Zero-X

What Zero-X does

Zero-X is a German deep-technology company that engineers, manufactures, and deploys the X-150 modular gasification platform — a single-stage downdraft gasifier with an integrated 950°C catalytic tar reformer, housed in a 20-ft ISO container and rated at 150 kg/h nominal throughput (≈1.0 t/day). The platform is the commercial output of a 17+ year R&D lineage (Agnion → Entrade → Arensis → Zero-X), now operated through three wholly-owned subsidiaries: MFC Multi Fuel Conversion GmbH (Leipzig, engineering HQ and pilot facility), Equation Labs SL (Madrid, Iberia R&D), and Zero Carbon Inc. (Wilmington, Delaware, Americas commercial). The X-150 is differentiated by two registered patents — an active poker and water-cooled finger grate that tolerates 35% ash content feedstocks, and the CATATOR SyngaPure multi-layer Ni-Ca/γ-Al₂O₃ reformer that achieves 99.98% tar conversion — solving the slag agglomeration and tar fouling failure modes that have historically prevented waste-to-energy systems from operating on real-world feedstocks. The same gasifier core ships in three back-end configurations: ZERO-X-VOLT (100 kWe electrical), ZERO-X-HEAT (650 kWth thermal at up to 200°C), and ZERO-X-CHILL (400 kW cooling via LiBr-H₂O absorption chiller). The company has validated 2,500+ operating hours and 86% cold-gas efficiency under the EU Horizon COMETHA Phase 2 framework at a flagship Paris deployment with Syctom and SIAAP, supported by Fraunhofer IKTS and TU Zittau/Görlitz.

Name

Zero-X

Legal name

MFC Multi Fuel Conversion GmbH

Website

https://zero-x.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zero-X engineers the X-150 modular gasification platform, a 20-ft ISO container that converts mixed unrecyclable waste into on-site electricity, heat, cooling, hydrogen, and biochar. The Leipzig-based company serves municipalities, data centers, mining operators, and industrial buyers across Europe, North America, and emerging markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste-to-Energy Gasification Systems

NAICS

Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (33241)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Specific Net-Zero Pathways & Benchmarking (hard-to-abate methodologies) (EUABAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

RNG Tracking, Certification & Environmental Attributes (RINs/LCFS/GoO) (EUAJAJAD)

Keywords

• Waste-to-energy systems
• Modular gasification technology
• Carbon capture solutions
• Biochar production systems
• Industrial clean energy

Headquarters

HQ city

Zittau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Modular gasification system sales (VOLT / HEAT / CHILL configurations): Sale of X-150 modular gasification units in three configurations (VOLT for electricity, HEAT for thermal output, CHILL for cooling), each shipped as a 20-ft ISO container. Units are sold directly to industrial operators, municipalities, and project developers. Pricing is project-specific and quote-based. EU non-dilutive grant funding (up to 60% of CAPEX) is available for qualified pilots to facilitate procurement.
2. Carbon credits (CDR credits): Biochar produced by the X-150 is a permanent carbon sink. Each unit generates ~400 tCO₂eq/year of permanent sequestration (~2.7 tCO₂ per tonne of biochar). Credits are certified by European Biochar Certificate (EBC), Puro.earth, and Verra, and sold at premium pricing of $130–$400/tCO₂eq to corporate buyers with net-zero commitments. Credit revenue of $50–160k/year per unit stacks on top of energy sales. For multi-unit fleet operators, credit revenue alone can cover operational costs of the entire fleet.
3. Ultra-clean syngas / power, heat, or cooling output: Syngas from gasification is converted into electricity (100 kWe via CHP), thermal energy (650 kWth), or chilled water (400 kW). Energy output is sold or consumed on-site, replacing grid electricity, diesel, or gas purchases. Disposal tipping fees are eliminated, and excess energy can be exported to the grid.
4. Hydrogen / methane output: Syngas contains up to 35% hydrogen, which can be separated for green H₂ sales or fed into methanation for grid-quality CH₄ injection. Part of the COMETHA Phase 2 validation chain: gasifier → Water-Gas Shift Reactor → Biological Methanation → CH₄. Currently achieves 78–81% net Carbon Conversion Efficiency in this pathway.
5. Premium agricultural biochar: Chemically stable, highly porous biochar (170 m²/g BET, rich in K & Ca) sold as premium soil amendment or construction aggregate. Produced at ~150 tonnes/year per X-150 unit. In addition to carbon credit generation, the biochar itself is a saleable commodity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zero-X designs, manufactures, and sells the X-150 — a containerized (20-ft ISO) single-stage downdraft gasifier with an integrated catalytic tar reformer that converts mixed unrecyclable waste and biomass into clean syngas, then into electricity (VOLT, 100 kWe), thermal energy (HEAT, 650 kWth), or cooling (CHILL, 400 kW). Each unit is sold as a turnkey project to industrial operators, municipalities, data centers, and mining operators, with EU non-dilutive grant funding covering up to 60% of CAPEX for qualified pilots.

