Iron Energy AG
Iron Energy AG is an ETH Zurich spin-off that builds modular long-duration energy storage systems using the steam-iron process to store hydrogen as solid iron, targeting industrial customers, green steel producers, renewable energy developers, and critical infrastructure operators across Switzerland and the DACH region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Iron Energy AG does
Iron Energy AG is a Swiss ETH Zurich spin-off (founded 2024, headquartered in Zürich) that develops long-duration and seasonal energy storage systems based on the steam-iron process. The technology chemically stores hydrogen in solid iron oxide at approximately 500°C under atmospheric pressure: during charging, hydrogen reacts with iron oxide to produce metallic iron and water vapor; during discharge, steam reacts with the metallic iron to release hydrogen, with near-100% recovery. The system achieves stated performance metrics of up to 80% round-trip efficiency, 50+ year operational lifetime, and 2.8 MWh/m3 energy density (claimed to be 8x higher than Li-ion batteries), while operating in a solid state at ambient pressure to minimize explosion risk. The product portfolio includes a standardized modular two-component system (Periphery for balance-of-plant and Storage Unit for the iron-oxide reaction), containerized solutions starting at 200 MWh, and onsite installations exceeding 1 GWh.
The company operates three pilot plants: a 250 kWh Gen2 laboratory-scale reactor, a 10 MWh pilot commissioned in 2023 at ETH Zurich Campus Hönggerberg, and a 20 MWh demonstrator scheduled for 2026 to advance the technology from TRL 6 to TRL 8. A 3,000 MWh lighthouse commercial plant is planned for 2028 in Bern, developed with an unnamed operator of critical infrastructure. Revenue mechanics are pre-commercial: the company monetizes through hardware sales of storage systems and engineering/professional services (feasibility studies, commissioning, project execution), priced on a project-specific basis to enterprise customers. The go-to-market is direct enterprise sales targeting operators of critical infrastructure, green steel producers, renewable energy developers, petrochemical and waste-to-energy plants, wastewater facilities, energy communities, and reserve market participants. The founding team comprises four entrepreneurs: Dr. Samuel Heiniger (CEO & CTO), Dr. Lauri Lehtonen (COO), Brian Petrus (Head of Engineering & Projects), and Daniel Bloch (CFO), supported by R&D operations in Grenzach-Wyhlen, Germany.
Iron Energy AG firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Iron Energy AG
- Legal name
- Iron Energy AG
- Website
- https://ironenergy.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Iron Energy AG is an ETH Zurich spin-off that builds modular long-duration energy storage systems using the steam-iron process to store hydrogen as solid iron, targeting industrial customers, green steel producers, renewable energy developers, and critical infrastructure operators across Switzerland and the DACH region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Iron Energy AG industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Long-Duration Energy Storage Systems
- NAICS
- Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing (33242)
- SIC
- Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hydrogen Energy Storage & Power-to-X Equipment (electrolyzers, storage, fuel cell systems) (IMAGAHAM)
Keywords
Where Iron Energy AG is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Iron Energy AG business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Long-Duration Energy Storage Systems: Sale or licensing of modular iron-based energy storage systems to industrial customers, energy communities, and operators of critical infrastructure. Revenue is generated through system sales and potentially related engineering/professional services. Products range from containerized 200 MWh solutions to multi-GWh onsite installations.
- Feasibility Studies and Engineering Services: The company offers feasibility studies for customer energy needs as part of its sales process. Commissioning and project execution services support commercial plant deployments.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Iron Energy AG product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Iron Energy AG develops and sells modular long-duration energy storage systems based on the steam-iron process. The technology chemically binds hydrogen to iron oxide at ~500°C under ambient pressure, enabling seasonal storage of surplus renewable energy as solid iron. Products range from containerized 200 MWh solutions to onsite multi-GWh industrial installations, sold to enterprise customers in critical infrastructure, green steel, renewable energy, and process industries.
Product overview
Iron Energy AG offers a standardized, modular energy storage solution based on the steam-iron process for long-duration and seasonal energy storage. The product portfolio centers on the Standardized Modular Storage System with a two-component architecture (Periphery for balance-of-plant components and Storage Unit for the iron-oxide chemical reaction). Product sizing ranges from Containerized Solutions (200 MWh) for small-scale demand to Onsite Installations (exceeding 1 GWh) for large-scale industrial applications. The company operates a development pipeline including the 10 MWh Pilot Plant ETH Hönggerberg (2023), the Gen2 Laboratory-Scale Reactor (250 kWh), the 20 MWh Demonstrator (ongoing, commissioning 2026), and the 3,000 MWh Lighthouse commercial plant (scheduled for 2028).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Standardized Modular Storage System A standardized, modular long-duration energy storage system based on the steam-iron process with a two-component design (Periphery for balance-of-plant components and Storage Unit for the iron-oxide chemical reaction). Designed for enterprise and industrial customers needing seasonal energy storage.
