Steelhead Composites

Steelhead Composites is a Golden, Colorado-based advanced manufacturing company founded in 2012, specializing in the design, engineering, manufacturing, testing, and certification of lightweight composite pressure vessels for hydrogen storage and transport. The company produces a comprehensive range of products including Type 3 (aluminum liner) and Type 4 (polymer liner) composite over-wrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), CNG cylinders for vehicles, ground gas storage systems, and mobile gas transport solutions. Steelhead claims the distinction of being the first company to recognize and pursue the "lightweighting" opportunity in hydraulics and gas storage, and holds patented technologies in composite pressure vessel construction. Their products serve aerospace, defense, clean energy, automotive/transit, maritime, and industrial markets, with hardware carrying up to 9 years of flight heritage and 6 years of space-qualified heritage.

Steelhead's technology is central to enabling scalable hydrogen infrastructure in the United States. Their composite vessels dramatically reduce the weight of hydrogen storage systems compared to traditional steel cylinders, improving the economics and practicality of hydrogen transport, fueling stations, fuel cell vehicles, and off-grid energy applications. The company manufactures both large-scale ground storage vessels ideal for hydrogen refueling stations and mobile transport modules, directly addressing two of the most critical bottlenecks in building out a domestic hydrogen supply chain. They also collaborate with innovative partners across sectors - for example, supplying composite hydrotanks for the Avelo next-generation SCUBA system - demonstrating versatility across demanding, safety-critical applications.

As the US accelerates its hydrogen economy buildout under programs like the DOE's hydrogen hubs initiative, Steelhead Composites sits at a vital intersection of materials science, precision manufacturing, and clean energy infrastructure. Their in-house capabilities spanning design, spin forming, filament winding, prototyping, and certification allow them to serve as a strategic manufacturing partner rather than a commodity supplier. With 10 funding rounds on record and investors including Arosa Capital Management and Denver Ventures, the company has steadily scaled its operations and is increasingly positioned to support the growing domestic demand for certified, flight-proven hydrogen storage hardware.