Australian green hydrogen electrolyser manufacturer, Hysata raises $111m USD led by bp Ventures and Templewater

• bp Ventures and Templewater each invest $10m to co-lead the $111.3m USD Series B round
• Hysata is developing high-efficiency electrolysers with a simpler, cheaper and modular system 

WOLLONGONG, Australia, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Australia-based company Hysata is developing new high-efficiency electrolysers that aim to produce green hydrogen at scale with higher energy efficiency and lower costs than alternative technologies. The company's technology combines engineering and science in a unique capillary-fed alkaline electrolyser that uses less energy to convert water to hydrogen.

bp Ventures and Templewater led the recent $111.3 million USD investment round in the company, with strong backing from existing major strategic and financial investors IP Group Australia, Kiko Ventures (IP Group plc's cleantech platform), Virescent Ventures on behalf of Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Hostplus, Vestas Ventures and BlueScopeX.

The company also welcomed new major strategic and financial investors POSCO Holdings, POSCO E&C, IMM Investment Hong Kong, Shinhan Financial Group, Twin Towers Ventures, Oman Investment Authority's VC arm IDO and TelstraSuper.

Hysata will use the funding to expand production capacity at its iconic beachside manufacturing facility in Wollongong, New South Wales and further develop its technology as it focuses on reaching gigawatt scale manufacturing. 

Hysata CEO, Paul Barrett, said: "Our mission at Hysata is to accelerate the deep decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, chemical manufacture, and heavy transport, by delivering the world's most efficient, simple, and reliable electrolysers. With high-efficiency, intrinsically low capex and a mass-manufacturable design, Hysata aims to drive down the levelised cost of hydrogen.

"This funding round, backed by a world class syndicate of investors, demonstrates the game changing impact Hysata is having on the green hydrogen landscape. It will strengthen our team and enhance our capabilities, as we propel towards widespread commercial availability.

"I am thrilled to have bp Ventures, Templewater and other new investors join ranks with our incredible existing shareholder base. Hysata's technology is a breakthrough innovation because of its high efficiency and low installed costs. We look forward to working with our shareholders, customers and partners as we continue our scale up journey."

The International Energy Agency has said that to meet climate ambitions, there is an urgent need to switch hydrogen use in existing applications to low carbon hydrogen and to expand its use to new applications in heavy industry or long-distance transport.^[1] At scale, Hysata's electrolysers could achieve energy efficiency well above International Renewable Energy Agency's 2050 efficiency target.^[2]

Gareth Burns, Vice President of bp Ventures, added: "We know that green hydrogen can play a big role in decarbonisation. This is the first advanced alkaline electrolyser technology that bp Ventures has invested in. It could provide optionality for our hydrogen business as bp aims to become a global leader in low carbon hydrogen production. 

"Hysata's technology could help save energy and reduce production costs, addressing two challenges of the green hydrogen market. We're excited for Hysata's next steps."

Alfred Wong, Partner of Templewater, said: "We are thrilled at Templewater to be driving the green revolution, jointly leading this impactful investment in Hysata. The high efficiency of Hysata's electrolyser technology holds the potential to be a cornerstone in the worldwide shift to sustainable energy sources. Our investment in Hysata is a testament to Templewater's commitment to support mission-driven companies that are working towards solving the world's biggest climate challenges." 

Hydrogen is one of bp's transition growth engines that it plans to grow by the end of the decade. bp has a number of regional hydrogen energy hubs it is developing, including in Australia, such as H2 Kwinana and the Australian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH).

-ENDS-

About Hysata

Hysata is an Australian electrolyser company headquartered in Wollongong that is developing a completely new type of electrolyser, featuring one of the world's most efficient electrolysis cell coupled with a simplified balance of plant. Electricity makes up most of the cost of green hydrogen and therefore, a high-efficiency electrolyser will deliver lower cost hydrogen.

Hysata has deep expertise across the electrolyser and manufacturing industries. The company has attracted world-class talent from companies including Apple, Tesla, BHP and McKinsey. Currently sitting at approximately 75 staff, Hysata aims to grow to more than 200 employees over the next couple of years, expanding its footprint across multiple continents.

Backed by leading global investors, Hysata is moving rapidly towards manufacturing at the multi-gigawatt scale to help reduce emissions and reach net zero by 2050. For more information visit www.hysata.com 

About bp Ventures

bp Ventures was set up more than 10 years ago as bp's corporate venture capital arm. Since then, bp has invested over $1bn in technology companies and is actively managing around 40 investments today. bp Ventures makes equity investments in private, high growth businesses accelerating innovation across bp's transition growth engines: renewables, EV charging, convenience, bioenergy and hydrogen. For more information, visit bp.com/ventures.

About Templewater Group

Templewater Group ("Templewater") is an alternative asset management firm headquartered in Hong Kong, founded by Mr. Cliff Zhang and the Investec Group in 2018 as a spin-off of Investec Group's Principal Investments Division in Asia, continuing the heritage and investment track record of the Investec Group.

Expanding its impact investing horizon, Templewater has launched the Templewater Decarbonization Fund, a focused initiative dedicated to fostering the transition to a low-carbon economy. With a strategic commitment to decarbonization, the fund focuses on innovative technologies in hydrogen, energy storage and CCUS sectors to foster a more efficient energy transition

For more information, please visit www.templewater.com

Cautionary statement:

In order to utilize the 'safe harbor' provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the 'PSLRA'), bp is providing the following cautionary statement. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements – that is, statements related to future, not past events and circumstances – which may relate to one or more of the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of bp and certain of the plans and objectives of bp with respect to these items. These statements are generally, but not always, identified by the use of words such as 'will', 'expects', 'is expected to', 'aims', 'should', 'may', 'objective', 'is likely to', 'intends', 'believes', 'anticipates', 'plans', 'we see' or similar expressions. Actual results may differ from those expressed in such statements, depending on a variety of factors including the risk factors set forth in our most recent Annual Report and Form 20-F under "Risk factors" and in any of our more recent public reports.

Our most recent Annual Report and Form 20-F and other period filings are available on our website at www.bp.com, or can be obtained from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330 or on its website at www.sec.gov. 

source: Hysata Pty Ltd