18 Years in Business: Insights from SKYRE’s CEO

Over the next month, we’ll be celebrating the pivotal moments that have defined SKYRE’s first 18 years—and the vision that’s driving our future.

From our early days working out of a garage to becoming a leader in breakthrough industrial and clean technologies, I’m taking a moment to reflect on our journey—how bold ideas became reality, how challenges shaped our purpose, and how our mission is clearer than ever as we look ahead.

On Founding SKYRE

My previous company designed and manufactured proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrochemical systems to generate hydrogen from water — producing clean, reliable hydrogen on-site. These systems were deployed across industries like semiconductors, metals, and glass, where hydrogen plays a critical role in manufacturing. As I observed how these systems were being used, I noticed something surprising: in many cases, the hydrogen wasn’t actually consumed in the manufacturing process. It was used to maintain a stable process atmosphere and then simply vented or flared. That stuck with me — it just didn’t make sense to waste something so valuable. 

It got me thinking: what if that hydrogen could be captured, pressurized, and reused? I envisioned a device — something simpler and more affordable than an electrolyzer — that could recycle unused hydrogen and send it right back into the process, dramatically cutting costs. But before building anything, I wanted to know if the idea held water.

So, I started calling potential customers — not to pitch a product, but to understand their operations. I spoke with manufacturers in the metals industry producing foil, strip, plate and wire and we had fascinating conversations about their hydrogen use, costs, and losses. What I discovered was even more dramatic than I expected: many of them were losing 80–85% of their hydrogen — and they didn’t even know it. It took real investigative work to uncover that.

In the end, I spoke with over 200 companies. That deep dive into the industry's pain points revealed a clear opportunity: to build a technology that could recover and recycle hydrogen efficiently, and to create a company around that solution. That’s how SKYRE was born.

Early Steps in Building SKYRE

I had one strong product idea, but I also knew that starting a company takes much more than that. You need space, infrastructure, people, revenue, equipment, capital — the whole ecosystem. What I did have was deep experience in the field and a strong network of friends and colleagues — many of whom were potential customers or had followed my career and respected the innovative work I’d done.

So, I started asking: how can this network help move the idea forward?

At the time, all I had was a concept and a garage. That’s where SKYRE got its start — with a whiteboard, a few borrowed tools, and a big vision for what clean technology could become.

I knew about the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which is designed to help entrepreneurs and early-stage companies get started. I had experience writing proposals, so I began there. I wrote two SBIR proposals right away. But when I submitted the first one, I hit a snag — the official paperwork to register the company wouldn’t be done in time for the deadline. So, I reached out to friends at another innovative local company in the hydrogen space and asked them to submit the proposal with me listed as a consultant. They took the lead and the funding, and I contributed the core idea and technical work.

Eventually, when we got to Phase II, we officially brought in Sustainable Innovations — now SKYRE — as the partner company. That marked the beginning of a great collaboration, one that allowed us to take the technology forward, creating real R&D momentum.

The second proposal came from a completely different angle. A researcher from Harvard called out of the blue and asked if I knew anything about hydrogen-chlorine battery systems. He thought it had big potential for climate impact and asked if we could submit something together. I had worked on this technology many years prior for a Cold War era application.  I said sure — and invited him to be a consultant. That sparked another partnership and led us from one battery innovation to the next.  Eventually we determined that batteries were not the killer product for the company and refocused on hydrogen.

These are just a couple of examples, but they highlight a key truth: we got started through partnerships. You can’t build something like SKYRE alone. Collaboration, trust, and knowing when to bring in the right people made all the difference in those critical early steps.

Major Milestones in SKYRE’s Journey

Some of the most significant milestones for SKYRE started with our very first contracts. Those initial wins were validating — they proved there was real demand for what we were building. Over time, those early contracts evolved into more focused, high-impact projects, which made a huge difference in shaping our direction. As the work grew, so did we — eventually moving out of the garage and into dedicated office and lab space in East Hartford, Connecticut, where we could scale up our capabilities and our team.

