https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/ Technical notes and news from HydroXpand AEM water electrolysis stack and electrode development. en Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-09-26-note-hxs30-46cell-97h/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-09-26-note-hxs30-46cell-97h/ Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT From a single cell through five and fifteen cells, we have reached 46-cell full-stack operation. We share the first 96.7 hours at approximately 360 A, the cell-voltage distribution and the next improvements. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-09-11-note-hxs30-15cell-293h/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-09-11-note-hxs30-15cell-293h/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Our last note ended at the first run of the 15-cell short stack for the 30 kW HXS-30. We then ran it for 293 hours at 360 A. No cell dropped out, the electrolyte held at 50.0 °C, hydrogen in oxygen stayed below half our recommended limit, and all four stops and restarts returned to the existing trend. What remains open is the rate of voltage rise. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-08-27-note-hxs30-scaleup/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-08-27-note-hxs30-scaleup/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Our commercial 2 kW stack is 23 cells of 79 cm². The 30 kW HXS-30 is 46 cells of 512 cm². The large-area cell started well behind the 2 kW stack, and once the cause was found it came back onto the 2 kW curve at five cells and again at fifteen. In the first 15-cell run on 26 August 2026 the cell voltage was 1.660 V and the spread across all fifteen cells was 40 mV. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-08-17-note-anode-durability/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-08-17-note-anode-durability/ Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT A coated particle layer starts with a large, accessible surface, so the first current density looks good. Keeping that surface attached to the substrate is a different problem, and it is the one that decides how long the cell runs. Set out here with a 6,358-hour HydroXpand run on a 16 cm² two-cell short stack. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-08-16-note-pressurised/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-08-16-note-pressurised/ Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pressurising the stack to skip a compressor costs you cell voltage: 28 mV per cell at 50 A. But what actually bounds the operating range is gas crossover, not voltage, and crossover gets worse as the load drops. Set out here with two stacks running at 10 barg, at 922 and 954 hours. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-07-26-note-durability/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-07-26-note-durability/ Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The published 2,281-hour galvanostatic window for an HXS-2 23-cell stack in 0.3 M KOH at 40 °C has a full-run linear fit of 80.2 µV/h/cell. This note explains why that number cannot be converted into product lifetime and what to review alongside it. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-06-04-dcamp-batch-data/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-06-04-dcamp-batch-data/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT An analysis of application data for D.Camp's Batch programme: 4,087 cumulative applications, an average selection ratio of 74 to 1, and 21 of the 55 companies finally selected having applied more than once. The article cites HydroXpand as a company admitted to Batch 6 on its third attempt. CEO Jonghyun Hyun is quoted saying the company kept applying because it was convinced the programme genuinely moves startups forward, and that each application round became an occasion to review the business and organise its growth plan. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-04-13-daejeon-social-venture/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-04-13-daejeon-social-venture/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT A report on the 2026 social venture programme that the Daejeon Center for Creative Economy and Innovation is running with the city of Daejeon. HydroXpand CEO Jonghyun Hyun, whose company took part in the 2025 Social Impact Changers cohort, said the programme was an occasion to re-articulate the company's role in cutting carbon emissions through clean hydrogen, and that mentoring opened connections to large corporates and public enterprises that turned into real collaboration. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-03-30-espark/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-03-30-espark/ Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT HydroXpand was selected as one of five teams in the SPARK track of E-SPARK 2026, the energy deep-tech startup programme run by Korea East-West Power. The 19 teams admitted, from an 8-to-1 field, receive focused PoC and MVP support, energy-sector expert sessions, one-on-one consulting, IR deck and pitch coaching, and introductions for investment and sales channels. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-03-27-heie-korea-pavilion/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-03-27-heie-korea-pavilion/ Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Korea Hydrogen Alliance exhibited for the first time at HEIE 2026, the international hydrogen industry exhibition held in Beijing on 26–28 March, organising a Korean pavilion with nine domestic companies. HydroXpand took part as an anion exchange membrane supplier and was one of four Korean companies that presented at the Korea–China hydrogen industry cooperation forum held on 27 March. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-03-23-dcamp/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-03-23-dcamp/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT HydroXpand was selected as one of eight deep tech startups in D.Camp Batch 6. The D.Camp Batch program is an accelerator that supports rapid growth and commercialisation for deep tech startups. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-03-23-small-system/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-03-23-small-system/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT HydroXpand released the HXB-V1, a 2 kW class AEM water electrolysis system, together with the HXS-2 stack, both intended for laboratory and field demonstration use. The two products generate roughly 480 normal litres of hydrogen per hour and ship with desktop control and monitoring software. