HYCCO
French developer and manufacturer of carbon-fiber composite bipolar plates for hydrogen fuel cells, electrolyzers, and redox flow batteries
- CEO / Founder
- Romain Di Costanzo
- Team Size
- 11-50
- Stage
- Growth Stage
- Total Funding
- $3.1M
- Latest Round
- Seed
- Key Investors
- Bpifrance; Ocseed; WiSEED; IMT Mines Albi Technology Incubator
Technology & Products
Key Products
Carbon-fiber composite bipolar plates for LT-PEM fuel cells, HT-PEM fuel cells, PEM electrolyzers, and REDOX flow batteries; 60kW testing platform for fuel cell validation; custom design and flow field engineering; prototyping and pilot production services
Technological Advantage
Patented carbon-fiber composite formulation with proprietary polymer matrix; continuous manufacturing process built for scale; web thickness down to 170µm enabling 1mm assembled bipolar plates; 50% weight reduction vs metal plates; metal-free composite reduces reliance on critical materials; 7.5 kW/kg power density demonstrated (81% improvement per CompositesWorld)
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Patented carbon-fiber composite bipolar plates that are up to 50% lighter than metallic alternatives, with web thickness down to 170µm and assembled plate thickness as low as 1mm, enabling higher power densities and corrosion resistance for hydrogen systems
How They Differentiate
Patented carbon-fiber composite material instead of traditional graphite or metal plates; ultra-thin web thickness (170µm) enabling compact stack designs; corrosion-resistant polymer matrix eliminating need for critical metals; continuous production scalability; broad applicability across LT-PEM, HT-PEM, electrolyzers, and redox flow batteries
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Fuel cell OEMs, electrolyzer manufacturers, aerospace companies, heavy-duty mobility OEMs, energy storage system integrators, drone manufacturers
Industry Verticals
Aerospace; Heavy-Duty Mobility (trucks, buses); UAVs & Drones; Hydrogen Production (electrolyzers); Energy Storage (redox flow batteries); Defense
Competitors
Cellimpact (Germany); SGL Carbon - SIGRACET bipolar plates (Germany); Dana Incorporated - metallic bipolar plates (USA)
Growth & Milestones
Major Milestones
2017: Inception - Romain Di Costanzo began exploring carbon fiber bipolar plates at IMT Mines Albi; 2018: First proof of concept assembled with fuel cell stack; 2019: HYCCO founded by Romain Di Costanzo, Alain Fontaine, and Ludovic Barbès; 2020: First full-size carbon fiber bipolar plate prototypes developed; 2021: €1.7M Seed round; laureate of ADEME i-Nov program; 2022: Strategic partnership with Datwyler Group; 2023: Laureate of France 2030 - Première Usine (€2M grant); demonstrated sub-200µm web thickness; 2024: Production line operational (up to 10,000 plates/year); collaboration with Pragma Industries on MangabHy drone project; NeGerHy project with Hynology (€3.34M ADEME funding); 2025: Expansion across full hydrogen value chain (electrolyzers, redox flow batteries); launched 60kW testing platform; 2026: Opens capital to public via WiSEED for €1M crowdfunding; H3 Dynamics JV for hydrogen-electric drone propulsion
Notable Customers
Safran; Airbus; Air Liquide