One of our pivotal moments was securing a contract with NASA’s Stennis Space Center to separate hydrogen and helium. Not only was that a critical need for NASA, but it aligned perfectly with our original vision — cleaning and purifying hydrogen. In this case, we were also purifying helium, which made the work even more valuable. That project was a turning point in establishing our credibility and technical capability.

Another major milestone was raising our first investment round. These weren’t institutional investors — they were friends, family, and colleagues who believed in what we were doing. That was incredibly humbling. When you’re spending someone else’s money — especially people you know personally — it brings with it a deep sense of responsibility. Working with government grants is one thing; managing capital from people who’ve placed personal trust in you is a whole different level of accountability.

That early funding helped us build critical infrastructure and hire key talent. Continued support from that close-knit investor base allowed us to scale — not just the business, but the technology itself.

Eventually, we reached another major milestone: integrating our technology into semiconductor manufacturing operations. That ultimately led to production-level contracts in the semiconductor industry, which was a huge leap forward. Designing and prototyping a system is a significant milestone — but seeing it deployed and operating in a demanding industrial environment is something else entirely.

Each of these steps — from proposals to government contracts, early funding to commercial deployment — has been part of a steady progression. Every milestone raised the stakes, but also raised our capacity to deliver. That’s how we’ve grown: one stepping stone at a time, with increasing challenge and increasing reward.

Reflecting on SKYRE’s Impact

Looking back over the last 18 years, I believe one of the most meaningful impacts we’ve had is on people’s lives — especially those who’ve worked at SKYRE. Every person who walks through the door of this company walks away with a unique experience. Whether that experience was challenging, inspiring, or transformative, I like to think most people leave with something positive; something they’re going to remember for a long, long time. SKYRE has never been a place where you just clock in and coast through the day. It’s a place where creativity is essential, where the work really matters. And that has a lasting effect on people.

On a broader scale, I think SKYRE has helped open the world’s eyes to the possibility of doing more with less — especially when it comes to sustainable resource use. Our work in hydrogen recycling, and in converting CO₂ into fuels and chemicals is incredibly impactful.

Take CO₂ conversion, for example: it's not just about making fuels or commodity chemicals — although that alone is hugely valuable. The same chemistry can be adapted for far more ambitious applications, like engineering pharmaceuticals, polymers or brand-new materials that are difficult to make by any other process. We're only scratching the surface, but we’ve begun that journey.

Defining Success for the Future

It’s easy to say something broad like “we want to change the world” — and sure, most entrepreneurs do. But for me, real success starts with something more concrete: making products that people actually want to buy, and doing it well. That’s step one. It’s about delivering value, meeting demand, and keeping customers happy. If we can do that consistently, that’s a major achievement — and it's something our investors care deeply about, too.

But success doesn’t stop there. We’ve built a deep well of technological ideas over the past 18 years — some of them way ahead of their time, just waiting for the right moment. My hope is that as we build successful products and a stable foundation, we can start bringing more of those ideas to life. Whether they become new technologies, new products, or entirely new businesses, I’d like to see SKYRE become a launchpad for innovation — not just a product company, but a platform for turning bold ideas into impactful world-changing products.

What Keeps Me Going

What keeps me excited about this journey is that we’ve built a product that fits today’s economy and today’s geopolitical reality. It’s essential — not optional — for the industries we serve. That’s a powerful place to be. In a time when some technologies are being sidelined by shifting political winds, ours actually aligns with global priorities. It supports existing infrastructure and helps customers save money — and at the end of the day, that’s what drives decisions. Now more than ever, saving money matters.

Our product is a difference-maker. That’s not going to change, regardless of how the economy or politics shift. People will always need stainless steel, computer chips, glass, and certain foods. Those things aren’t going away — and they all rely on hydrogen in their processing. You simply can’t make them without it. So, if we can help those industries save 15% or more on their hydrogen costs, that’s not just good economics — it’s a strategic advantage. Whether our customers use those savings to boost profits or pass the savings along to their customers, it makes a real impact.

Hydrogen is the throughline — it’s the constant. And even if green hydrogen trends fade or shift, our value proposition remains the same. We're not tied to a specific flavor or color of hydrogen. We're focused on making hydrogen use smarter, more efficient, and more cost-effective. That’s why this work still matters — and why I’m still all in.