Aix-en-Provence (France)– Sakowin, a major player in methane plasmalysis for producing decarbonized hydrogen, announces a €4 million investment from Vol-V and the EIC Fund. These funds will be used for:
- Launching a technology optimization program in collaboration with ten industrial partners starting in 2024.
- Marketing a standardized 100 kW module that decarbonizes gas directly on industrial sites before combustion by the end of 2025.
Vol-V invests €2.5 million in Sakowin’s breakthrough technology. The investment round is completed with contributions from the EIC Fund (€1.2 million) and the management (€300,000).
Sakowin’s partnership with Vol-V, a major advocate for sustainable development, and the European Commission’s investment fund underscores the confidence in Sakowin’s solution.
This successful fundraising in a challenging economic context confirms the relevance of methane plasmalysis, a technology for producing decarbonized hydrogen as an alternative to electrolysis. It provides a competitive solution for rapidly decarbonizing industry and heavy mobility.
An Economical and Rapidly Deployable Decarbonization Solution
Methane plasmalysis decarbonizes natural gas used in industrial processes. Sakowin offers modules to be installed directly on-site that will produce decarbonized hydrogen with a potential cost of approximatively €1/kg, thanks in part to the valorization of co-produced solid carbon. This solution does not require water and requires 5 times less electricity than electrolysis to produce the same amount of decarbonized hydrogen.
It thus addresses one of the key challenges of the energy transition, especially in the hydrogen sector: providing a solution that produces high-volumes of hydrogen, economically viable and without CO2 emissions.
Sakowin’s 100 kW module, set to be commercially available by the end of 2025, will produce up to 200 kg of hydrogen per day. By capitalizing on existing and operational gas infrastructure, industrial will not need to wait for investments in hydrogen distribution infrastructure to decarbonize their operations.
Last investment round before commercialization
This €4 million fundraising follows an initial round completed in 2021 involving four industrial partners: Saint-Gobain, Ponticelli, Groupe ADF, and AES DANA. The initial round enabled the development of a first 6 kW prototype, allowing the testing of the technology in laboratory conditions.
In 2022, Sakowin received support from Bpifrance amounting to €2.5 million in deeptech assistance and seed funding. In the same year, Sakowin obtained a €2.5 million grant as part of the EIC Accelerator program, along with an equity commitment of €4 million (of which €1.2 million has just been unlocked during the fundraising).
Gérard Gatt, founder and president of Sakowin, expresses his satisfaction: “We are very pleased with the entry of Vol-V and the EIC Fund into Sakowin’s capital. With expertise in renewable energies and hydrogen, Vol-V brings strategic insights to accelerate our development. The EIC Fund reinforces its investment, demonstrating the European Union’s interest in our solution.”
Cédric de Saint-Jouan, President of Vol-V SAS, adds: “Given the enormous amounts of decarbonized electricity needed for electrolysis and the extensive infrastructure required for hydrogen distribution, diversifying hydrogen production methods is imperative. In this regard, we believe in methane plasmalysis technologies generating hydrogen and solid carbon, which is no longer transformed into greenhouse gas. Sakowin, driven by an experienced team, is now entering a key stage in industrializing its technology, and we are pleased to support its scaling alongside the EIC.
Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board, says: “The EIC Fund has become a strong player in EU deep-tech investments. The unique financing approach through EIC, combining grants and equity, is attracting significant interest from Europe’s most promising start-ups like Sakowin. Our investment underscores our belief in Sakowin’s innovative technology and its capacity to produce sustainable hydrogen that is both cost-competitive and energetically efficient.”
About Sakowin
Sakowin, an eco-responsible deeptech founded in 2017 and based in Aix-en-Provence (France), specializes in producing decarbonized hydrogen through (bio)methane plasmalysis. Sakowin’s solution decarbonizes gas by co-producing turquoise hydrogen and solid carbon. It is negative or neutral in CO2 emissions, requires no water, and uses 5 times less electricity than electrolysis to produce the same amount of hydrogen at a competitive cost.
Sakowin’s equipment allows on-site production, on-demand, integrating with existing industrial and gas infrastructure to decarbonize a majority of industrial processes. Carbon black can be marketed in current carbon markets, including the tire industry (80% of the global market), and Sakowin is working to develop new markets by incorporating carbon into construction materials, agricultural soils, and batteries.
Sakowin received the Deeptech label from Bpifrance in March 2022 and is supported by the European Innovation Council. It already has eight industrial partnerships, including EMPA in Switzerland, Ponticelli, Groupe ADF, AES DANA, and Saint-Gobain. Sakowin has a team of 26 people committed to energy transition, including 10 PhDs. Since 2021, €10.2 million has been invested in Sakowin’s plasmalysis technology. For more information: https://sakowin.com/
About Vol-v
VOL-V, an independent company based in Montpellier and Paris (France), is committed to transitioning towards a more sustainable society. Its mission is to anticipate and deploy large-scale solutions to address climate, energy, environmental, and societal challenges, promoting a local approach in circular economy. More information on VOL-V.com
About the EIC Fund
The European Innovation Council Fund from the European Commission is an agnostic Fund: it invests across all technologies and verticals, and all EU countries and countries associated to Horizon Europe. It provides the investment component of the EIC Accelerator blended finance.
The EIC Fund aims to fill a critical financing gap and its main purpose is to support companies in the development and commercialisation of disruptive technologies, bridging with and crowding in market players, and further sharing risk by building a large network of capital providers and strategic partners suitable for co-investments and follow-on funding.
The Fund pays particular attention to the empowerment and support of female founders as well as the ambition to reduce the innovation divide among EU countries.
Press contacts:
Amandine Cézard – Anima – [email protected] – +33 6 27 16 45 77
Steven Dolbeau – Anima – [email protected] – +33 6 12 22 38 71
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