Venture Catalysts has led an USD 850,000 seed funding round in Umagine Hydrogen Pvt. Ltd., which operates under the brand H2 Carbon Zero—a deep-tech company developing modular and stackable hydrogen fuel-cell systems. The round also saw participation from Faad Networks, marking a strong vote of confidence in India’s growing hydrogen technology ecosystem.

The funding will accelerate H2 Carbon Zero’s plan to establish India’s first gigawatt-scale hydrogen fuel-cell factory, with the goal of replacing diesel generators across key sectors such as telecom, data centres, defence, and off-grid applications.

H2 Carbon Zero designs and manufactures scalable hydrogen fuel-cell systems, ranging from compact sub-kilowatt modules for defence use to multi-megawatt systems for grid-scale power generation and long-duration energy storage. The company’s proprietary architecture enables seamless integration of hydrogen, battery, and solar assets in a plug-and-play configuration—reducing both installation time and ownership costs.

Each unit is 100% made in India, aligning with the objectives of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which aims to promote domestic innovation, localisation, and clean-energy deployment.

Founded by chemical engineer Santosh Gurunath and civil engineer Laxmikant Banjarey, H2 Carbon Zero combines deep engineering expertise with a strong entrepreneurial foundation. Gurunath brings over a decade of experience across oil & gas, solar energy, EV infrastructure, and hydrogen projects, including leadership roles at Shell, McKinsey, and BCG. Banjarey, co-founder of Arcatron Mobility (Frido), has over 11 years of experience in mobility and climate-tech innovation.

Commenting on the investment, Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma of Venture Catalysts said, “Clean, dispatchable power is the missing piece in India’s renewable energy landscape. H2 Carbon Zero’s indigenous hydrogen fuel-cell technology converts green hydrogen into electricity with zero emissions, offering the reliability of diesel without pollution or noise.”

He added that the company’s cost-effective technology could tap into a USD 1.5 billion domestic market and a USD 25 billion global opportunity, helping position India as a key player in the rapidly expanding green hydrogen economy.

Co-founder and CEO Santosh Gurunath noted that the funding will enable H2 Carbon Zero to commence work on its gigawatt-scale facility, expand its engineering team, and launch field trials with early customers across telecom, construction, and defence sectors.

Source:

https://sahyadristartups.com/spotlight/h2-carbon-zero-secures-usd-850k-seed-funding-from-venture-catalysts/