Pajarito Powder

Pajarito Powder, LLC is an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based advanced materials science company specializing in the development and manufacture of electrocatalysts for hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers. Founded in 2012, the company produces a comprehensive portfolio of catalyst materials including Platinum Group Metal (PGM) catalysts, proprietary Engineered Catalyst Supports™ (ECS), and Iridium Oxide OER catalysts for PEM water electrolysis. Its signature VariPore™ technology enables highly tailorable mesoporous carbon supports with tuneable pore dimensions, surface chemistry, and electrical conductivity - providing superior performance over conventional carbon supports in both PEM and AEM (anion exchange membrane) applications. All products are manufactured at kilogram scale at the company's Albuquerque facility, which in 2024 underwent a major expansion enabling 200x greater production capacity.

Pajarito Powder sits at a critical node in the US clean energy supply chain, providing the processed catalyst materials that are the performance heart of hydrogen fuel cells and green hydrogen electrolyzers. The company works directly with OEM partners including automotive and heavy-truck manufacturers to optimize system-level performance and drive down the cost of hydrogen technologies. In 2024, Pajarito Powder received two separate $10 million U.S. Department of Energy awards - one focused on scaling up platinum and carbon-supported catalysts for commercial fuel cells (in partnership with Brookhaven National Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab, General Motors, and Strategic Analysis), and a second to ramp up iridium oxide catalyst production for green hydrogen electrolysis (with partners Auris Noble and Nel Hydrogen). These awards underscore Pajarito Powder's role as a cornerstone domestic supplier in the federally prioritized hydrogen economy buildout.

The company is backed by a blue-chip international investor syndicate that includes Hyundai Motor Group, NV Bekaert SA, Ecovyst Catalyst Technologies, Verge Fund, and Omphalos Venture Partners, reflecting deep strategic interest from automotive, specialty materials, and energy sectors. In April 2025, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation jointly closed Pajarito Powder's B-3 funding round, which had been anchored by a $4.5 million commitment from Ecovyst. In April 2026, the company appointed Dr. Christian Mohrdieck - a 35-year hydrogen and automotive veteran and former CEO of Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH - as its new CEO, signaling a strategic push toward commercialization at scale. As one of the few US-based domestic manufacturers of advanced fuel cell catalysts, Pajarito Powder plays an essential role in reducing American dependence on foreign catalyst supply chains for the hydrogen economy.