\n<\/p>\n
Despite being the most abundant element in the universe, making cheap, clean hydrogen here on Earth has been a surprisingly tough nut to crack.<\/p>\n
\u201cHydrogen has always been plagued with a couple problems, One is, how do you make it efficiently? Another one is, how do you distribute it efficiently?\u201d Siva Yellamraju, co-founder and CEO of Fourier<\/a>, told TechCrunch.<\/p>\n Most recent hydrogen startups have been focused on making modular electrolyzers, allowing them to be mass produced and squeezed into shipping containers. Yellamraju\u2019s company has taken that trendy tactic to the extreme. Fourier is targeting something no bigger than two standard server racks standing side-by-side.<\/p>\n Investors have taken note, with General Catalyst and Paramark Ventures leading an $18.5 million Series A round, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. Other participating investors include Airbus Ventures, Borusan Ventures, GSBackers, MCJ Collective, and Positive Ventures.<\/p>\n Fourier\u2019s server analogy extends inside the module, too. There, the company installs multiple small electrolyzers \u2014 about\u00a020 in the current design \u2014\u00a0that it calls blades. Each blade is fed water from a pump shared among them, and electricity comes from lightly modified power supplies borrowed from the data center world.<\/p>\n \u201cWe reprogram them, retrofit them to run electrolysis,\u201d Yellamraju said. \u201cIt also allows us to use these components that are already sold in the billions.\u201d<\/p>\n