EIC Pre-Accelerator project – ReCatalyse

2 weeks ago

ReCatalyst has been successfully selected for funding under the prestigious European Innovation Council (EIC) Pre-Accelerator for the project ReCatalyse with a co-funding volume of 0.5 M €.

Project Name

Technical and business validation of advanced catalysts for hydrogen production to drive Europe’s sustainable energy competitiveness

Project Number

Grant agreement ID: 101310600

Project Time Frame

01.07.2026 – 31.12.2027

Project Description and Objectives

ReCatalyst aims to strengthen Europe’s autonomy in clean hydrogen production by scaling and validating its next-generation electrocatalyst platform for proton exchange membrane (PEM) and anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysers. The project tackles a dual challenge limiting hydrogen technologies uptake: (i) the poor scalability of current technologies due to high platinum group metal (PGM) content, mainly platinum (Pt) and iridium (Ir), and (ii) the loss of performance when reducing or replacing these critical raw materials (CRMs).

ReCatalyst addresses both barriers by maximizing the efficiency of Ir for PEM electrolysis applications, while also thrifting Pt and introducing PGM-free catalyst formulation alternatives for AEM electrolysis, enabling scalable, high-performance hydrogen production with far lower dependence on PGMs for both PEM and AEM. Using its proprietary pulse-combustion reactor (PCR) process, the project will establish a continuous, high-purity catalyst manufacturing method aligned with Clean Hydrogen JU Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda 2030 targets.

The technological objectives are to: (i) optimise catalyst formulations for AEM and PEM electrolysers; (ii) upgrade and automate the PCR process; and (iii) validate performance and scalability through techno-economic analysis (TEA). The business objectives focus on market readiness through go-to-market, commercialisation, and intellectual property (IP) strategies, supported by market validation – including ≥20 customer interviews, ≥5 paid proof-of-concepts, and ≥30 investor engagements leading to ≥3 investment interests.

Aligned with the EIC Pre-Accelerator call, the project advances ReCatalyst’s innovation from TRL 4–5 to TRL 6 and BRL 6, bridging the technology-to-market gap. By cutting PGM demand and enabling scalable catalyst manufacturing, ReCatalyst strengthens Europe’s sustainable hydrogen value chain for the decarbonisation of energy, industry, and mobility.

Project funding

The total project budget is € 714.250,89.