Bspkl’s hydrogen revolution – dotting the energy landscape

CTO Jérôme Leveneur holding Bspkl’s current small PEM

9 January 2024

Bspkl is New Zealand’s pioneering hydrogen deep-tech start-up, bringing the world one step closer to making hydrogen production more sustainable for a range of applications for everything from manufacturing to transport. Their technology aims to reduce the amount of precious metals required to produce a catalyst coated membrane by a factor of up to 25 times.

Currently, they are making membranes for PEM water electrolysis which is used to produce hydrogen from water and electricity. Going forward, Bspkl are looking to broaden their scope to include AEM electrolysis, Fuel Cells and other energy related technologies. “Catalyst coated membranes are just the beginning! Our ion beam technologies have the potential to disrupt other manufacturing sectors. While we bring our current products to markets, we will continue innovating and supporting new developments”, says CTO Dr Jérôme Leveneur.

During his PhD studies at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, Jérôme worked on ion implantation. Since then, the use of ion beams has been a core part of his research. Despite the versatility of these technologies, Jérôme says they were commonly deemed as non-scalable. Although it is true that ion beam technologies are mostly used in the semiconductor industry and some specialised coatings, Jérôme was convinced that they could be scaled.

In order to turn his scientific ideas into reality and create real life impact, Jérôme founded Bspkl, venturing from research into entrepreneurship. His undergraduate degree had some components involving innovation, design and entrepreneurship which were useful when he decided to start his own venture. While working at GNS Science he was once again exposed to entrepreneurship through the KiwiNet Emerging Innovator programme.

Catalyst coated membranes are cost-effective and have the potential to help reduce the need for precious metal as catalysts, as well as being able to handle the very finnicky properties of the membrane. Bspkl’s technology ticks all the boxes, and with a high demand for clean hydrogen, the opportunity for market entry is ripe. Currently hydrogen production is estimated to be responsible for more than 2% of global emission as it is produced using fossil fuels as a chemical feedstock. Jérôme says it will take water electrolysis technologies at scale to tackle that emission and discover new usages of hydrogen that will help decarbonise industries that are difficult to electrify such as steel manufacturing or shipping.

Bspkl is a venture solving big problems, and as such will not be an overnight success, requiring significant investment in time and resource. Recently, Bspkl secured $2.8 million in funding, marking a major success in their quest to make hydrogen production more sustainable. This funding will support their research and development for the next phase, aiming to prove product viability and problem-solution fit. This will be done by building a characterisation lab, allowing Bspkl to perform long-term testing for at least 2,000 hours, which is a vital requirement for the water electrolysis industry. Developing their proprietary characterisation lab will enable them to closely simulate industry conditions for product testing, a capability unavailable elsewhere in New Zealand.

Jérôme attributes Bspkl’s success to three main factors: “First, it is the right time for new technologies that contribute to our energy transition. Moreover, we have a unique technology. Finally, my co-founder Christina Houlihan and I dedicate a lot of work to the company, as does MJ Alvarez from our lead investor WNT Venture. Finding the right support and team with complementary skills is really important! I have garnered a strong network within the New Zealand research, science and innovation system, from the University of Auckland, to the MacDiarmid Institute, New Zealand Product Accelerator, and all the researchers I collaborated with along the way. They have been very supportive and helpful, providing expertise and capabilities to draw upon. I hope we can give back to the community by providing a place for new talents to come work and grow with us.”

Jérôme encourages University of Auckland students and staff to tap into New Zealand’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for support to bring their ideas to life, including the support readily available on campus. “I found it hard to translate my materials science into tangible outcomes at scale and commercialise the technology. If you have a great novel idea that solves a real problem, then there is probably no-one else better than the University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) to help you take that idea out into the world.”