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§ Private Profile · 13100 Yukon Ave b, Hawthorne, CA, United States
Develops clean hydrogen production technology using advanced alkaline electrolyzers for heavy industry decarbonization.
Hgen, based in Los Angeles, California, develops clean hydrogen production technology for heavy industry, specifically focusing on advanced alkaline electrolyzers. Their modular, mass-manufacturable design aims to produce hydrogen at lower cost with a smaller footprint than conventional methods, facilitating significant decarbonization across critical industrial sectors. The company's technology is engineered to achieve higher efficiency and operate at elevated pressures, directly addressing the demanding requirements of chemicals production, steel manufacturing, semiconductor fabrication, and general manufacturing by enabling more efficient and compact hydrogen generation. Hgen is venture-backed, having attracted investment from firms such as Founders Fund, Fontinalis Partners, and Seven Seven Six. Co-founded by Molly Yang, who serves as CEO, and Colin Ho, both founders previously held roles at Tesla and SpaceX respectively.
Hgen has raised $7.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Hgen has raised $7.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Hgen is a clean energy startup founded in 2021 that develops and commercializes higher-efficiency alkaline electrolyzers to produce clean hydrogen, enabling heavy industries like chemicals, steel, semiconductors, and manufacturing to decarbonize operations.[1][2][3][5][6] The company serves energy-intensive sectors such as manufacturing, transportation, and energy production by converting water and renewable electricity into hydrogen as a low-carbon feedstock and fuel alternative, addressing high emissions through on-site production and long-term contracts.[1][2][3] With $7M raised in seed funding (latest $5M round 9 months ago as of mid-2025), Hgen demonstrates strong early momentum, backed by investors like Breakthrough Energy, and operates from Hawthorne, California, with a Mosaic Score indicating positive financial health and market potential.[2][3][5]
Hgen was co-founded in 2021 by Molly Yang (CEO) and Colin Ho (CTO), both bringing deep expertise from leading energy and propulsion teams at Tesla and SpaceX.[2][4][5] Yang scaled Tesla's energy products from prototype to global deployment, including industrial batteries, Superchargers, and home energy systems, while Ho led interdisciplinary teams at SpaceX on propulsion for the first commercial manned spacecraft and power systems.[5] The idea emerged from applying lessons in high-volume scaling and technical innovation to hydrogen production, targeting heavy industry's decarbonization needs amid rising environmental regulations.[1][5] Early traction included a seed round announcement in 2022 featuring Tesla and SpaceX alums, followed by a $5M Seed VC-II round in September 2024 to commercialize their electrolyzer tech.[2][3][5]
Hgen stands out in the clean hydrogen space through:
Hgen rides the global wave of industrial decarbonization, where heavy sectors account for massive emissions but face mandates for net-zero transitions, amplified by policies like the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and EU carbon borders.[1][2] Timing is ideal as renewable electricity costs drop and hydrogen demand surges—hydropower alone provides 40% of U.S. renewables—making on-site green hydrogen viable for "hard-to-abate" industries where batteries or electrification fall short.[2] Market forces like volatile fossil fuel prices and steel/chemical producers' net-zero pledges favor Hgen's cost reductions, influencing the ecosystem by accelerating electrolyzer adoption and drawing talent/investment to U.S. cleantech hubs like Hawthorne.[1][5][6]
Hgen is primed to scale commercialization post its 2024 funding, targeting initial deployments in chemicals and steel while expanding to semiconductors and transportation amid electrolyzer cost declines.[2][3][5] Trends like cheaper renewables, AI-optimized manufacturing, and global hydrogen standards will propel growth, potentially evolving Hgen into a key supplier network akin to Tesla's energy arm. As heavy industry hydrogen adoption hits inflection, Hgen's Tesla/SpaceX-honed efficiency could redefine clean gas production, solidifying its role in the sustainable energy shift that began with its 2021 launch.[1][5][6]
Hgen has raised $7.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Hgen's investors include Seven Seven Six, Acrew Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, Craft Ventures, Curie.Bio, Curious Capital, FJ Labs, Night Ventures, Operator Partners, REMUS Capital, Serena Ventures, Sound Ventures.
Hgen has raised $7.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Seed in September 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2024 | $5M Seed | Seven Seven SIX | Acrew Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, Craft Ventures, Curie.bio, Curious Capital, FJ Labs, Night Ventures, Operator Partners, Remus Capital, Serena Ventures, Sound Ventures, Stellar Capital, Sunset Ventures, Timespan Ventures, Version ONE Ventures, ABE Burns, Baron Davis, Brian Sugar, Casey Neistat, Gokul Rajaram, IAN Borthwick, Leore Avidar, Logan Paul, PIR Granoff | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2022 | $2M Seed | — | Seven Seven SIX | Announced |