Product overview

Zero-X offers the X-150 Platform as the core technology — a single-stage downdraft gasifier with integrated catalytic tar reformer, housed in a 20-ft ISO container. The platform ships in three distinct output configurations: ZERO-X-VOLT (electricity at 100 kWe), ZERO-X-HEAT (thermal energy at 650 kWth), and ZERO-X-CHILL (cooling at 400 kW). These share the same gasifier core but differ in the back-end conversion stage. The platform also supports sector-specific application lines including COOLSTACK (data centers), MINEBASE (mining), DIGEST+ (biogas plants), BIOVOLT (village CHP), BREWPOWER (food & beverage), and BIOCOOLS (cold chain). Capacity scales modularly through parallel X-150 units.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZERO-X-VOLT: Waste-to-electricity configuration of X-150 platform, delivering 100 kWe electrical output per unit with 86% cold-gas efficiency.
• ZERO-X-HEAT
• ZERO-X-CHILL
• X-150
• COOLSTACK
• MINEBASE
• BIOVOLT
• BREWPOWER
• BIOCOOLS
• DIGEST+

Products and services

• X-150 Platform
• ZERO-X-VOLT Electricity-generating configuration of the X-150 platform. Converts mixed unrecyclable waste into on-site grid-quality 3-phase AC power (100 kWe) with optional CHP heat recovery (+280 kWth). Targets data centers, off-grid mining, manufacturing, and municipalities.
• ZERO-X-HEAT Thermal energy configuration of the X-150 platform. Produces saturated steam or pressurized hot water at up to 200°C (650 kWth) at 88% thermal efficiency for industrial boilers, district heating, breweries, and hospitals.
• ZERO-X-CHILL Cooling configuration using LiBr-H₂O single-effect absorption chiller. Produces chilled water at 6°C minimum (400 kW cooling) at 0.65 COP without grid electricity, for data centers, hospitals, cold storage, and food processing.
• COOLSTACK Off-grid chilled water and power solution for hyperscale data centers. Decouples compute growth from grid capacity by converting site biomass into year-round cooling via the X-150 platform.
• MINEBASE Diesel replacement solution for off-grid mining operations in Africa and emerging markets. Multifuel capability accepting wood, husk, and agricultural residue, containerized for rapid deployment.
• DIGEST+ Biogas plant solution that processes sludge byproducts from anaerobic digesters into supplementary thermal output, addressing high-ash digestate disposal costs.
• BIOVOLT Village-scale CHP solution for remote communities. Containerized power providing heat, light, and refrigeration from local waste streams, designed for off-grid deployment.
• BREWPOWER Food and beverage sector solution. Converts brewery spent grain, rendering waste, and food processing waste into on-site thermal energy and power via the X-150 platform.
• BIOCOOLS Off-grid refrigeration for fisheries, dairy, and vaccine cold chain. Powered by local waste via the X-150 platform without grid dependency, supporting cold-chain reliability in low-grid regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% cold-gas efficiency
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core consortium partner, core academic partner, flagship deployment partner, core technology partner, core entity and regional partner.

