SunHydrogen
SunHydrogen is a pre-revenue public company developing nanoparticle-based photoelectrochemical panels that produce renewable hydrogen directly from sunlight and water, targeting $2.50/kg production cost for industrial and fuel-cell customers.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCoralville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SunHydrogen does
SunHydrogen, Inc. is a publicly traded (OTCQB: HYSR) clean-energy technology company developing photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production panels that split water into hydrogen and oxygen using only sunlight. Its core technology is a nanoparticle-based semiconductor unit (Photoelectrosynthetically Active Heterostructures, or PAH) that integrates light absorption, catalysis, and gas collection in a single panel, eliminating the need for a separate electrolyzer, grid electricity, or high-concentration solar optics. Validated modules have demonstrated 10.8% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency at 100 cm² (Honda R&D, October 2024) and 9% at 1,200 cm² (University of Tokyo, February 2025), with a commercial-size 1.92 m² module matching standard PV form factor demonstrated in August 2025.
The company is pre-revenue and operates on a planned hardware-sales model targeting $2.50/kg hydrogen production cost, positioning green hydrogen below fossil-fuel-derived alternatives. Commercial go-to-market relies on direct sales to industrial users (fertilizer, petroleum refining), fuel-cell applications (transportation, data centers), and distributed hydrogen production near points of use. Go-to-market is event-driven (Hydrogen Technology Expo in Houston and Hamburg), supported by sales-led customer pipeline building led by CEO Tim Young and Business Operations Director Hans-Peter Klein. The company pursues a channel-partner model for manufacturing, with a Technology and Manufacturing Services agreement with CTF Solar GmbH (a CNBM subsidiary) targeting 1,000 full-size modules, alongside the German consortium Project NanoPEC (Fraunhofer, Schmid, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin) supported by approximately $3.1 million in German government funding. Strategic co-development partnerships with Honda R&D (Japan) and pilot deployments at UT Austin's Hydrogen ProtoHub validate the technology. The company maintains wholly-owned subsidiaries in Austria (SunHydrogen GmbH) and Japan (SunHydrogen Japan GK), opened in April 2026, and benefits from a $45 million capital commitment from GHS Investments, LLC (November 2022).
SunHydrogen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SunHydrogen
- Legal name
- SunHydrogen, Inc.
- Website
- https://sunhydrogen.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SunHydrogen is a pre-revenue public company developing nanoparticle-based photoelectrochemical panels that produce renewable hydrogen directly from sunlight and water, targeting $2.50/kg production cost for industrial and fuel-cell customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SunHydrogen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Renewable Hydrogen Production Equipment
- NAICS
- Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hydrogen (Industrial & Mobility) (IMAEACAB)
Keywords
Where SunHydrogen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coralville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
SunHydrogen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Renewable Hydrogen Panels: SunHydrogen plans to generate revenue through the sale of its SunHydrogen Panels - proprietary hydrogen production units that use sunlight and water to produce green hydrogen. Like solar panels that produce electricity, SunHydrogen Panels will produce green hydrogen for industrial applications and fuel cells.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Target production cost: $2.50 per kilogram |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
SunHydrogen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SunHydrogen develops and manufactures photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production panels that use proprietary nanoparticle-based semiconductor units to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using only sunlight. The technology eliminates the need for traditional electrolyzers or external electricity, targeting industrial hydrogen consumers, fuel cell applications, and distributed hydrogen production at a target cost of $2.50 per kilogram.
Product overview
SunHydrogen offers the SunHydrogen Panel technology, a breakthrough photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production system that generates renewable hydrogen directly from sunlight and water. The technology uses proprietary nanoparticle-based semiconductor units integrated with catalysts in modular panel form factors. The product portfolio includes hydrogen modules at various scales (100 cm², 1200 cm², and 1.92 m²), a 1 m² demonstration system, and a >30 m² pilot production system deployed at UT Austin's Hydrogen ProtoHub. The technology eliminates the need for traditional electrolyzers by integrating light collection and water-splitting into a single self-contained unit. The company is working toward commercial-scale manufacturing with CTF Solar GmbH and targets hydrogen production costs of $2.50 per kilogram.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SunHydrogen Panel Technology Proprietary photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production system that produces renewable hydrogen directly from sunlight and water using nanoparticle-based semiconductor units, integrating light absorbers, catalysts, and gas collection in a single modular unit for industrial customers.
- 1.92 m² Hydrogen Module Commercial-size hydrogen production module sized to match standard photovoltaic modules (approximately 20.7 sq. ft.), designed for integration into large-scale hydrogen panel farms for industrial and energy customers.
- Hydrogen ProtoHub Pilot System Large-scale multi-panel solar-to-hydrogen production system deployed at UT Austin's Hydrogen ProtoHub, featuring sixteen 1.92 m² reactor units totaling more than 30 m² of active area for real-world validation by research and industrial partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10.8% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency achieved in 100 cm² modules (October 2024)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use SunHydrogen
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SunHydrogen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
SunHydrogen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- CTF Solar GmbHcoreSunHydrogen signed a Technology and Manufacturing Services agreement with CTF Solar GmbH (a subsidiary of China National Building Materials Group - CNBM) to accelerate industrialization and hydrogen panel manufacturing. The partnership targets initial production of 1,000 full-size 1.92 square meter hydrogen modules to transition from pilot-scale to production-scale manufacturing. CTF Solar brings expertise in cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar technology and photovoltaic manufacturing.