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-02-10-hybridge-program/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-02-10-hybridge-program/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT A report on HyBridge, a new programme planned by Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT to carry early-stage hydrogen research through to field demonstration, with a target of KRW 93 billion over eight years. The article notes that Korean hydrogen research ranks at the top globally on measures such as paper citations, while the share of that work that reaches commercialisation outside the lab remains low. Illustrating the piece is a photograph of HydroXpand’s 2 kW AEM electrolyzer stack, captioned as “a 2 kW AEM electrolyzer stack built by the startup HydroXpand on a nickel-iron alloy catalyst.” https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-02-06-h2news-interview/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2026-02-06-h2news-interview/ Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Just two years after its founding, this AEM water electrolysis startup has already won the Grand Prize at South Korea’s largest startup competition. Monthly Hydrogen Economy visited HydroXpand’s laboratory to examine its proprietary nickel-iron alloy catalyst technology. The article covers HydroXpand’s self-growing anode and highly dispersed cathode technologies, the roadmap from 2 kW stack deliveries to 30 kW scale-up, and its phased market entry from research and demonstration to industrial deployment. CEO Jonghyun Hyun said: "Technical honesty is our highest value. Where something falls short we do not hide it; we share a clear roadmap for resolving it with the customer." https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-16-fnnews-feature/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-16-fnnews-feature/ Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT A follow-up feature on HydroXpand’s technology after its Startup League grand prize at the K-Startup Challenge 2025. The article frames the problem it addresses: steel, chemical and refining processes emit carbon intrinsically, hydrogen is required to cut those emissions, and production cost is what holds it back. It then explains why an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer stack drew attention. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-12-k-startup-grand-prize/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-12-k-startup-grand-prize/ Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT HydroXpand has won the Grand Prize (Champion of Champions) in the Startup League at ‘K-Startup Challenge 2025,’ the largest-ever competition with a record 7,377 participating teams. The company beat out competition at a ratio of 369 to 1 in South Korea’s largest startup competition, jointly operated by 10 government ministries. HydroXpand received high marks for developing a high-efficiency AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane)-based water electrolysis stack designed to address the high-cost challenges of the electrolysis process. Alongside the KRW 300 million (approx. USD 210,000) prize, the company also receives follow-up support such as preferential evaluation in 2026 government startup support programmes. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-11-chosun-clean-hydrogen/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-11-chosun-clean-hydrogen/ Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Chosun Ilbo's The Vivid met with CEO Hyun Jong-hyun following his Grand Prize win at the Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition Climate Tech track. The feature covers everything from the decision to start the company based on AEM electrolyzer research conducted during his KAIST doctoral program, to the milestones of raising KRW 500 million in Seed funding and KRW 1.5 billion in Pre-Series A funding, and surpassing KRW 20 million in monthly recurring revenue (MRR). CEO Hyun stated: "Entrepreneurship is the attitude of solving a problem completely. You must go beyond doing what others do just a little better and move in a direction nobody has taken before." https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-08-guangdong-roadshow/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-08-guangdong-roadshow/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT KIC China, the global innovation centre under Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, co-hosted a K-Demo Day with the Guangdong Department of Science and Technology, with nine Korean hydrogen companies taking part, HydroXpand among them. Held during the Greater Bay Area science forum, the event drew some 250 participants from government, industry and research institutes in both countries to discuss technical exchange, commercialisation and joint demonstration. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-04-cipo-operator/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-12-04-cipo-operator/ Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT FuturePlay was named a top operator of the CIPO programme run by Korea's IP authority and the Korea Invention Promotion Association. The article notes that HydroXpand, a 2024 participant, continued to build IP-based technical strength after the programme ended, through patent filings, certification as an outstanding employee-invention company, and an encouragement award in the K-Startup Challenge IP League. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-11-27-because-2025/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-11-27-because-2025/ Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT A report on Be.cause 2025, a results-sharing event where social ventures in Daejeon presented a year of progress. HydroXpand CEO Jonghyun Hyun took part in the round talk for selected companies, discussing how the company built its business model and how it plans to expand. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-10-30-asan-nanum-demoday/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-10-30-asan-nanum-demoday/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT HydroXpand won the Grand Prize in the Climate Tech track at the 14th Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition, the largest private-sector startup competition in Korea. Inspired by Hyundai founder Asan Chung Ju-yung's words, "If there is no road, find one; if you cannot find one, make one," the competition distributed a total prize pool of approximately KRW 370 million. Combined with the Grand Prize at the K-Startup Challenge, HydroXpand achieved a "Double Grand Prize" sweep at Korea's two biggest startup competitions. Winners receive residency at the Asan Nanum Foundation's MARU workspace, investor referrals, one-on-one mentoring and corporate partnership benefits worth approximately KRW 1.4 billion. