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CENmat is re-engineering water electrolysis from the materials up – AEM and PEM, from materials and components to stacks and systems. Our aim: green hydrogen with PFAS-free AEM materials free of critical raw materials, and ultra-low iridium anodes for PEM.
why now
For green hydrogen to scale, electrolysers must become cheaper, cleaner and less dependent on scarce raw materials. Three bottlenecks decide which technologies make that journey.
Regulation
PFAS under pressure
Standard PEM membranes and ionomers are fluorinated polymers, and a broad EU-wide PFAS restriction is being evaluated by the European Chemicals Agency. Anyone planning stacks for 10 to 20 years of service cannot ignore the direction of travel.
PFAS-free electrolysers →Raw materials
Iridium is scarce
PEM anodes need iridium – one of the scarcest elements mined, recovered only as a by-product of other precious-metal mining, with world output in the single-digit tonnes per year. Iridium supply limits how fast PEM can scale.
Iridium calculator →Cost
LCOH decides
Green hydrogen competes on the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH). Next to power price and operating hours, the capital cost and lifetime of the electrolyser – and therefore its materials – set the bill.
LCOH calculator →our technology moat
Measured results from long-term and stack tests, as published on our product pages.
> 8,000 h*
continuous long-term operation of the AionFLX™ Plus composite membrane at < 15 µV/h degradation rate
* 50 °C, 1 M KOH
AionFLX™ membranes0.2 mg Ir/cm²*
OXYGN-M ultra-low iridium PEM anode: 1.86 V at 2 A/cm² and > 1,000 h without degradation
* 80 °C
OXYGN (PEM)6 kW
HYScale AEM short stack validated
HYScale100 kW
HYScale AEM system built with 900 cm² cells: production completed · in commissioning
HYScale
* Test conditions. Details on the product pages and in the datasheets.
what makes it hard to copy
AEM materials system
PFAS-free and CRM-free
AionFLX™ membranes and ionomers are PFAS-free and come from the same material family; OXYGN and H2GN catalysts and electrodes need no critical raw materials. Everything is developed to be qualified together – one supplier instead of three.
AEM products →PEM
Ultra-low iridium
OXYGN-M cuts the PEM anode iridium loading to 0.2 mg Ir/cm² – roughly an order of magnitude below legacy high-iridium anodes – at 1.86 V and 2 A/cm².
OXYGN (PEM) →Scale-up
Beyond coupon samples
Electrodes validated at 400 cm² and in a 6 kW short stack, with the same performance in single cell and stack. AionFLX™ is cast semi-automatically in sheets of up to 1,000 cm², validated at 900 cm² and made in batches sized for a 100 kW stack.
Membrane scale-up →Origin
Rooted in DLR research
CENmat was founded in 2019 as a spin-off of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). In July 2026, DLR announced that CENmat has acquired the licence for the design of a DLR-developed electrolyser prototype to bring it to market.
About the DLR licence →traction
€2.95 M
Non-dilutive EU funding: CENmat’s share across 5 Horizon 2020 / Horizon Europe projects (CORDIS)
Our materials are developed and scaled in EU-funded projects, and we coordinate HYScale ourselves. All AEM and PEM materials are available as paid samples.
Coordinated by CENmat · Jun 2023–May 2027
HYScale
The Horizon Europe project HYScale, coordinated by CENmat, scales a critical-raw-material-free advanced alkaline (AEM) water electrolysis technology to a 100 kW system.
EU contribution to CENmat: €1.31 M
Horizon Europe · Clean Hydrogen Partnership
Project details →CENmat as partner · Jan 2024–Dec 2027
REDHY
REDHY reimagines water electrolysis with a redox-mediated concept that avoids critical raw materials and PFAS-based membranes or ionomers. CENmat is a project partner.
EU contribution to CENmat: €0.50 M
Horizon Europe · Clean Hydrogen Partnership
Project details →CENmat as partner · Mar 2025–Feb 2029
SWEETHY
SWEETHY develops direct seawater electrolysis based on an anion-exchange membrane, for distributed hydrogen production coupled to wind and solar power. CENmat is a project partner.
EU contribution to CENmat: €0.43 M
Horizon Europe · Clean Hydrogen Partnership
Project details →Completed: NEWELY and PROMET-H2 (Horizon 2020), with EU contributions to CENmat of €0.20 M and €0.52 M. All publicly funded projects
EU contribution per grant agreement, source: CORDIS.
milestones
- 2019Founded as a spin-off of DLR.
- Jun 2023Horizon Europe project HYScale (Clean Hydrogen Partnership) starts, coordinated by CENmat.
- Sep 2025AionFLX™ membrane synthesis and casting upscaled – batch volumes for a 100 kW stack.
- Jun 2026One of 14 DLR start-up teams presenting to investors at DLR’s Investor Day.
- Jul 2026Licence for the design of a DLR-developed electrolyser prototype.
- NowHYScale 100 kW system built with 900 cm² cells: production completed, in commissioning.
business model
We sell along the whole electrolysis value chain – customers can start with samples and grow with us to systems.
01 · Materials
Membranes, ionomers, catalysts
AionFLX™ membranes and ionomers, OXYGN and H2GN catalysts for AEM, and the OXYGN-M ultra-low iridium catalyst for PEM.
Learn more →02 · Components
Electrodes and CCMs
Catalyst-coated electrodes for AEM, catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) for PEM and a matched AEM materials pack.
Learn more →03 · Stacks
HYScale stacks
AEM short stacks for evaluation and paid pilots, built on our own materials.
Learn more →04 · Systems
HYScale systems
Systems towards the 0.5–1 MW class, integrated with partners for pilot and commercial projects.
Learn more →investor enquiry
Do you invest in hydrogen, electrolysis or climate technology and would like to get to know CENmat? Tell us about your fund or company and your investment focus.
Your enquiry goes directly to management. We share non-public information only under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
Prefer email? Write to info@cen-mat.com.
company facts
- CompanyCutting-Edge Nanomaterials UG (haftungsbeschränkt) · CENmat
- Founded2019, spin-off of DLR
- Registered atSchienenweg 25, 49626 Berge, Germany
- Laboratories / visiting addressRöhrer Weg 8, 71032 Böblingen, Germany
- TechnologiesAEM and PEM water electrolysis, from materials to systems
- EU fundingHorizon Europe · Clean Hydrogen Partnership
This page is for information only. It is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or shares. Legal information: Legal Notice.