POSCO Holdings and Bluepoint Jointly Establish and Invest in Hydrogen Startup "Enforus"

Deep tech accelerator Bluepoint Partners announced on January 21 that it has established and completed an investment in Enforus, a next-generation high-temperature water electrolysis (SOEC) solution company, in collaboration with POSCO Holdings.

This establishment is a new type of "company building" project designed to rapidly commercialize core technologies developed by large corporations. It is the result of combining POSCO Holdings' world-class SOEC technology with Bluepoint's business planning expertise.

The team from Enforus, a next-generation high-temperature water electrolysis (SOEC) solution company, is posing for a photo shoot. Bluepoint

Enforus's core competitive edge lies in its high-efficiency SOEC stack technology. SOEC is a technology that produces hydrogen by electrolyzing water at high temperatures, and it is considered a next-generation key technology for achieving carbon neutrality, as it offers significantly higher energy efficiency compared to conventional alkaline water electrolysis. In particular, Enforus's technology is characterized by its ability to produce a larger volume of hydrogen at the same current density.

The two companies have given Enforus an independent decision-making system to enhance its market responsiveness. While inheriting POSCO's solid technological assets, they plan to leverage the agility unique to startups to respond flexibly to rapid market changes.

To ensure expertise and execution, the management team was composed mainly of technical experts. Enforus CEO Ahn Jinsu (Ph.D.) previously led SOEC research and development at RIST (Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology), a practical research institute under POSCO. The idea is to accelerate commercialization by having core technical personnel directly take responsibility for management. Key members who participated in the research have also joined the team.

POSCO Holdings and Bluepoint conducted seed investment at the time of the company's establishment and plan to continue supporting Enforus's growth. Both companies have jointly planned every stage from technology discovery to the founding of the company.

Lee Inseong, Head of Bluepoint Venture Studio Group, said, "Enforus is a representative case of deep tech startup planning, where a large company's technological assets meet an accelerator's startup expertise. Going forward, we will continue to drive innovation at the intersection of technology and the market, setting new industry standards."

Meanwhile, the high-efficiency SOEC stack technology secured by Enforus is expected to play a crucial role in achieving POSCO Group's goal of 'carbon neutrality by 2050.'