#185 Green Hydrogen, Landing Customers, Electrolyzers, Building in Wisconsin, & More w/ Chad Mason (Advanced Ionics)

Why did the hydrogen molecule apply for a job in manufacturing? Because it heard they were really into bonding! — Ba dum shhh! 🥁🌎 Welcome back to CleanTechies! This is a Founder edition. If you’re new (or forgot), we are The #1 Podcast For ClimateTech entrepreneurs. Each week, we publish 2 (usually) ~1 hour-long conversations with leading Founders, Investors, Operators, and Thinkers in ClimateTech to share their insights and tips for others building in the space. On top of that, we publish other written content like our Companies to Watch series we’ve been putting out recently. So—if you’re a ClimateTech Entrepreneur (or at least an aspiring one), this is the place for you. Subscribe today. Today, we are talking to Chad Mason from Advanced IonicsLast episode, we talked about decarbonizing the supply chain of manufacturing; today, we are speaking about decarbonizing the energy side of manufacturing with Hydrogen Electrolyzers. If you’re unfamiliar, energy is usually one of the three biggest operating expenses. So, manufacturers always take a special interest in reducing it. Many believe the answer to that will be efficient hydrogen power. If done properly, that can be done by using green hydrogen, making the energy renewable and further reducing pollution. Today, Chad tells us his story and we dive into some key topics. * From farm kid to founder: How his first exposure to electrolysis at age 5 on his family farm in North Dakota was the catalyst that eventually led him to start Advanced Ionics.* Low-Cost Centers: Why they ended up building the company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the surprising advantages. * Flexible Financing: Be opportunistic when it comes to fundraising. The timing may not feel perfect, but if the investors are ready to chomp at the bit, consider moving forward. It was electrifying! ⚡️📺 Watch on YouTube | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | 🎧 Spotify | 🗣️ Join the Slack Channel🚨Attention! 🚨 We interrupt your regular programming for an important message.ClimateTech founders are taking on a huge challenge. Building a climate startup is highly complex but also SO NECESSARY if we are going to save the climate. Founders not only you need to understand how to build a startup, but you also need to understand how to deal with hardware, have a strong handle on climate policy, know how to fundraise from diverse investors types, etc. etc. etc…It’s a lot.That’s why we make CleanTechies. The #1 Podcast for ClimateTech Entrepreneurs.In addition to our jobs, we devote ~20 hours a week to producing this podcast for you. This way, you can learn from others who have walked the path you’re on now, learn from their mistakes, and gain insights on navigating this complex world.If this mission resonates with you, we ask for your financial support of this project. It takes a lot of effort, and it’s not free. Your willingness to contribute on a monthly or yearly basis helps us keep this going.If you’re already a subscriber and want to contribute financially, click “Upgrade to Paid” at the top right of your screen.If not, follow the steps once you click “Subscribe Now” below to help us out. Thanks for helping us help all the climate entrepreneurs like you. 🙏 🌎The Guest: Chad Mason* Originally a farm kid from North Dakota, early on, Chad took an interest in engineering and building things. It’s a common experience growing up on a farm to tinker and test things. * He’d go on to study Electrical Engineering at North Dakota State University. From there he eventually landed a job in Singapore as a Research Engineer studying different types of battery technology - specifically Sodium-ion, Lithium, and Zinc. * When he returned to the US, he worked with GM on Fuel-Cell development. But after attending a conference and realizing there was a big gap in the space of Green Hydrogen production, he started scheming. * It wasn’t long before he decided to take the leap and start Advanced Ionics. The Company: Advanced IonicsOne Liner: Producing highly efficient Electrolyzers for industrial users.Born out of Chad’s deep interest in electrolosys, Advanced Ionics came to be a reality after he left GM. Supported initally by the folks at Workbench in Milwaukee, they were able to get off the ground. This is where they patched together their first ‘stack’ (V1 of their product) to prove the concept. Today they partner with major energy players like BP, Shell, Repsol, and ENGIE to continue developing their technology. As they continue de-risking the technology, they inch closer and closer every day to revolutionizing the electrolyzer space and the way industrials produce energy for their needs. With their tech, they can use up to 50% less energy per kilogram of hydrogen. This will be a game changer.They do not yet know if they will just license out their tech, or aim to be the manufacters — they’ve preserved that optionality. Do you have suggestions on future guests or topics? Leave a comment!Unable to support financially but still want to help? Share this post w/ 3 ClimateTech entrepreneurs (or aspiring entrepreneurs). Sharing is super helpful to us, and it costs you nothing.📝 Show Notes:Topics* 2:00 Intro and Background* 5:13 Utilizing Exothermic Heat for Efficiency* 6:20 Chad's Entrepreneurial Journey* 12:44 Early Inspirations and Career Path* 15:25 Understanding Electrolysis Technology* 18:18 Components and Operation of the Stack* 26:30 Landing Customers* 27:47 The Power of Partnerships and Investments* 31:26 Lessons Learned: Opportunistic with Capital Raising* 40:58 Headwinds and Tailwinds of Hydrogen Industry* 45;36 The Importance of Reliability and Maintainability* 49:10 Talent Acquisition in Wisconsin* 53:16 TakeawaysLinks* Chad Mason | Advanced Ionics* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Asks 👋👉 Listeners Survey* We would love to hear how we can improve the show and what you like most.👉 Fundraising for Founders* If founders are looking for funding in the ClimateTech space, reach out & schedule a chat here!👉 Early-Stage Founders Hiring* Silas just started his own recruitment consultancy tailor-made for early-stage ClimateTech startups. He does this by offering heavily discounted headhunting services for companies at Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A companies. If you need a hand finding the best talent on the market, and you don’t want to sell your kidney to pay for it, let’s chat. (booking here)👉 Meet Top Founders* Interested in getting in front of hundreds of ClimateTech VCs and Founders each month, reach out to [email protected] to learn more about becoming a sponsor.If you couldn’t already tell, we care a lot about ClimateTech founders 😂🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see y’all next episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe