Matteco

What Matteco does

Matteco is a Spanish materials technology company founded in November 2023 as a spin-off from the Universitat de València and commercializing over a decade of research from the ICMol 2D-Chem group. The company develops patented PGM-free nickel-iron catalysts and electrodes for alkaline (AWE) and Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) water electrolysis, targeting green hydrogen producers. Its core technology eliminates dependence on platinum and iridium while delivering up to 30% lower energy consumption and 2-3x higher current densities versus commercial standards, supported by a homogeneous controlled coating process and a thermal reductive catalyst activation process advancing toward TRL 6.

The product portfolio spans catalyst powder, inks, catalytic coatings, and full electrodes in custom formats up to 1 m diameter on nickel meshes, foams, fibers, and stainless steel substrates. AEM anode solutions are commercially available, while alkaline anode/cathode and AEM cathode products remain pre-commercial. Production takes place at Matteco's 10,000 m² Modular Advanced Materials Factory in Paterna, Valencia, with an initial installed capacity of 1 GW per year and a modular design for further scaling. The company holds multiple granted and pending patents and benefits from co-founder CTO Gonzalo Abellán's ERC-funded research group plus CEO Iker Marcaide's prior NASDAQ-scale commercialization experience via Flywire.

Matteco operates a direct B2B enterprise sales model, co-engineering catalysts and electrodes with electrolyzer manufacturers across Europe, North America, and Asia and embedding them into customer product roadmaps. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of advanced materials with custom, per-project pricing. The company is funded by a €15M Series A (Grupo ASV, Napali, Zubi) and approximately €8.3M in public grants (EIC Transition, Horizon Europe, EU Next Generation, IVACE+i), with industry partnerships spanning Ariema, Técnicas Reunidas, Siemens Energy, HI-ERN, Horiba, and Dunia Innovations.

Name

Matteco

Legal name

Matteco Team S. L.

Website

https://matteco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Matteco is a Spanish materials technology spin-off from the University of Valencia that develops patented PGM-free nickel-iron catalysts and electrodes for alkaline and AEM water electrolysis, supplying electrolyzer manufacturers globally from its 1 GW-capacity factory in Paterna, Valencia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paterna

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Advanced Materials for Electrolysis: Matteco generates revenue by selling advanced catalyst materials and electrodes (catalyst powder, catalyst inks, catalytic coatings, and full electrodes) to electrolyzer manufacturers and plant developers. Products are supplied in custom formats and sizes to meet customer-specific requirements for both alkaline and AEM electrolysis systems.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Matteco develops, manufactures, and supplies next-generation PGM-free (platinum-group-metal-free) catalysts and electrodes based on nickel-iron nanotechnology for alkaline and AEM water electrolysis. Its products are supplied as catalyst powder, catalyst inks, catalytic coatings, and full custom electrodes on nickel meshes, foams, fibers, or stainless steel substrates, and are sold to electrolyzer manufacturers for integration into green hydrogen production systems.

