Air Liquide's capital risk subsidiary, ALIAD, takes an equity stake in three technology start-ups

ALIAD, the Air Liquide group's subsidiary dedicated to take minority stakes in innovative technology start-ups, announces equity investments in three start-ups: McPhy Energy, Solumix and Xylowatt.

In order to support Hydrogen Energy’s innovative initiatives, Air Liquide has participated in the IPO of the French company McPhy Energy on the Euronext Paris stock exchange.

Founded in 2008, McPhy Energy develops generators that produce hydrogen by water electrolysis and hydrogen storage in solid magnesium hydride. To favor the use of hydrogen in the energy market, McPhy Energy provides industrial users and renewable energy producers with concrete solutions for energy production and storage.

Solumix is an innovative French start up created in 2012. Solumix developed a new insulating construction material, made from natural raw materials, which provides an answer to the ecological and economic challenges faced by the construction material sector. This investment will notably allow Air Liquide to leverage on the patents developed by its Research and Development department in the field of porous materials.

Based in Belgium, Xylowatt is a spin-off of the Catholic University of Louvain. This company has developed a reliable and efficient technology for producing clean synthesis gas from solid biomass. In the short term, Air Liquide will contribute to the evolution of this technology towards processes using oxygen. Furthermore, this innovative technology should allow Air Liquide to offer its industrial customers a high-quality source of renewable energy.

ALIAD's mission is to take minority stakes in innovative technology start-ups and to promote the establishment of R&D and/or business agreements between start-ups in its portfolio and the units of Air Liquide group. The sectors targeted for these investments are energy transition, natural resources management, healthcare technologies, digital technologies, electronics and IT.

Over the first 18 months of operations, ALIAD has made eight investments: Demeter, Quadrille Capital, Terrajoule, Plug Power, Hydrexia, Solumix, Xylowatt and McPhy Energy.