The global hydrogen market is experiencing rapid growth, fuelled by increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions, supportive government policies and advancements in hydrogen technology.

Start-ups in the sector are addressing critical challenges such as hydrogen production efficiency, storage, distribution, and application in industrial and mobility sectors, said GlobalData.

GlobalData’s latest Startup Series report, Hydrogen Revolution: Startups Powering a Clean Future, highlights how start-ups are shaping the low-carbon hydrogen market and accelerating integration into diverse sectors, from industrial processes to transportation and renewable power generation.

Tejal Hartalkar, senior disruptive tech analyst at GlobalData, said: “The urgent need to decarbonise industries, achieve net-zero emissions and create sustainable energy systems​ is pushing advancements in the hydrogen sector. Start-ups are at the forefront of solving complex challenges in hydrogen such as high production costs, infrastructure scalability and safety concerns.”

Hartalkar added that their “breakthroughs in technologies such as advanced electrolysers, methane pyrolysis and ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion are driving the cost of hydrogen down and improving efficiency.”

The innovative technologies from start-ups are crucial for meeting global energy transition goals and enabling the adoption of hydrogen across energy-intensive industries.

Some of the key start-ups offering solutions by hydrogen type include:

Green hydrogen

Hysata, an Australian start-up, achieved more than 95% system efficiency with capillary-fed electrolysis technology, reducing the production cost of hydrogen to below $1.50/kg.

US-based start-up Electric Hydrogen’s 100MW electrolyser plant for large-scale green hydrogen production caters to industries such as chemicals, steel and fuels.

Turquoise hydrogen

Modern Hydrogen, a US-based start-up, provides a modular hydrogen generator that produces clean hydrogen on-site from methane sources and captures carbon in a solid form, allowing it to be repurposed for asphalt products.

Another US-based start-up, C-Zero, offers methane pyrolysis technology that generates clean hydrogen while capturing solid carbon as a byproduct.

Yellow hydrogen

Switzerland-based start-up SoHHytec integrates solar power generation with hydrogen and thermal energy production, providing a sustainable energy ecosystem.

Redeem Solar Technologies, an Austrian start-up, develops advanced photocatalytic reactors for eco-friendly solar-to-hydrogen production.

Gold hydrogen

Gold H2, a US-based start-up, leverages microbial processes to convert hydrocarbons into hydrogen at a low cost of $0.80/kg.

Hartalkar added that while “challenges such as regulatory hurdles and scaling advanced technologies remain, start-ups are making low-carbon hydrogen more accessible and economically viable. Strategic collaborations, policy incentives and growing investments in the sector highlight the growing momentum.”

“However, addressing regional disparities in infrastructure and improving safety and standardisation frameworks will be key to unlocking hydrogen’s potential as a transformative pillar of a net-zero economy."

GlobalData is a leading data and analytics company, and the parent company of Offshore Technology.