UK cleantech startup Ki 13, formerly known as Ki Hydrogen, has raised $5 million in seed funding to build an industrial pilot plant for its biomass electrolysis technology. The round was led by HICO Investment Group, with participation from Burgest, Triple Impact Ventures, GiTV and Desai Ventures.
The company also received non-dilutive match funding from Innovate UK. The new funding will help Ki 13 move its technology toward larger-scale testing and future commercial use.
Ki 13 is developing a process that uses biomass to produce green hydrogen and biogenic CO₂. These materials can be used to make synthetic fuels and chemicals such as sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF), e-methanol and e-methane.
The company wants to reduce the cost and energy needed to produce hydrogen and CO₂. These are two important ingredients for making synthetic fuels, but existing production methods can require large amounts of electricity.
Green hydrogen is usually made through water electrolysis, while CO₂ can be collected using direct air capture. Ki 13 says both methods can be energy-intensive and can increase the cost of producing synthetic fuels.
Ki 13 instead uses a low-temperature electrochemical process that produces hydrogen and biogenic CO₂ at the same time. According to the company, its process needs around 25 kWh of electricity per kilogram of hydrogen and 300 kWh per tonne of CO₂.
The technology uses lignocellulosic biomass, including leftover materials from agriculture, forestry and other biological sources. Ki 13 is focusing on biomass residues that can be collected and used as feedstock without relying on crops or other resources grown specifically for this purpose.
“Economics drive meaningful change, and the world needs a radical cost difference in how synthetic fuels and chemicals are made to drive the transition at scale and at pace. We started with a first principles approach to completely rethink how to approach the problem, “said Koji Muto, co-founder and CEO of Ki 13.
The seed funding will help Ki 13 build a pilot plant to test its biomass technology on a larger scale and prepare it for commercial use.
