About us
Supercritical was founded in 2020 to build the kind of electrolyser that didn't exist but the industry needed. Starting from first principles, we developed a proprietary high-pressure electrochemical platform based on Porous Flowthrough Electrolysis.
Our story
Supercritical was founded by Matt Bird, Luke Tan and Mike Russ in 2020. The starting point was simple: after decades of development, incumbent electrolyser technologies were still not delivering the pressures, efficiencies or economics industry needed.
Rather than iterate on legacy designs, the team started from first principles. The result was a proprietary high-pressure electrochemical platform based on Porous Flowthrough Electrolysis — developed to operate continuously, without membranes, and without reliance on iridium or PFAS.
What began as a better route to hydrogen revealed something bigger: a platform with the potential to extend across multiple feedstocks, products and industrial use cases. Today, Supercritical is moving from breakthrough engineering into commercial deployment, while expanding from hydrogen into sustainable chemicals and broader feedstock opportunities.
The ambition remains the same: to make electrochemistry work where industry needs it most.
The team
Our 40-strong team is 95% engineers and scientists, drawn from hydrogen, medical, rail, aerospace, nuclear and manufacturing sectors. We operate two UK R&D centres, in London and Teesside, with six high-pressure rigs and over 25,000 hours of operational data across the platform.
How we work
A culture built on honesty across the team is the foundation for accelerated problem solving. We share what we know, flag what we don't, and challenge each other without hierarchy.
When you're developing something completely novel, things will not always go to plan. We cannot fail so long as we learn. We embrace the challenges and we celebrate success in equal measure.
We bring together impassioned individuals from all sorts of backgrounds, disciplines and industries. Oil and gas, chemical, rail, nuclear, automotive, aerospace. Every perspective makes us sharper.
We knew from the start there would be demand for our technology. We are not an academic project looking for a problem. Every technical decision is made in the context of what industry actually needs.
We believe that bringing brilliant minds together in an innovation-conducive environment will catalyse the world's path to net zero. Our partner network extends us far beyond our four walls.
No PFAS. No iridium. Fully recyclable. These are not marketing claims. They are engineering decisions made deliberately because they are the right thing to do, and because they make a better product.
Partners
Industrial operators running the technology in real settings, the research institutions we push the science with, and the investors and public funders behind the platform. Series A closed in 2025 — £14M led by Shell Ventures and Toyota Ventures, with Al Mada Ventures and Lowercarbon Capital.
Join the team
We're always keen to hear from brilliant and passionate people. If you believe that engineering is the most important thing you can do for the planet right now, we'd like to hear from you.