The world's first self-sustaining fuel cell company
Horizon's founding story is one that fueled with curiosity, ambition, and willingness to move forward in one of the most difficult technology spaces, and one that achieves success against all odds.
Already working as a corporate team within Eastman Chemicals' international technology venturing arm and innovation team in the late 90s, George Gu - at the Shanghai office, and his partners at Eastman, joined forces with a mission to build the world's first profitable fuel cell company.
Technology-agnostic and commercially focused, their ambition was to achieve sustainable decarbonisation targets without relying on government subsidies, billions of dollars of private capital, and to first and foremost - create the world's first and only profitable fuel cell company, in an industry that had not seen a profit in 30 years, and was still quite far from breaking through.
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George Gu
Co-Founder & Chairman
The founding team started the company business in 2003, and set forth a three phase commercialisation roadmap, dropping technology costs, and removing the age-old hydrogen supply barriers. One of the company's main success factors was to start commercialisation with small and simple products that can function on tiny amounts of hydrogen to reduce logistics barriers, while preparing for larger and more complex products.
It didn't matter what the product or the market was at the start, as long as the outcome created an opportunity to start the operations engine and re-invest positive cash flow into increasingly complex products.
During our 20 year journey, we have
successfully scaled up our fuel cell stack
capability alongside deep innovations
in stack materials and hydrogen storage,
all the way through to heavy vehicle
integration expertise.
George Gu, Founder and Chairman
Think BIG, start small, and scale up over time
Think big and start small has been the guiding principle of Horizon's evolution over the years, as well as the entrepreneurial philosophy of the team in all of its various product initiatives. The premise is simple:"if we can't succeed with the simplest products, what makes us think we can succeed in more complex ones". The story of Horizon is one of constant evolution, innovation and re-invention across several applications and markets.
Horizon's evolution is a unique story, as it evolved from one market to another - from retail-friendly consumer products to professional industrial systems of all shapes and sizes, while introducing numerous hydrogen storage and production technologies, ranging from electrolysis, to hydrolysis, to reforming.
Market 1
Market 2
Market 4
Market 3
Market 5
In 2008 Horizon introduced the world's only desktop electrolyzer dubbed HYDROFILL capable of charging small metal hydride cartridges automatically.
This compact hydrogen on demand solution is now used in schools and university labs around the world as an alternative to large and complex cylinder gas tank installations.
Horizon ultimately emerged as the world's largest volume producer of fuel cells regardless of size or power level, serving customers in over 65 countries with the widest selection of commercial products in the fuel cell industry, with industry leading technical performances.
17 years of intense product R&D and 3 spin-offs
Horizon completes 450Wh/kg battery alternative, opens HES aerospace lab in Singapore
Horizon launches first PEM fuel cell stacks & begins cost reduction.
Horizon spins-off
Horizon Educational
Horizon launches
HYZON Motors in the US
Supplies 400kW module for Korean Rail Network
Horizon begins works on the world's lowest cost reversible metal hydride
Launch of water-cooled 30KW vehicle PEMFCs
Launch of 500 HP (370kW) single module FC
Horizon introduces containerised MW-scale fuel cell systems
Horizon ultimately emerged as the world's largest volume producer of fuel cells regardless of size or power level, serving customers in over 65 countries with the widest selection of commercial products in the fuel cell industry, with industry leading technical performances.
Over the course of its 17 year history, Horizon went on to spin-off 3 application focused companies, including Horizon Educational - the world's leading clean energy and hydrogen science education company, HES Energy Systems - a global leader in hydrogen-electric aerial mobility solutions, and more recently - HYZON Motors, a fast-growing global leader in hydrogen electric heavy vehicles.
2011
2012
2013
2014
2016
2015
Horizon-produced HYMERA for BOC/Linde
begins sales in UK
Horizon founded in 2003
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Start of chemical cartridge R&D
Horizon ultra-light fuel cells set new FAI flight distance record
Release of new T-Series stacks for Stationary
Horizon's begins shipments of its 1st science kit product
Horizon starts work on hydrogen reforming
Launch of high capacity stationary power systems
Horizon's H-racer named TIME Magazine Best Invention
Horizon launches
fuel cell charger and desktop electrolyzer
Horizon spins-off
aerial mobility lab in Singapore
2017
2019
2020
2018
2018-2020: the start of large-capacity fuel cell deployments at scale
In 2018 Horizon began the commercialization of its large scale liquid cooled PEMFC systems, and clinched the world's first large scale commercial contract for 1000 hydrogen trucks in China, the world's largest EV market.
Since then, the company started to partner with bus and coach makers, as well as commercial delivery vehicle manufacturers and formed HYZON MOTORS Inc, with its global headquarters and engineering center located at the former General Motors fuel cell facility in upstate New York. This new facility is destined to become the benchmark in high power fuel cell production in the USA.
