engineered support material that enhances catalyst stability and durability — and Iridium Oxide OER Catalysts for PEM water electrolysis, manufactured at kilogram scale. These materials are sold to fuel cell and electrolyzer OEMs serving transportation, stationary power, and green hydrogen production markets.
Product overview
Pajarito Powder is a materials science company that develops and manufactures advanced catalysts for fuel cells and electrolyzers. Their product portfolio consists of three core offerings: Supported Platinum Catalyst for fuel cell applications, Engineered Catalyst Supports™ (ECS) for enhanced performance and durability, and Iridium Oxide OER Catalyst for PEM water electrolysis. These products work together to accelerate the hydrogen economy by providing manufacturers with cutting-edge catalyst technology for electrolyzers and fuel cells.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Supported Platinum Catalyst Advanced platinum-based catalyst designed for fuel cell applications, providing high surface area and optimized performance for hydrogen PEM fuel cells used in transportation and stationary power systems. Sold to fuel cell OEMs and system integrators.
- Engineered Catalyst Supports™ (ECS) Proprietary engineered catalyst support material that enhances the stability, conductivity, and durability of fuel cell and electrolyzer catalysts. Used as the support backbone for advanced catalyst formulations sold to fuel cell and electrolyzer OEMs.
- Iridium Oxide OER Catalyst Very high-surface-area iridium oxide oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst for PEM water electrolysis, offering best-in-class performance and significant efficiency improvements. Manufactured at kilogram scale and sold to PEM electrolyzer OEMs producing green hydrogen.
Companies that use Pajarito Powder
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pajarito Powder technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Pajarito Powder partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pajarito Powder competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo: Japanese precious metals specialist with significant fuel cell catalyst and PGM catalyst support offerings, particularly for automotive fuel cell applications. A direct competitor to Pajarito in supported platinum catalysts for fuel cells.
- Heraeus Precious Metals: German precious metals and technology group supplying PGM catalysts and catalyst supports for hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers. Competitor across both Pajarito's platinum catalyst and catalyst support product lines.
- Topsoe: Danish catalyst and technology company with an established portfolio for hydrogen production including electrolyzer and fuel cell catalyst offerings. Comparable to Pajarito in PEM electrolyzer catalysts and high-surface-area catalyst materials.
- Cataler: Japanese catalyst manufacturer (Toyota Tsusho subsidiary) producing PGM catalysts specifically for fuel cell vehicles. A direct competitor in automotive fuel cell catalysts, particularly relevant given Toyota/Honda as end customers.
- Johnson Matthey: Global leader in PGM catalysts and a major supplier of platinum-based fuel cell catalysts and catalyst supports. Johnson Matthey is Pajarito's most direct large-scale competitor in fuel cell and electrolyzer catalyst markets, with established OEM relationships Pajarito is seeking to win.
- Umicore: Belgian materials technology group and major PGM catalyst producer with a dedicated fuel cell and electrolyzer catalyst portfolio. Umicore competes directly with Pajarito in platinum and iridium-based catalysts for hydrogen applications.
Broad incumbents
- Clariant: Swiss specialty chemicals company with a broad catalyst portfolio including offerings relevant to hydrogen applications. Clariant is a broader incumbent whose catalyst portfolio overlaps with Pajarito's electrolyzer and fuel cell product lines as part of a much larger business.
Emerging players
- Advent Technologies: Emerging fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and catalyst developer focused on high-temperature PEM and HT-PEM fuel cells. Adjacent emerging player in fuel cell catalyst and MEA technology with partial overlap with Pajarito's fuel cell catalyst focus.
Others
- Plug Power: Leading PEM electrolyzer and fuel cell OEM and a potential downstream customer for Pajarito's catalysts. While not a direct competitor, Plug Power represents a target customer and ecosystem participant in the PEM hydrogen value chain.
- Nel ASA: Norwegian electrolyzer OEM (PEM and alkaline) and a potential large-volume customer for Pajarito's iridium oxide OER catalysts. Nel is not a catalyst competitor but a key downstream OEM in Pajarito's customer universe.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pajarito Powder social profiles
Digital presencePajarito Powder financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pajarito Powder leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Pajarito Powder funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pajarito Powder 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 Pajarito Powder
What does Pajarito Powder do?
Pajarito Powder develops and manufactures advanced electrocatalysts and engineered catalyst supports for hydrogen fuel cells and PEM electrolyzers. The product portfolio comprises three core offerings: Supported Platinum Catalysts for PEM fuel cell applications, Engineered Catalyst Supports™ (ECS) — a proprietary engineered support material that enhances catalyst stability and durability — and Iridium Oxide OER Catalysts for PEM water electrolysis, manufactured at kilogram scale. These materials are sold to fuel cell and electrolyzer OEMs serving transportation, stationary power, and green hydrogen production markets.
Is Pajarito Powder a public or private company?
Pajarito Powder is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Pajarito Powder founded?
Pajarito Powder was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pajarito Powder based?
Pajarito Powder is headquartered in Albuquerque, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pajarito Powder make money?
One revenue line is on record: catalyst Product Sales.
Who are Pajarito Powder's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo, Heraeus Precious Metals, Topsoe, Cataler, Johnson Matthey and Umicore. Clariant is listed as a broad incumbent. Advent Technologies is listed as an emerging player. Others are Plug Power and Nel ASA.
Does Pajarito Powder have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pajarito Powder.
What industry is Pajarito Powder in?
Pajarito Powder's product category is Advanced Hydrogen Electrocatalysts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAIAL, Catalyst Supports & Carriers (Alumina/Ceramics/Monoliths), with a secondary code of IMAEAIAN, Precious Metals & Catalyst Materials (PGM Catalysts). Its NAICS code is 325 and its SIC code is 2800.