DirectH2, Inc. Secures Exclusive License from Rice University and Seed Round Funding from HL Energy Ventures

Posted on March 10th, 2025 | Filed under Press Releases

DALLAS, March 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — DirectH2, Inc., a pioneering hydrogen technology company, has successfully closed its seed round funding from HL Energy Ventures. This investment marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey to revolutionize modular hydrogen production.

With this funding, DirectH2 aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of its cutting-edge hydrogen solutions in collaboration with Rice University, addressing critical challenges in the clean energy sector. DirectH2 has exclusively licensed the intellectual property (IP) from Rice University that underpins its innovative technology.

“HL Energy Ventures is an excellent partner in bringing our breakthrough hydrogen technology to market,” said Michael Irwin, co-founder and interim CEO, DirectH2. “This investment validates our vision and will enable us to further develop efficient PV-based hydrogen solutions that drive the transition to sustainable energy. Rice will continue to be a critical collaborator in the technology development and commercialization journey.”

HL Energy Ventures, the spin-out of Hunt Energy’s technology venture business known for backing transformative energy technologies, sees DirectH2 as a key player in advancing next-generation hydrogen solutions. “DirectH2’s innovation to integrate renewable energy with hydrogen production opens up how green hydrogen can be produced, and we are excited to support their journey,” said Victor Liu, CEO, HL Energy Ventures.

“I am so excited by the launch of DirectH2, a product of years of perseverance, research and creativity of brilliant graduate students at Rice and dedicated collaborators at the Department of Energy laboratories. I am particularly grateful for the support of the DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office. My deepest gratitude to my research team, Materials Physics and Energy Management, and the Office of Technology Transfer and Rice Innovation, and the unwavering support of my family.” said Aditya Mohite, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Rice University. Prof. Mohite is co-founder of DirectH2 and will serve as its Chief Science Officer.

“As Rice University continues to strengthen its role in driving innovation from the lab to the marketplace, DirectH2 represents exactly the kind of transformative impact we aim to achieve. This company is a testament to the power of university breakthroughs in solving global energy challenges, and we are proud to support its journey toward commercializing game-changing hydrogen technology,” said Paul Cherukuri, Chief Innovation Officer, Rice University.

With this funding, DirectH2 is set to expand its team with additional leadership and technical resources, refine its technology, and establish key industry partnerships to bring its innovations to market.

About: DirectH2, Inc is a technology company developing modular hydrogen production solutions. For more information, please visit www.directh2.com. Rice University, officially William Marsh Rice University, is a private research university in Houston, Texas, United States. For more information, please visit www.rice.edu and mpem.rice.edu. HL Energy Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm spun-out of Hunt Energy, and focuses its investments at the early stage in decarbonized fuels, chemicals and related sectors. The firm leverages its background in fuels, electrification and technology, as well as its relationship with Hunt Energy, to de-risk its investments. For more information, please visit www.hlenergyventures.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Michael Irwin
interim Chief Executive Officer
DirectH2, Inc.
[email protected]

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