• Fraunhofer IKTScore consortium partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the EU Horizon COMETHA Phase 2 demonstration consortium. Fraunhofer IKTS contributes technical expertise to the waste-to-methane validation chain: X-150 gasifier → Water-Gas Shift Reactor → Biological Methanation. Critical research institution validating X-150 performance at industrial scale.
• TU Zittau / Görlitz (HSZG)core academic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the X-150 with TU Zittau/Görlitz (HSZG) — the primary academic institution behind the technology. Also collaborating on next-generation catalyst formulations, process integration studies, and joint PhD/post-doc fieldwork at the Leipzig pilot facility.
• Syctomflagship deployment partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerParis municipal waste management authority. Host of the flagship COMETHA X-150 deployment — the largest live deployment of the X-150 platform in the world. Syctom provides real municipal solid waste feedstock for validation, contributing to 2,500+ operating hours and 86% cold-gas efficiency validation.
• SIAAPflagship deployment partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerParis municipal water treatment authority. Co-partner with Syctom on the COMETHA Phase 2 Paris deployment, providing wastewater-derived feedstocks and infrastructure for the waste-to-methane validation chain.
• CATATORcore technology partnerTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of the multi-layer Ni-Ca/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst reformer integrated into the X-150 platform. CATATOR's SyngaPure reformer is a critical component enabling 99.98% tar conversion efficiency at 850°C, tolerating 20 ppm H₂S — a key differentiator of the X-150 platform.
• MFC Multi Fuel Conversion GmbHcore entityStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe engineering and manufacturing entity behind Zero-X. MFC Multi Fuel Conversion GmbH (based in Leipzig, Germany) is the operating company that engineers, builds, and deploys the X-150 platform. It represents 17+ years of R&D lineage (Agnion → Entrade → Arensis → Zero-X) and serves as the company's engineering HQ.
• Equation Labs SLregional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerR&D and Iberia operations partner, based in Madrid, Spain. Contributes to R&D activities and manages Iberian market development for the Zero-X / MFC group.
• Zero Carbon Inc.regional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmericas commercial entity, based in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. Handles commercial activities and partner engagement for North America, acting as the primary sales and partnership interface for the Americas region.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Aries Clean Technologies: US-based gasification technology developer converting waste biomass into renewable energy and biochar. Comparable modular, distributed waste-to-energy model with biochar carbon sequestration as a co-product.
• Cortus Energy: Swedish developer of biomass and waste gasification technology producing clean syngas for industrial heat, power, and biofuel applications. Comparable in scale, modular product philosophy, and Nordic/European industrial customer focus.
• Enerkem: Canadian waste-to-methanol and gasification technology company that converts non-recyclable municipal solid waste into fuels and chemicals. Comparable feedstock (MSW), gasification core, and multi-product output model aimed at hard-to-abate industrial decarbonization.
• Brightmark Energy: US waste-to-energy developer operating pyrolysis and gasification projects for plastics and biomass, including RNG production. Comparable modular/containerized approach to waste-to-energy with carbon-credit revenue stacking.
• EQTEC plc: UK/Iberia-listed modular gasification technology developer converting waste and biomass into syngas for power and heat. Highly comparable product architecture (downdraft gasification, multi-feedstock, containerized plants) targeting the same European municipal and industrial decarbonization customers as Zero-X.
• Anaergia: Canada-listed waste-to-energy solutions provider with biogas, organics diversion, and thermal conversion technologies. Comparable in targeting municipal solid waste and industrial organics for renewable energy, with overlapping customer base (municipalities, wastewater operators).

Broad incumbents

• MVV Energie: German municipal energy and waste-to-energy operator running large-scale MSW incineration and biomass CHP plants across Germany. Comparable end market (municipal waste-to-energy) but as an established utility-scale operator rather than a modular technology vendor.
• Valmet: Finnish industrial machinery incumbent with a major biomass and waste-fired boiler/heat business serving pulp, paper, and district heating. Comparable thermal-output product category (steam/heat from waste) but at larger centralized-plant scale and with a much broader process-industries portfolio.
• Andritz: Austrian industrial plant and equipment supplier with a significant biomass and waste-to-energy boiler business. Comparable end-product (steam, heat, power from waste biomass) but competes as a large established EPC rather than a modular containerized platform.
• Suez: Global water and waste management incumbent operating large-scale waste-to-energy facilities across Europe. Comparable in targeting municipal solid waste diversion and energy-from-waste, but at centralized incineration scale with much deeper municipal procurement relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=Zero-X

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Zero-X