Angstrom Power

About Angstrom Power

Angstrom Power Inc. was a Canadian company established in 2001 that specialized in developing micro-hydrogen fuel cell technology for portable electronic devices. The firm focused on creating micro-structured fuel cell systems designed to offer higher power densities and serve as an alternative to traditional batteries. A key aspect of their technology involved using micro-fabrication techniques to produce a patented fuel cell architecture that was both simple and inexpensive to manufacture. This system was intended to provide instant and extended power to consumer electronics like smartphones and tablets through a portable fuel cell device paired with a replaceable hydrogen fuel cartridge.

The company's product, described as Micro Hydrogen™, integrated a fuel cell, on-board hydrogen storage, and electronics into a compact form factor, comparable in size and power to a lithium-ion battery. This technology promised significant benefits, including longer run times, rapid refueling, and a reduction in both greenhouse gas emissions and disposable battery waste, emitting only water vapor. In a notable collaboration, Angstrom Power partnered with Motorola in 2008 to create a prototype mobile phone that ran on a hydrogen fuel cell. This system featured a desktop fueling station that produced hydrogen by splitting water molecules, which was then stored in a metal hydride container on the phone.

Throughout its operation, Angstrom Power secured multiple rounds of financing from various investors, including Aretê Corporation, Chrysalix Venture Capital, and VantagePoint Venture Partners. After approximately a decade of development in the portable fuel cell space, the company's assets were acquired by the French multinational corporation BIC Group in November 2011. The acquisition, valued at CAD 18.7 million, was a strategic move for BIC, which had been working on hydrogen fuel cartridges for nearly ten years. The combination of BIC's cartridge technology and Angstrom's fuel cell chargers was seen as a way to provide a complete power solution, with plans to commercialize a portable system within two to five years following the acquisition.