# Daniel Sobek

> Daniel Sobek is the co-founder and CEO of 1s1 Energy, a Portola Valley startup turning a chunk of boron chemistry into cheaper, cleaner green hydrogen. An MIT-trained engineer with three degrees from the institute and a habit of starting companies, he spent years in microfluidics and cancer-imaging hardware before betting on electrolyzers. His company's boron-based membranes claim to cut the energy needed to make hydrogen by about 30 percent, and he says they already hit a U.S. Department of Energy efficiency target set for 2031.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at 1s1 Energy
- **Organizations:** 1s1 Energy, Zymera, Aiken Biosciences, Kernel
- **From:** Argentina
- **Nationality:** Argentine-American
- **Education:** B.S., Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, S.M., Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads 1s1 Energy, a boron-materials green hydrogen startup., Holds three MIT degrees across aeronautics, mechanical, and electrical engineering., Co-inventor on USPTO patents 11,331,631 and 11,594,747.

## Career timeline

- **1997** — Completes PhD at MIT; thesis on optical measurement of biological cells, advised by Martha Gray and Stephen Senturia.
- **late 1990s-2000s** — Works in microelectronics and microfluidics; early engineering roles associated with AMD and Agilent Technologies.
- **2004** — Founds Zymera, developing deep-tissue imaging technology for cancer detection; serves as President & CEO.
- **2013** — Begins transitioning toward hydrogen and electrochemical technology.
- **2015-2017** — President & CEO at Aiken Biosciences.
- **2017-2019** — Chief Commercial Officer at Kernel.
- **2019** — Co-founds 1s1 Energy with Sukanta Bhattacharyya, Thiago Figueiredo, and Prof. T. Don Tilley; becomes CEO.
- **2022** — Secures funding; establishes collaborations with NREL.
- **2023** — USPTO patents granted (11,331,631 and 11,594,747); pilot with Enel Green Power.
- **2024** — Raises $1.4M seed round led by Faber Ventures and Asiri LLC; expands team and launches operations in Brazil and Portugal.
- **2026** — MIT News features 1s1 Energy's boron membrane claiming ~30% lower energy use for hydrogen production.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads 1s1 Energy, a boron-materials green hydrogen startup.
- Holds three MIT degrees across aeronautics, mechanical, and electrical engineering.
- Co-inventor on USPTO patents 11,331,631 and 11,594,747.
- Company membranes claim ~30% energy reduction and ~60% lower operating costs versus incumbents.
- Says 1s1 reached the DOE's 2031 PEM electrolysis efficiency target (~77%) in tests ahead of schedule.
- Raised $1.4M seed funding in 2024 and built pilots with Enel Green Power and Brazilian steel partners.
- Serial founder/CEO across multiple deep-tech ventures (Zymera, Aiken Biosciences, Kernel).

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — MIT News and MIT AeroAstro feature 1s1 Energy's boron membrane technology, reporting ~30% energy savings and DOE 2031 efficiency targets reached in tests.
- **2024-10** — 1s1 Energy closes a $1.4M seed round led by Faber Ventures and Asiri LLC, expanding R&D and operations in Brazil and Portugal.

## Links

- Website: https://1s1energy.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielsobek

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/daniel-sobek
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-24