Product overview

Matteco operates as a materials technology company offering a portfolio of advanced products for green hydrogen production. The core offering consists of next-generation catalysts and electrodes for alkaline and AEM electrolysis, utilizing patented PGM-free (platinum-group-metal-free) materials based on nickel-iron technology. The product range spans commercially available AEM anode solutions (catalyst powder, ink, and full electrodes) as well as pre-commercial alkaline anode/cathode and AEM cathode products. Products are available in multiple formats including catalyst powder and ink, catalytic coatings, and customized full electrodes manufactured on various substrates (nickel meshes, foams, sheets, fiber, stainless steel). All products share a common technological foundation of proprietary nanotechnology enabling up to 30% energy reduction and 2-3x higher current densities compared to commercial standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catalysts and Electrodes for Water Electrolysis Next-generation PGM-free (platinum-group-metal-free) catalysts and electrodes for alkaline and AEM water electrolysis, using nickel-iron nanotechnology to reduce energy consumption by up to 30% and enable 2-3x higher current densities versus commercial standards. Sold to electrolyzer OEMs to lower the cost of green hydrogen production.
• AEM Anode Solutions Commercially available anode catalysts and electrodes engineered for Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolysis systems, supplied as PGM-free catalyst powder, inks, coatings, and full electrodes.
• Catalyst Powder and Ink Patented nickel-iron-based PGM-free catalyst materials supplied as powder and ink formulations for use by electrolyzer manufacturers in their own electrode production processes.
• Catalytic Coatings Patented homogeneous and controlled coating services applying PGM-free catalyst layers to metallic substrates, providing significantly improved electrochemical surface area (ECSA) while preserving the intrinsic properties of the substrate.
• Full Custom Electrodes Custom-manufactured full electrodes on nickel meshes, extended sheets, foams, fibers, or stainless steel substrates, produced in square-meter surface sizes (up to 1 m diameter) for industrial-scale alkaline and AEM electrolysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 30% lower energy consumption vs. commercial electrolyzer standards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Dunia InnovationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026Matteco and Dunia Innovations entered a strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of next-generation functional layers for AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane) electrolyzers. The partnership combines Matteco's expertise in electrocatalysts and functional inks with Dunia's AI-powered experimentation platform. The goal is to compress catalyst ink development cycles from years to months and advance toward the ~$2/kg green hydrogen production cost target. The collaboration is structured to expand into a longer-term strategic partnership focused on material breakthroughs.
• Ariema EnerxíacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2024Matteco and Ariema Enerxía partnered on the EMMA project (€1.4M total budget, €1.1M grant from EU Next Generation/PERTE ERHA). Matteco will integrate its high-performance PGM-free electrodes into Ariema's next-generation alkaline electrolyzers to produce green hydrogen more efficiently and at lower cost. The three-year collaboration covers development and integration at intermediate cell sizes (25 cm diameter) and final commercial sizes (1 m diameter).
• Técnicas ReunidascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the STELAH project (High Efficiency Alkaline Electrolysis Stack for Producing Renewable Hydrogen), funded by IVACE+i and European Union through FEDER. Técnicas Reunidas contributes electrochemical engineering expertise and evaluates electrodes with different substrates in precursor stack setups, helping validate scaling potential.
• AIJU (Instituto Tecnológico de Producto Infantil y Ocio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology center partner in the STELAH project, contributing expertise in the design and validation of new technologies and materials for alkaline electrolysis stacks.
• University of Valencia (UVEG / ICMol)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in both the STELAH project and SEAL HYDROGEN project. ICMol's 2D-Chem research group (led by co-founder Gonzalo Abellán) provides materials science and electrocatalysis expertise, contributing to the characterization and validation of advanced catalytic materials.
• HI-ERN (Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the SEAL HYDROGEN Horizon Europe project (€3M total funding), contributing to the development of next-generation conventional alkaline electrolyzers combining classic system robustness with state-of-the-art innovations in materials science and catalyst design.
• Siemens EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the SEAL HYDROGEN Horizon Europe project, contributing industrial expertise in electrolyzer technology development alongside Matteco, University of Valencia, Horiba, and HI-ERN.
• HoribacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the SEAL HYDROGEN Horizon Europe project, contributing analytical and characterization expertise to the €3M RIA project focused on zero-gap alkaline water electrolysis optimization.
• Cleantech for IberiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatteco is a member of the Cleantech for Iberia coalition, a European alliance promoted by Cleantech Group and Breakthrough Energy (Bill Gates) to consolidate the Iberian Peninsula as Europe's cleantech industrial hub. Coalition includes 18+ key players including Zubi Group and BBVA as anchor members. Matteco contributes to advocating for policies that strengthen green technology development.
• AZuR (Allianz Zukunft Reifen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatteco joined the AZuR network for sustainable circular tire economy as one of over 80 partners including companies like Siemens AG, Bear-Machines, and GATA Prolysis. The network targets the approximately 3.4 million tons of used tires generated annually in Europe with a goal of keeping 100% of tires in the circular cycle.
• Hydrogen EuropecoreOthersMatteco is an active member of Hydrogen Europe, contributing to the association's work on shaping European hydrogen policy and industry standards.
• European Clean Hydrogen AlliancecoreOthersMatteco participates in the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, helping shape the EU's hydrogen strategy and deployment roadmap toward climate neutrality by 2050.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matteco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Matteco