Hertha Metals

Hertha Metals, founded in 2022 by Dr. Laureen Meroueh, is a venture-backed company focused on decarbonizing the steel production industry. Dr. Meroueh, who holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from MIT, is the inventor of the company's proprietary pyrometallurgical process. Her experience in hydrogen production led to the development of this cleaner steelmaking method. The company's name is inspired by Hertha Ayrton, a pioneering female engineer and inventor.

The firm has developed a single-step process to convert low-grade iron ore directly into crude steel or high-purity iron. This technology is designed to address the steel industry's significant carbon footprint, which accounts for nearly 10% of global CO2 emissions. Hertha's process reportedly reduces energy consumption by 30% and carbon emissions by at least 50%, with the potential for up to 98% reduction when powered by clean hydrogen. A key feature is its ability to utilize previously unusable domestic ores and mine waste, which can lower input costs.

Hertha Metals operates in the heavy industry and clean technology markets, serving steel producers and end-consumers. The business model centers on providing this technology to new and existing steel mills. Its modular design allows for profitable operation at smaller scales, such as 500,000 tonnes per year, a significant departure from conventional steelmaking that requires multi-million tonne outputs to be profitable. Since late 2024, the company has been running a pilot plant in Conroe, Texas, with a one-tonne daily capacity. By July 2025, the company had raised over $17 million in funding from investors including Khosla Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Fellows, Pear VC, and Clean Energy Ventures to build and demonstrate this pilot plant. The next planned phase is to scale production to 500,000 tonnes per year.

Keywords: green steel, steelmaking technology, decarbonization, pyrometallurgical process, low-grade iron ore, industrial emissions reduction, clean energy ventures, hydrogen-based steelmaking, advanced manufacturing, sustainable materials, carbon capture, industrial technology, metals production, resource efficiency, circular economy, climate tech, emissions reduction, high-purity iron, clean technology, venture-backed startup, mining technology, heavy industry innovation