- GTI EnergycoreGTI Energy provides safety review and on-site systems integration support for SunHydrogen's hydrogen production pilot installation at the Hydrogen ProtoHub in Austin, Texas. GTI Energy brings decades of leadership in energy technology development, safety, and oversight, including operations of its state-of-the-art Hydrogen Technology Center.
- The Process Group (TPG Engineers)coreContract with The Process Group, LLC (TPG Engineers) for front-end engineering design of the >25 m² proof-of-concept hydrogen production pilot plant. TPG provides comprehensive engineering support including integration of PEC modules, fluid systems design, mechanical interconnections, gas handling, and HAZOP study completion.
- Texas Hydrogen AllianceminorSunHydrogen joined the Texas Hydrogen Alliance, a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade organization bringing together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders and innovators to advocate for hydrogen adoption policies and develop storage/distribution infrastructure. The alliance strengthens SunHydrogen's position in the Texas hydrogen landscape.
- Honda R&D Co., Ltd.coreJoint development agreement with Honda R&D for testing and optimization of SunHydrogen's hydrogen modules. Honda is testing 100 cm² and 1200 cm² modules under on-sun rooftop conditions and has developed innovative membraneless housing units for safe hydrogen and oxygen separation without the use of membranes. The partnership achieved 10.8% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency in October 2024.
- University of IowaminorLongstanding sponsored research agreement with the University of Iowa for development and optimization of SunHydrogen's nanoparticle technology. The research team, led by Dr. Joun Lee and Dr. Syed Mubeen, has worked to scale up the technology and collaborates closely with development partners including SCHMID Group in Germany.
- Fraunhofer Center for Silicon PhotovoltaicsflagshipProject NanoPEC is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics in Germany. The three-year initiative brings SunHydrogen together with six partners at the cutting edge of German industry and science to scale the technology to demonstration plant size and develop manufacturing technology for automated production on a 1,000-unit scale. Supported by approximately $3.1 million in funding from Germany's 7th Energy Research Program.
- Project NanoPEC PartnersflagshipProject NanoPEC brings together six partners in Germany including Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (coordination), Schmid Group (manufacturing technology), WAVELABS Solar Metrology Systems GmbH (testing and measurement), ECH Elektrochemie Halle GmbH (electrochemical analytics), Zahner-Elektrik (design), and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (photoelectrode scale-up and catalyst materials). Supported by approximately $3.1 million in German government funding.
- COTECminorPartnership with COTEC of South Korea for production scale-up of green hydrogen panels. COTEC completed setup of a new laboratory space solely for the development of SunHydrogen's manufacturing process. The partnership explores industrial electroplating solutions for semiconductor deposition.
- Dr. Arthur J. NozikminorEngagement of Dr. Arthur J. Nozik as Scientific Advisor. Dr. Nozik is a distinguished leader in photoelectrochemistry and semiconductor nanoscience, Senior Research Fellow Emeritus of NREL, and Research Professor at University of Colorado Boulder. He evaluates SunHydrogen's overall strategy and technique with over 270 peer-reviewed papers and 47,000 citations.
- MSC Co. LTDminorPartnership with MSC Co. LTD of Korea to assist with electroplating process development. MSC began reproducing SunHydrogen's electrolyte chemistry in an industrial setting to validate mass manufacturing capability. The second stage involves electrodeposition of semiconductors on SunHydrogen's proprietary substrate in an industrialized setup.
- University of MichiganminorSponsored research agreement with the University of Michigan led by Dr. Nirala Singh to develop and test highly efficient catalysts for oxygen and hydrogen evolution. The partnership aims to lower the cost of materials while maintaining high solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency and includes a robust technoeconomic assessment.
- Schmid GroupcoreLongstanding partnership with Schmid Group of Germany to design and define a process platform enabling mass manufacturing of SunHydrogen's nanoparticle-based green hydrogen panels. Schmid focuses on design and engineering of panel housing to ensure safe and efficient hydrogen collection. The partnership has evolved to include multiple specialized partners for different manufacturing components.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SunHydrogen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SunHydrogen social profiles
Digital presenceSunHydrogen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SunHydrogen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
SunHydrogen subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
SunHydrogen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SunHydrogen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SunHydrogen
What does SunHydrogen do?
SunHydrogen develops and manufactures photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production panels that use proprietary nanoparticle-based semiconductor units to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using only sunlight. The technology eliminates the need for traditional electrolyzers or external electricity, targeting industrial hydrogen consumers, fuel cell applications, and distributed hydrogen production at a target cost of $2.50 per kilogram.
Is SunHydrogen a public or private company?
SunHydrogen is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was SunHydrogen founded?
SunHydrogen was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SunHydrogen based?
SunHydrogen is headquartered in Coralville, United States, in the North America region.
How does SunHydrogen make money?
One revenue line is on record: renewable Hydrogen Panels.
Does SunHydrogen have an API?
No public API is recorded for SunHydrogen.
What industry is SunHydrogen in?
SunHydrogen's product category is Renewable Hydrogen Production Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEACAB, Hydrogen (Industrial & Mobility). Its NAICS code is 32512 and its SIC code is 3600.