UCR Blackstone LaunchPad · Climate Action Ideas Winner

Molecules.NotCapex.

ZephyrFuel installs and operates on-site green hydrogen systems at industrial customer facilities — no capital expense, clean H₂ under a long-term supply agreement.

200–1,500kg/day per site
BOOBuild-Own-Operate
AEMElectrolyzer Stack
IRAPolicy-Supported (U.S.)
explore
★ UCR Blackstone LaunchPad · Climate Action Ideas Winner · April 2025
Build-Own-Operate · Zero Customer CapEx
InterPhase Incubator S'26 · 4th Sector Innovations
AEM Electrolysis · Industrial Scale
Clean H₂ Production Incentives (IRA-Eligible)
Instantaneous Accelerator · Global Program
★ UCR Blackstone LaunchPad · Climate Action Ideas Winner · April 2025
Build-Own-Operate · Zero Customer CapEx
InterPhase Incubator S'26 · 4th Sector Innovations
AEM Electrolysis · Industrial Scale
Clean H₂ Production Incentives (IRA-Eligible)
Instantaneous Accelerator · Global Program
The Gap

The majors serve giants.
Cylinders serve labs.
Nobody serves the middle.

Mid-scale industrial operators consuming 200–1,500 kg/day are structurally underserved by every major industrial gas supplier. That is the market we are built for.

Major Suppliers
>10,000 kg
Air Products · Linde · Air Liquide
ZephyrFuel Zone
200–1,500 kg
Underserved · Our Beachhead
Cylinder / Tube
<50 kg
Lab & Small Industrial
Solution

Hydrogen as a Service

We own the infrastructure. You buy the molecules. Zero capex, zero maintenance — clean hydrogen on-site under a long-term supply agreement.

Zero Capex

ZephyrFuel finances and owns the electrolyzer. You pay per kg of hydrogen delivered — converting capital expense to a predictable operational cost.

OpEx Conversion

On-Site Generation

Modular electrolyzers installed at your facility. No trucks, no storage risk, no distributor markups. H₂ produced where it is consumed.

Site-Integrated

Price Stability

Multi-year supply agreements with pricing indexed to power costs — no spot-market exposure in your hydrogen cost line.

Long-Term Agreement

Assessment First

Every engagement starts with a paid site assessment — validating economics before any commitment. Fees credited toward future supply contracts.

Low-Risk Entry
UCR Blackstone LaunchPad Winner 2025
S'26InterPhase Incubator Cohort
BOOBuild-Own-Operate Model
IRAPolicy-Supported U.S. Economics

Ready to evaluate
your site?

Tell us your facility, hydrogen demand, and power situation. We will evaluate the economics and come back with a clear picture of whether on-site generation makes sense.

Our Stack

AEM
Electrolysis

Anion Exchange Membrane technology for continuous mid-scale industrial hydrogen — without platinum-group metals.

How It Works

Electricity in.
Hydrogen out.

Our electrolyzers split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. The simpler the explanation, the better the technology.

01

Power Goes In

Electricity — ideally from low-cost renewables in ERCOT West Texas or India solar markets at $0.018–0.030/kWh — is applied across two electrodes. Cheaper power equals lower hydrogen cost. That is the fundamental economics.

💧02

Water Splits

Water fed into the system is split at the electrodes into hydrogen and oxygen. Our AEM membrane sits between them — allowing ions to pass through while keeping the gas streams completely separate and pure.

🟢03

H₂ to Your Process

Clean hydrogen exits at up to 35 bar — ready for your industrial process. No trucks, no cylinders, no distributor. Produced on-demand at your facility, around the clock.

ZF500 Module

Stack Architecture

Click any component in the diagram to learn what it does.

TechnologyAnion Exchange Membrane (AEM)
Electrode ApproachNon-precious metal catalysts
ElectrolyteAlkaline aqueous solution
Max Operating PressureUp to 35 bar
ArchitectureModular cassette-based stack
Module Output~240 kg H₂ / day
Deployment FormatContainerized · site-integrated
Validation StatusSimulation & R&D stage
ZF500 Module — Click any partInteractive
H₂O IN H₂ OUT O₂ OUT ANODEOERO₂ Evolution AEMOH⁻ → CATHODEHERH₂ Production ANOLYTECATHOLYTE CELL VOLTAGEOptimized for Efficiency
500 kWModule Power
~240 kgH₂ / Day
35 barMax Pressure
Performance

Designed to Improve

Our R&D program is focused on driving efficiency higher and cost per kilogram lower. Validation is ongoing — detailed specs available in our private technical brief.

Efficiency-First Design

Lower cell voltage means less electricity consumed per kilogram produced. Our simulation and catalyst work is focused on closing the gap between current targets and best-in-class benchmarks.

Simulation-Backed

Active finite element modeling of the membrane-electrode assembly guides catalyst and stack optimization — before physical prototyping at scale.

