# 1s1 Energy

> 1s1 Energy is a materials-science company making green hydrogen cheaper by rethinking the guts of the electrolyzer. Instead of the fluorinated (PFAS) membranes the industry has leaned on for decades, 1s1 builds boron-based proton-exchange membranes and electrochemical components that its partners report can produce a kilogram of hydrogen using roughly 70% of the energy of incumbent devices - already hitting efficiency targets the U.S. Department of Energy set for 2031. Founded in 2019 and run out of Portola Valley, California with labs in Lisbon and Campinas, Brazil, the company sells core components to electrolyzer and fuel-cell makers and runs pilots with utilities and heavy industry.

- **Founded:** 2019
- **Headquarters:** Portola Valley, California, United States
- **Founders:** Daniel Sobek (Co-Founder & CEO), Sukanta Bhattacharyya (Co-Founder & CTO), Thiago Figueiredo (Co-Founder & CBO), T. Don Tilley (Co-Founder & Scientific Advisor)
- **Team size:** ~13 employees
- **Products:** Boron-based PEM membranes, Electrochemical components, Fuel-cell materials, Electrolysis stack development
- **Notable:** Partners report producing hydrogen with roughly 70% of the energy of incumbent electrolyzers., Already meets the U.S. Department of Energy's 2031 goal of 77% electrical efficiency., Customers report approximately 60% reduction in operating costs.

## Products & services

- **Boron-based PEM membranes** — Proton-exchange membranes built on boron chemistry that let hydrogen ions bond and pass more rapidly while resisting corrosion, raising electrolyzer efficiency and durability. PFAS-free by design.
- **Electrochemical components** — Core cell and stack components sold to electrolyzer manufacturers, meeting the EU's 2030 performance target and U.S. DOE Accelerated Stress Testing durability protocols.
- **Fuel-cell materials** — The same boron materials enhance fuel-cell performance, so 1s1 supplies core components to the fuel-cell market as well.
- **Electrolysis stack development** — High-current-density electrolysis stacks developed with utility and industrial partners for industrial-scale green hydrogen production.

## Achievements

- Partners report producing hydrogen with roughly 70% of the energy of incumbent electrolyzers.
- Already meets the U.S. Department of Energy's 2031 goal of 77% electrical efficiency.
- Customers report approximately 60% reduction in operating costs.
- Met the EU's 2030 electrolyzer performance target and U.S. DOE Accelerated Stress Testing durability requirements.
- Granted USPTO patents 11,331,631 and 11,594,747 for boron-based materials.
- Raised $1.4M seed in October 2024; ~$3.55M total across two rounds.
- Selected into Enel Green Power's NextHy Booster accelerator.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — MIT News profiled 1s1 Energy and CEO Dan Sobek, detailing the boron membrane's efficiency gains and pilots in green ammonia and niobium extraction.
- **2024-10** — Closed $1.4M seed round led by Faber Ventures and Asiri LLC to scale R&D and develop second-generation, higher-temperature electrolyzers.
- **2023-07** — Joined Enel Green Power's NextHy Booster accelerator to validate next-generation electrolyzer technology.

## Links

- Website: https://1s1energy.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1s1-energy

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/1s1-energy
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-07