TDK Ventures Invests in Green Hydrogen-Electrolysis Startup Verdagy

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) announced today that subsidiary TDK Ventures, Inc. has invested in green hydrogen company Verdagy to enhance the development and rapid commercialization of their scalable, low-cost approach to hydrogen electrolysis. Having recently completed their spin-off from green chemical company Chemetry, Verdagy is focused on the large-scale production of green hydrogen required for deep-decarbonization of a wide range of industries. This investment marks a continued focus on clean and green technology by TDK Ventures. Along with financial backing, TDK Ventures is also excited to provide network and industry exposure, expertise in the energy sector, and rapid commercialization to expedite bringing Verdagy's technology to market.

More than 90% of hydrogen production is done using steam-methane reforming (SMR), which generates CO₂ as a byproduct. Electrolysis is a game-changing technology, providing carbon-free pathways for energy production by generating high energy-content hydrogen gas through renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydroelectric and more.

Verdagy's novel approach to large-scale water electrolysis incorporates the advantages of alkaline electrolysis (AWE) and proton-exchange membrane (PEM) while designing out their inherent disadvantages. Verdagy created a new membrane-based approach to electrolysis, leveraging very large active area cells with the ability to operate at industry-leading high-current densities and wide dynamic operating ranges. This approach enables low capital and operating costs and is expected to meet or exceed the US Department of Energy's targets for water electrolysis.

In a statement upon securing investment, CEO Marty Neese commented: "It is very rewarding and encouraging to win the confidence of such a stellar group of thought-leading investors. It speaks volumes about the work done by the Verdagy team to demonstrate our low capex and low opex approach to green hydrogen electrolysis. We are looking forward to collaborating further with our investor partners on the journey to decarbonize various industrial sectors." Neese is a seasoned veteran in hydrogen and green sustainability initiatives. Prior to becoming CEO of Verdagy, he co-founded Nuvosil a solid-state silicon recycling company; is currently on the board of Ballard Power Systems -- an industry expert in PEM; and served as COO of SunPower and Flex.

"We are proud to lead this round of financing in Verdagy, as we see this truly scaling with the ambition of TDK's vision into environmental transformation," said Nicolas Sauvage, President, TDK Ventures. "We brought together a fantastic syndicate with each investor bringing value beyond the capital they invest in Verdagy, thereby amplifying our TDK Goodness. We are excited to get to partner with Verdagy and help bring our mutual vision of a more sustainable world to fruition."

Other investors in this oversubscribed round of financing include Khosla Ventures, Shell Ventures, Doral Energy Tech Ventures, Temasek, BHP Ventures, and Orbia Ventures - totaling $25M. With this capital, Verdagy will rapidly scale to demonstrate their first commercial 10-cell stack at 2MW capacity and will target scaling to deliver their first 20MW "eDynamic™" electrolyzer in the near future. Industrial-scale plants utilizing multiple electrolyzers are also on Verdagy's product roadmap.

"At Khosla Ventures, we invest in opportunities like Verdagy that are early, bold and impactful," said Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures. "Verdagy has made tremendous progress in its goals to deliver the lowest cost green hydrogen, since we first invested in their seed round a year ago. We are excited to continue on the journey with the company to accomplish its goal of decarbonizing industrial sectors across the globe." 

Roee Furman, Managing Director of Doral Energy-Tech Ventures, added: "Doral, as a global renewable energy developer, envisions a very near future in which we will not only produce electrons to the grid, but also produce molecules in the form of green hydrogen. Verdagy's novel electrolysis technology serves as a catalyst to the energy transition and to achieve net-zero - from decarbonizing various industries to long-duration seasonal storage. With strong leadership, remarkable technological breakthroughs and a stellar team of investors across industries and across continents - Verdagy is in the right position to introduce to the market an Electrolyzer with high-current densities and unbeatable CAPEX and OPEX."

"We believe that green hydrogen, at the right scale and cost, is key to decarbonizing the industrial processing of steel, aluminum, cement and chemicals," said Sameer Bharadwaj, Orbia CEO. "Additionally, when used in combination with captured CO₂, green hydrogen enables the production of other chemical feedstocks and liquid fuels for marine and aviation applications. Orbia hopes to contribute to Verdagy's success with its expertise in basic and advanced materials, large-scale chemical processes, and a focus on decarbonization technologies."

To learn more about TDK Ventures, interested startups or investment partners should visit www.tdk-ventures.com or reach out at contact@tdk-ventures.com.

About TDK Corporation

TDK Corporation is a world leader in electronic solutions for the smart society based in Tokyo, Japan. Built on a foundation of material sciences mastery, TDK welcomes societal transformation by resolutely remaining at the forefront of technological evolution and deliberately "Attracting Tomorrow." It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's comprehensive, innovation-driven portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices. The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in automotive, industrial and consumer electronics, and information and communication technology. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2021, TDK posted total sales of USD 13.3 billion and employed about 129,000 people worldwide.

About TDK Ventures

TDK Ventures Inc. invests in startups to bolster innovation in materials science, energy/power and related areas typically underrepresented in venture capital portfolios. Established in 2019 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TDK Corporation, the corporate venture company's vision is to propel the digital and energy transformations of segments such as health and wellness, next-generation transportation, robotics and industrial, mixed reality and the wider IoT/IIoT markets. TDK Ventures will co-invest and support promising portfolio companies by providing technical expertise and access to global markets where TDK operates. Interested startups or investment partners may contact TDK Ventures: www.tdk-ventures.com or contact@tdk-ventures.com.

About Verdagy

Verdagy (derived from verde – green, agy – energy) is innovating water-electrolysis technology for the large-scale production of green hydrogen. Verdagy's industry leading solution achieves both the lowest upfront capital costs and the lowest unit economics for production. Verdagy operates laboratory and pilot-plant facilities in Moss Landing, California to further develop and rapidly scale the technology platform. For more information, visit: www.verdagy.com.

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Contacts for regional media:

TDK
Ms. Sarah Mackenzie
Publitek
Portland, OR
+1-503-720-3743
tdk-us@publitek.com

TDK Ventures
Mr. Raphel Finelli
TDK Ventures
San Jose, CA
+1-408-667-5970
raphel.finelli@tdk-ventures.com

SOURCE TDK Ventures