Validation in Progress

Performance targets are simulation-based. We do not publish specific voltage figures or competitor comparisons externally until results are independently validated.

Why AEM?

Best of Both Technologies

vs. PEM

PEM electrolysis requires platinum-group metal catalysts — expensive and supply-constrained. AEM achieves comparable performance using earth-abundant, lower-cost electrode materials.

vs. Alkaline

Traditional alkaline electrolyzers need large, centralized footprints. AEM delivers comparable capital costs with a compact, modular, cassette-based design suited for distributed industrial sites.

The ZephyrFuel Edge

Our advantage is AEM architecture combined with modular site-integrated deployment and a BOO commercial structure purpose-built for the mid-scale industrial segment the majors structurally ignore.

How We Work

Build-Own-
Operate

We own the infrastructure. You buy the molecules. Each site is financed through a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle.

The Process

Four Steps to On-Site H₂

From first conversation to hydrogen flowing at your facility — here is exactly how every engagement works.

01

Site Assessment

Paid engagement evaluating your demand, power costs, logistics, and economics. Fees credited toward any future supply contract. No commitment required.

02

SPV Formation

A project-level Special Purpose Vehicle is created per site. This ring-fences project risk and enables non-recourse debt financing based on contracted cash flows.

03

Installation

ZephyrFuel finances, procures, and installs the modular electrolyzer. All integration and commissioning handled by us. You do not own or maintain the equipment.

04

Supply Agreement

Long-term supply contract — you pay per kg of hydrogen delivered. ZephyrFuel operates and maintains the asset. Pricing indexed to power costs, not spot markets.

BOOBuild-Own-Operate
PFProject-Finance Structured
IRAPolicy-Supported (U.S.)
SPVPer-Site Project Vehicle
Project Finance

Built for Bankability

Each ZephyrFuel deployment is structured for project-level debt financing from day one. The SPV isolates project risk, and the long-term supply agreement provides contracted cash flows that underpin lender underwriting.

For qualifying U.S. deployments, clean hydrogen production incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act may provide additional economic support — structured through appropriate tax equity arrangements.

No Customer CapEx

Customers pay only per kg delivered. Zero capital commitment required to begin.

Long-Term Agreement

Multi-year contracts create the stable contracted revenue that project lenders require.

Power-Cost Indexed

Pricing tied to electricity input costs — not volatile spot hydrogen markets.

Policy-Supported

Qualifying U.S. deployments may benefit from production incentives improving project economics without affecting the core BOO structure.

Target Applications

Where the Economics Work

Consistent high-volume demand plus low-cost power. The math requires both conditions.

Primary Focus🏭

Continuous Industrial Use

Industrial processes running 24/7 where consistent hydrogen demand and low-cost power can support on-site supply economics.

Hydrogen-Intensive Processes · Chemical Production · Continuous Operations

Cheap-Power Markets

ERCOT West Texas and India solar PPA markets at $0.018–0.030/kWh. Low input power cost is the primary economic lever. We deploy where power is cheapest.

ERCOT West Texas · Rajasthan · Gujarat · MENA
🚌

Transportation & Mobility

Transit agencies and freight operators seeking FCEV fueling — a secondary vertical using curtailed renewable energy surplus.

Transit Agencies · Fleet Operators · FCEV Hubs
FAQ

Common Questions

ZephyrFuel finances, owns, and maintains the entire electrolyzer system. You pay only for hydrogen delivered per kg under a long-term supply contract. No equipment purchase, no depreciation, no maintenance staff, no asset on your balance sheet.
Our assessment covers your hydrogen demand profile, facility power costs, logistics requirements, preliminary system sizing, and pro-forma economics specific to your location. Fees are credited toward any future supply contract.
We focus on 200–1,500 kg/day per site. Below this range, truck delivery remains competitive. Above it, major industrial gas companies have established on-site solutions. Our BOO model is designed for the mid-scale segment those companies structurally ignore.
Our model targets electricity at $0.018–0.030/kWh, available in ERCOT West Texas and Indian solar PPA markets. High-cost grid power does not support competitive green hydrogen economics and is not our deployment target.
The Inflation Reduction Act includes production incentives for clean hydrogen meeting lifecycle emissions thresholds. For qualifying U.S. deployments, these incentives can materially improve project economics. The specific structure depends on deployment geography, power source, and project configuration.
Each Special Purpose Vehicle is a standalone project entity. Your supply agreement is with the SPV — structurally independent from ZephyrFuel's corporate balance sheet. Project financial health is determined by the site's own contracted cash flows.
Our Story

Building
ZephyrFuel

From a clear market gap to a validated BOO model — backed by competitive recognition and leading entrepreneurship programs.

Recognition

Earned Validation

Competitive Award · April 9, 2025
Climate Action
Ideas Competition
UC Riverside Blackstone LaunchPad

ZephyrFuel awarded the $1,500 Climate Action Ideas Award by UC Riverside's Blackstone LaunchPad — presented under the University of California Office of the President. Signed by Dr. Francisca Reyes, Blackstone LaunchPad Campus Director.

