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.

Reclaiming Value: The Discovery That Started SKYRE

My previous company designed and manufactured proton exchange membrane (PEM) systems that generated clean, reliable hydrogen from water — on-site. These systems served industries like semiconductors, metals, and glass, where hydrogen is essential. But as I observed their use, I noticed something surprising: in many cases, the hydrogen wasn’t actually consumed. It was used to maintain a stable process atmosphere — then vented or flared. That stuck with me. Why waste something so valuable?

I began to wonder: what if that hydrogen could be captured, pressurized, and reused? I envisioned a device — simpler and more affordable than an electrolyzer — that could recycle unused hydrogen and return it to the process, cutting costs dramatically. But before building anything, I needed to validate the idea.

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

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

Collaboration was the First Breakthrough

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

So, I asked myself: how can this network help move the idea forward?

At the time, I had only a concept and a garage. That’s where SKYRE began — with a whiteboard, a few borrowed tools, and a big vision for what clean tech could become.

I was familiar with the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which supports entrepreneurs and early-stage companies. With prior proposal-writing experience, I started there. I wrote two SBIR proposals right away. But when I submitted the first, I hit a snag — the paperwork to register the company wouldn’t be completed in time. So, I reached out to friends at another hydrogen-focused company and asked them to submit on my behalf, listing me as a consultant. They took the lead and funding; I contributed the core idea and technical work.

By Phase II, we officially brought in Sustainable Innovations — now SKYRE — as the partner. That marked the start of a valuable collaboration and gave us momentum to move the technology forward.

That early experience and many more like it turned ideas into action through creative partnerships and shaped how we built the company. You can’t build something like SKYRE alone. Collaboration, trust, and knowing when to bring in the right people made all the difference early on.

Backed by NASA. Built for Industry. Proven by Milestones.

Some of SKYRE’s biggest milestones started with our very first contracts — early wins that validated real demand and helped shape our direction. As the work grew, so did we — moving from a garage to dedicated lab and office space in East Hartford, where we could scale both technology and team.

A breakthrough came with a contract from NASA’s Stennis Space Center to separate hydrogen and helium — a critical need for them and a perfect fit with our core mission. That project proved our technical credibility and marked a major turning point.

Our first investment round followed — not from institutions, but from friends, family, and colleagues who believed in what we were building. That kind of trust brings serious accountability. With their support, we built core infrastructure, brought on key talent, and accelerated development.

Then came our entry into semiconductor manufacturing — deploying our system at production scale. Designing and prototyping is one thing. Running live in a high-stakes industrial environment is another — and we proved we could deliver.

Each step raised the stakes — and our capacity. We’ve built SKYRE the way we build our tech: efficiently, strategically, and always with an eye on the next leap forward.

Transforming People, Processes and Possibilities

Looking back over the last 18 years, I believe one of SKYRE’s most meaningful impacts has been on the people who’ve worked here. Everyone who joins the company walks away with a unique experience. Whether it was challenging, inspiring, or transformative, I like to think most leave with something positive — something they’ll remember. SKYRE is a place where creativity matters and the work has purpose. That leaves a mark.

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

Take CO₂ conversion, for example: it’s not just about making fuels or commodity chemicals — though that alone is valuable. The same chemistry can be adapted for far more ambitious applications, like engineering pharmaceuticals, polymers, or entirely new materials. We've only just begun to unlock what this chemistry can do — what lies ahead is exciting.

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.

Resilient by Design. Relevant by Demand. Ready for What’s Next.

What keeps me excited is that we’ve built a product that fits today’s economy and geopolitical reality. It’s essential — not optional — for the industries we serve. That’s a powerful position. While some technologies are getting sidelined by shifting political winds, ours 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.

Our product is a difference-maker. That won’t change, no matter what happens in the economy or political landscape. People will always need stainless steel, computer chips, glass, and food — and they all rely on hydrogen. You simply can’t make them without it. If we can help those industries cut hydrogen costs by 15% or more, that’s not just smart economics — it’s a competitive edge.

Hydrogen is the throughline. Even if trends around green hydrogen shift, our value stays the same. We’re not tied to a color — we’re focused on smarter, more efficient, more cost-effective hydrogen use. That’s why this work still matters. And why I’m still all in.