- Containerized Storage Solutions Containerized energy storage solutions starting at 200 MWh capacity, capable of storing approximately 6 tons of hydrogen. Targeted at small-scale demand applications.
- Onsite Industrial Storage Installations Large-scale onsite industrial energy storage installations exceeding 1 GWh capacity, securing over 50 tons of storable hydrogen. Targeted at large-scale industrial demand applications.
- Feasibility Studies and Project Engineering Services Feasibility studies for customer energy needs, along with commissioning and project execution services to support commercial plant deployments. Provided to enterprise and industrial customers during the project development process.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 80% round-trip energy efficiency
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Iron Energy AG
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Iron Energy AG technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Iron Energy AG partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- ETH Zurich / Functional Materials Laboratory (Prof. Dr. W. Stark)coreIron Energy originated from the Functional Materials Laboratory at ETH Zurich, led by Prof. Dr. W. Stark. The company was founded by Dr. Samuel Heiniger during his PhD at this laboratory, which also built the Gen2 laboratory-scale reactor (210L, 250 kWh). Ongoing R&D collaboration supports technology development and validation.
- HSG SpinoffminorHSG Spinoff is a startup support program associated with the University of St. Gallen. Iron Energy's inclusion of HSG Spinoff in its partners section suggests participation in its startup support ecosystem.
- KlimUpminorKlimUp is a Swiss climate-focused startup support or funding initiative. Iron Energy's partnership with KlimUp is listed among its supporters.
- Operator of Critical InfrastructureflagshipIron Energy is developing its 3,000 MWh lighthouse commercial plant in partnership with an operator of critical infrastructure. This partner has continuous baseload demand and the project will serve as a reliable backup solution while enabling energy arbitrage. This is the company's first commercial deployment.
- H2 Hub (H2UB)minorH2UB (Hydrogen Hub) is a Swiss hydrogen-focused initiative. Iron Energy's membership in H2UB is listed among its supporters, indicating participation in the Swiss hydrogen ecosystem.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Iron Energy AG competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ITM Power: UK-based electrolyser manufacturer targeting green hydrogen for industrial and mobility applications. Complementary upstream technology to Iron Energy's storage system.
- Rondo Energy: Industrial heat battery provider serving process industries with high-temperature thermal storage. Partial overlap with Iron Energy in targeting industrial decarbonisation and waste heat utilisation use cases.
- Nel ASA: Norwegian electrolyzer and hydrogen infrastructure provider. Complementary rather than directly competitive, but competes for the same green-hydrogen value chain that Iron Energy's storage system integrates with.
Direct peers
- Highview Power: UK-based liquid air energy storage (LAES) provider for long-duration grid-scale storage. Targets utility and industrial customers for multi-day storage, directly competing with Iron Energy's seasonal storage positioning.
- Malta Inc. US-based pumped heat energy storage company developing long-duration storage for grid applications. Competes in the long-duration energy storage category with similar modular, utility-scale commercial offerings.
- Form Energy: US-based long-duration energy storage company using an iron-based chemistry (iron-air battery) for 100+ hour discharge. Most direct technology comparable to Iron Energy's steam-iron process and serves the same utility and industrial long-duration storage market.
- Energy Vault: Swiss-headquartered long-duration energy storage company using gravity and hybrid storage technologies. Targets utility-scale, microgrid, and industrial storage customers with a similar commercial focus on multi-hour to multi-day discharge.
- Antora Energy: US-based thermal and thermal-to-electric energy storage provider targeting industrial decarbonisation and grid storage. Competes with Iron Energy for industrial customers seeking long-duration, low-cost, safe energy storage for baseload and process heat.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Iron Energy AG social profiles
Digital presenceIron Energy AG financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Iron Energy AG leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Iron Energy AG funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Iron Energy AG 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 Iron Energy AG
What does Iron Energy AG do?
Iron Energy AG develops and sells modular long-duration energy storage systems based on the steam-iron process. The technology chemically binds hydrogen to iron oxide at ~500°C under ambient pressure, enabling seasonal storage of surplus renewable energy as solid iron. Products range from containerized 200 MWh solutions to onsite multi-GWh industrial installations, sold to enterprise customers in critical infrastructure, green steel, renewable energy, and process industries.
Is Iron Energy AG a public or private company?
Iron Energy AG is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Iron Energy AG founded?
Iron Energy AG was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Iron Energy AG based?
Iron Energy AG is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Iron Energy AG make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Long-Duration Energy Storage Systems are the primary driver. The others are feasibility Studies and Engineering Services.
Who are Iron Energy AG's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ITM Power, Rondo Energy and Nel ASA. Direct peers are Highview Power, Malta Inc., Form Energy, Energy Vault and Antora Energy.
Does Iron Energy AG have an API?
No public API is recorded for Iron Energy AG.
What industry is Iron Energy AG in?
Iron Energy AG's product category is Long-Duration Energy Storage Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAHAM, Hydrogen Energy Storage & Power-to-X Equipment (electrolyzers, storage, fuel cell systems). Its NAICS code is 33242 and its SIC code is 3567.