$1,500 Award
UC Riverside · Blackstone LaunchPad
April 9, 2025
Incubator · Spring 2026 Cohort

InterPhase Incubator S'26

A rigorous stakeholder discovery curriculum to validate real market opportunity. ZephyrFuel is in the Spring 2026 cohort — running structured customer discovery for our mid-scale industrial hydrogen beachhead.

4th Sector Innovations · Chapman University · learn.4thsi.com
Accelerator · 12-Week Global Program

Instantaneous Accelerator

A 12-week hybrid program focused on scaling ventures properly and effectively. ZephyrFuel is an active participant building toward our first reference deployment.

4th Sector Innovations Academy · learn.4thsi.com
Timeline

Roadmap to First Site

2023 — India · 2024 — U.S. Structuring
Company Founded

ZephyrFuel founded in India in 2023. U.S. entity structuring in progress — Delaware C-Corp and California registration under evaluation. AEM electrolyzer technical direction established.

Completed
2025 — Q1
UCR Blackstone LaunchPad Award

$1,500 Climate Action Ideas Competition winner. UC Riverside Blackstone LaunchPad, April 9, 2025. First competitive external validation.

★ Award Won
2025 — Q2/Q3
Customer Discovery & Beachhead

Rigorous discovery: steel (pivoted), data centers (pivoted). Food-grade hydrogenation validated as primary beachhead — continuous demand, high purity, clear supply chain disruption opportunity.

Completed
2025 — Q4
Financial Model Locked

SPV financial model finalized. Mentor Briefing v6 completed — fully cited, external-ready. BOO structure and project-level economics validated.

Completed
2026 — Q1/Q2 · Now
InterPhase S'26 · First Paid Assessment

Active InterPhase cohort member. Targeting first paid site assessment. COMSOL AEM simulation in active development. Provisional patent preparation in progress.

In Progress
2026 — Q3/Q4
Pre-Seed Capital Round

Targeting $500K–$1.5M pre-seed from angels, DOE SBIR/STTR, and accelerator programs to fund prototype development and working capital bridge.

Upcoming
2027
First SPV · Reference Site

First project SPV capitalized. Module deployed at reference site. First hydrogen delivered under long-term supply agreement.

Target

Why ZephyrFuel?

The industrial decarbonization challenge is not a technology problem — electrolysis physics have been understood for over 200 years. The challenge is economic structure: who owns the asset, who takes the risk, and how do you make a multi-million-dollar infrastructure investment bankable at a mid-scale industrial site that has no interest in being in the infrastructure business.

ZephyrFuel's answer is a Build-Own-Operate model financed through per-site Special Purpose Vehicles — giving customers clean hydrogen without capital exposure, and giving investors a contracted cash flow asset backed by long-term industrial supply agreements.

We started with customer discovery — two pivots, one validated beachhead. We did the financial engineering. Now we are executing on the first site.

The Team

Founder Led

V

Vishnu Sajeendran Nair

Founder & CEO

Building ZephyrFuel from the ground up — customer discovery, financial model architecture, patent strategy, and stakeholder development. MBA Candidate at UC Riverside focused on green hydrogen project finance and BOO model design.

MBA · UC RiversideProject FinanceCustomer DiscoveryBOO Strategy
+

Building the Team

Roles Opening

Technical co-founder, project finance, and business development as we move toward first deployment. Reach out early.

Reach Us

Let's Talk
Hydrogen

Whether you're running a facility, looking at project equity, or want to understand the economics — start here.

Direct Contact

Reach the Founder

At this stage, you're talking directly to Vishnu. No sales team, no intake form — straight conversation.

🏭 Industrial Operators

Consuming hydrogen at industrial scale and want to know if on-site generation could reduce costs and eliminate supply-chain risk? Bring your demand profile and power situation. We'll evaluate the economics honestly.

mail.vishnusajeendrannair@gmail.comvishnu.sajeendrannair@email.ucr.edu

💼 Investors & Partners

Looking at project equity, debt financing, or technical partnerships? ZephyrFuel is building toward its first reference deployment and pre-seed raise. Company overview and financial model summary available on request.

mail.vishnusajeendrannair@gmail.com
What Happens Next

A real conversation

  • 01
    You email. We respond within 48 hours.

    No auto-responders. A direct reply from Vishnu with a clear next step.

  • 02
    30-minute discovery call.

    We ask about your facility, demand, power, and current supply. You ask anything. No pitch deck required on your end.

  • 03
    Honest back-of-envelope economics.

    After the call we will tell you quickly whether the numbers are likely to work before anyone spends time on a formal assessment.

  • 04
    Paid site assessment if there's a fit.

    Formal paid assessment if economics look compelling. Fees credited toward any future supply contract.