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-09-26-ip-league/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-09-26-ip-league/ Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT HydroXpand received an encouragement award at the awards ceremony for the 2025 IP Startup Competition (IP League) held by the Korean Intellectual Property Office. Winners also received entry to the finals of the K-Startup Challenge 2025, the government-wide startup competition, where HydroXpand went on to take the Startup League grand prize three months later. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-07-18-fast-prototyping/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-07-18-fast-prototyping/ Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT A report on results from KAIST Startup Institute’s Fast Prototyping programme, which funded prototype builds for 14 KAIST spin-offs. The article cites HydroXpand as one of its lead cases, noting that the company raised pre-Series A funding on its next-generation water electrolysis technology and has signed supply agreements with global customers, including a partner organisation of Saudi Aramco. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-06-25-nextrise/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-06-25-nextrise/ Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT LG ran a Superstart booth at NextRise 2025, an event drawing some 1,600 startups and 250 corporates and venture capital firms, presenting the eight startups in its third incubator cohort. HydroXpand was one of the eight. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-05-24-climate-funding/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-05-24-climate-funding/ Sat, 24 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT Unicorn Factory conducted an in-depth feature on HydroXpand's technology and founding story following its Pre-Series A funding. Going beyond the mere investment news, the piece analyzed the challenges facing the hydrogen economy and why AEM electrolyzer technology could be the solution. All three co-founders hold master's and doctoral degrees from KAIST's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and are hydrogen specialists who have published more than 10 papers ranked in the top 1% of JCR journals in hydrogen research. CEO Hyun Jong-hyun emphasized: "Through the technical capability and execution of Korean engineers, we intend to prove that Korean water electrolysis technology can compete on the world stage." https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-05-19-pre-a/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-05-19-pre-a/ Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT HydroXpand has successfully closed its Pre-Series A investment round. Korea Investment Accelerator, Company K Partners, and IBK Capital joined as new shareholders. The investment will be directed toward advancing the development of anion exchange membrane electrolyzer stacks and scaling the 2 kW module to a 30 kW system. Byun Sang-hoon, analyst at Korea Investment Accelerator, stated: "HydroXpand possesses world-class AEM electrolyzer stack technology with the potential to transition the existing gray hydrogen system to a green hydrogen paradigm, which is why we decided to invest." https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-03-20-lg-superstart/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-03-20-lg-superstart/ Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT HydroXpand has been selected as a clean tech startup for the 3rd cohort of the LG Super Start Incubator. Introduced as a company with "proprietary high-efficiency technology for clean energy hydrogen production," HydroXpand will gain opportunities for Proof of Concept (PoC) validation, collaboration, and advisory sessions with LG affiliates. Five of the 18 companies in the third cohort are clean tech startups, doubling LG’s clean tech portfolio in the programme from five to ten. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-02-28-startup-kaist/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2025-02-28-startup-kaist/ Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT A report introducing the cohort of Startup KAIST Global Studio, a KAIST programme built around overseas expansion. HydroXpand was listed among the clean tech companies worth watching, described as an anion exchange membrane water electrolysis company. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2024-12-31-kaist-ces2025/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2024-12-31-kaist-ces2025/ Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT KAIST ran a dedicated booth in Eureka Park, the startup hall at CES 2025, presenting technology from fifteen of its spin-offs. HydroXpand was one of the fifteen. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2024-12-11-cipo-award/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2024-12-11-cipo-award/ Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT A report on the results of the 2024 public-private IP strategy programme (CIPO) run by the Korean Intellectual Property Office and the Korea Invention Promotion Association. HydroXpand was one of five companies that received support for IP analysis, proof of concept and technical validation, and per the article was awarded a Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Prize for the results. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2024-11-26-ibk-changgong/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2024-11-26-ibk-changgong/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT A report from the second-half 2024 demo day of IBK Changgong, the startup incubation platform run by the Industrial Bank of Korea. HydroXpand presented as a manufacturer of modular anion exchange membrane electrolyzer stacks, explaining green hydrogen production coupled to renewable power. https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2024-10-17-donghwa-mou/ https://hydroxpand.com/en/insights/2024-10-17-donghwa-mou/ Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT Dong-A Hwa Sung and HydroXpand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the joint development of AEM water electrolysis systems. Both companies plan to collaborate on the co-development and commercialization of systems based on anion exchange membrane electrolyzer technology. By combining HydroXpand's AEM electrolyzer stack expertise with Dong-A Hwa Sung's system capabilities, the two companies aim to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation hydrogen production technology.