Its PFAS-free (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, often called “forever chemicals” because they do not easily break down in the environment or the human body, leading to potential health and environmental concerns) membrane-free, and iridium-free technology significantly reduces operational costs and aims to lower hydrogen production costs to under £1/kgH2 within this decade.
Supercritical Solutions, founded in 2020 by four innovators, Gaël Gobaille-Shaw, Mike Russ, Matt Bird, and Luke Tan, announced this Series A funding on March 12, 2025.
The £14 million (roughly $18 million, based on today’s exchange rates) comes from a mix of heavy hitters: Shell Ventures, Toyota Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Al Mada Ventures, Blackfinch Ventures, Kibo Invest, Global Brain/Niterra, Thai Oil, Anglo Platinum Marketing Limited, and Alumni Ventures.
That’s a lot of players betting on one idea: Supercritical’s new tech could change the game for green hydrogen.
Why does this matter? Green hydrogen is made by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy, like wind or solar, so it’s clean, with no CO2 emissions.
The catch? It’s expensive and tricky to produce efficiently. Supercritical says it’s cracked the code with its “supercritical electrolyser,” a machine that promises to make green hydrogen cheaper and more practical.
This funding will help them refine the tech, build more machines, and target industries like ammonia production, oil refineries, and methanol synthesis, sectors that guzzle hydrogen but usually get it from dirty, fossil fuel-based sources.
What’s so special about this tech?
Most hydrogen today is “grey,” made from natural gas in a process that pumps out about 1 billion tonnes of CO2 yearly, roughly as much as the entire aviation industry, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Green hydrogen, on the other hand, is the eco-friendly cousin, but it’s been held back by high costs and clunky production. Enter Supercritical’s invention: a machine that uses supercritical water, heated and pressurized to a state where it’s neither fully liquid nor gas, to split water more efficiently.
Here’s the cool part: it spits out hydrogen at high pressure (over 220 bar, for the tech geeks), skipping the need for extra compression equipment that wastes energy and money.
The company claims it uses just 42 kilowatt-hours of energy per kilogram of hydrogen, less than the 50-60 kWh/kg typical of older methods, per research from ScienceDirect.
Plus, it avoids nasty chemicals like PFAS or rare metals like iridium, making it greener and cheaper. Their goal? Get the cost under £1 per kilogram in a few years. For context, grey hydrogen costs about £1-£2/kg now, while green hydrogen often runs £3-£8/kg, says Grand View Research.
That’s a big deal when you consider hydrogen’s role in making fertilizers, refining oil, and even powering trucks.
Shell and Toyota aren’t just throwing money around, they see a future where green hydrogen is king. “This membraneless electrolyser could slash costs and boost efficiency, which is what the hydrogen economy needs to take off.”
Shell, a giant in energy, has its own hydrogen ambitions, aiming to cut emissions across its operations. Pairing up with a startup like Supercritical could give them an edge.
The other investors, ranging from climate-focused Lowercarbon Capital to Thai Oil, signal a broad belief that green hydrogen’s time is coming.
The market’s already buzzing: it was worth $7.98 billion in 2024 and could grow at a whopping 38.5% annually through 2030, per Grand View Research.
That’s tens of billions up for grabs, driven by governments and companies racing to hit net-zero targets.
Supercritical teamed up with Scottish Power and Proton Ventures to cut green ammonia production costs by 21%. Ammonia’s a big deal for fertilizers, and making it greener could slash emissions in agriculture.
Then there’s the WhiskHy project with Beam Suntory, using green hydrogen to fire up Scotch whisky stills the old-fashioned way, direct flame, no fossils.
And in Australia, they’re working with HAMR Energy on green methanol, a clean fuel that could power zero-emission ships.
These projects show Supercritical’s tech isn’t just lab hype, it’s hitting the ground. “We’re proving green hydrogen can work today, not just tomorrow,” co-founder Matt Bird said in a statement.
Green hydrogen needs massive investment, think pipelines, storage tanks, and renewable energy farms, to go mainstream. Costs need to drop further, and governments need to step up with subsidies or carbon taxes to level the playing field, says a Markets and Markets report.
Africa, Latin America, and Asia are jumping in, too, eyeing green hydrogen exports like ammonia or methanol, which could create jobs and cash flow.
So, what’s the takeaway? This little London startup could be a big piece of the net-zero puzzle. As the world scrambles to ditch fossil fuels, Supercritical’s tech, and this cash boost, might just light the way.
Keep an eye on them; they’re not slowing down anytime soon.
