Versogen, formerly known as W7energy, joins the fourth cohort of companies to participate in the invitation-only Shell GameChanger Accelerator Powered by NREL (GCxN).
The company is based in the Delaware Innovation Space at the DuPont Experimental Station near Wilmington.
The program provides cleantech companies with access to financial resources, facilities, and technical experts available through the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Shell’s incubator program, Shell GameChanger.
The American manufacturing industry is largely powered by petroleum and natural gas and is on track to become the largest source of the nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the next ten years. Innovations in renewable electrochemistry are creating significant opportunities to reduce the impact of carbon emissions in widely used resources and fuels, a release stated.
“GCxN’s fourth cohort will help prove that electrochemistry technologies can replace carbon-intensive legacy processes,” said Haibin Xu, Shell’s GCxN program manager. “As renewable energy costs continue to drop, cross-industry initiatives and partnerships will prove that it’s possible to cost-effectively scale these technology applications and achieve real-world impact.”
Versogen aims to clean up heavy, industries by producing low-cost green hydrogen. Their electrolyzer, built with patented anion exchange membrane (AEM) technology, uses lower-cost materials, water, and renewable energy to produce affordable hydrogen at scale.
Green hydrogen can be produced through wind and solar power. It could then be stored for a time and later used to generate electricity when demand is highest.
“We appreciate the opportunity to work together with Shell and NREL in this unique accelerator program,” said Yushan Yan, CEO of Versogen. “Our cohesive team shares a vision to become the global leader in leveraging the sustainability and versatility of hydrogen to achieve a carbon-neutral society. The GCxN program will provide critical resources needed to bring our new AEM electrolyzer to market.”
“The path to a sustainable energy future depends on affordable green hydrogen,” said Santiago Rojas-Carbonell, COO of Versogen. “Our electrolyzer has the potential to transform the energy sector and play an important role in the global energy transition toward net-zero emissions.
GCxN startups are nominated by the program’s network partners, including more than 60 cross-industry cleantech incubators, accelerators and universities, before undergoing in-depth review by Shell and NREL. The three companies in the fourth cohort—Versogen, Air Company and Ionomr Innovations—will benefit from NREL’s research capabilities, receive up to $250,000 in funding, and have access to networking opportunities through NREL’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.
Participating startups have raised more than $52 million of funding to date. For more information, visit GCxNREL.com.
Green hydrogen start-up based near Wilmington now known as Versogen
