ETCH

ETCH Inc. operates within the clean energy and decarbonization sector, focusing on producing clean hydrogen and solid carbon from natural gas. Founded in 2015, the company is built upon the research of Dr. Jonah Erlebacher, a materials science professor at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Erlebacher, now the company's Founder and CTO, leveraged his extensive background in materials science, computational materials science, and nanostructured metals, including a Ph.D. in applied physics from Harvard, to invent the core technology. He was joined by co-founder John Fini, who was instrumental in commercializing intellectual property at Johns Hopkins University and served as an early CEO.

The company's core offering is the ETCH Process™, a proprietary and patented technology that splits methane (natural gas) into hydrogen and solid carbon through a novel closed-loop chemical reaction cycle. This process distinguishes itself by not requiring water, using earth-abundant minerals as a recyclable catalyst, and producing minimal to zero carbon dioxide emissions. The technology is designed to be scalable, from small distributed uses to utility-scale applications, and can be integrated into existing infrastructure like natural gas power plants and industrial facilities. The business model centers on commercializing this technology for clients in heavy industry, energy, and other sectors seeking to decarbonize their operations. Revenue generation is anticipated from the deployment of these modular, low-maintenance decarbonization units.

Key milestones for the Baltimore-based company include securing a competitive multi-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E in 2018, which provided critical early research funding. This was followed by a seed funding round of $7.5 million from Emerald Development Managers in July 2023 to support the commercialization of its process. In November 2024, ETCH appointed Katie Ellet, a seasoned executive from Air Liquide with extensive experience in the hydrogen and energy sectors, as its new CEO to lead the company into its commercialization phase. The company has been field-testing commercial units and is focused on scaling its technology to meet the DOE Hydrogen Shot cost target of less than $1/kg of hydrogen.

Keywords: clean hydrogen production, natural gas decarbonization, methane pyrolysis, methane decomposition, solid carbon, turquoise hydrogen, ETCH Process, clean energy technology, emissions reduction, sustainable technology, industrial decarbonization, hydrogen economy, ARPA-E, Johns Hopkins University, Jonah Erlebacher, scalable hydrogen, waterless hydrogen production, solid carbon sequestration, climate tech, green hydrogen alternative, energy transition