Ammobia, a San Francisco-based startup developing modular “Haber-Bosch 2.0” ammonia production plants, has raised a $7.5 million seed round to advance reactor technology it says can materially cut the cost and complexity of ammonia synthesis. The round was backed by Shell Ventures, ALIAD (Air Liquide), MOL Switch (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines’ venture arm), and Chevron Technology Ventures, with additional participation from Katapult Ocean, AIR Capital, Alumni Ventures, and Motivate Fund. Ammobia also reported follow-on capital from existing investors, including Starlight Ventures, Collaborative Fund, Arosa Capital, and Zero Infinity Partners, bringing total funding to $13.5 million across dilutive and non-dilutive capital.
The company said it will use the financing to build a pilot facility to further derisk its reactor approach and to identify a cohort of customers for commercial demonstrations.
Ammonia is among the world’s most-produced chemicals, serving as the key input for nitrogen fertilizers that underpin global food production and as a feedstock for chemicals and plastics. The company is positioning its technology against a broader, anticipated expansion in demand as ammonia is explored for uses such as maritime shipping fuel, power generation, and energy storage and transport over the coming decades.
Conventional ammonia production via the Haber-Bosch process typically requires centralized, capital-intensive facilities and extreme operating conditions, and is often tied to natural gas supply dynamics. Ammobia said its alternative design combines novel materials science, reaction engineering, and commercially available components to enable smaller, standardized plants with lower capital requirements and the flexibility to operate closer to end markets. The company argues that approach could reduce exposure to supply shocks associated with centralized production and volatile global supply chains, while also supporting a longer-term pathway to decarbonization.
Ammobia said it has validated performance over thousands of operating hours and demonstrated operation at roughly 10x lower pressure and 150°C lower temperature than conventional synthesis conditions. Based on those results, the company believes its approach can reduce total synthesis-loop costs by up to half, with implications for overall ammonia affordability at a range of scales and with different upstream energy sources. The company also said the lower-pressure, modular configuration can better accommodate intermittent renewable power, potentially reducing reliance on costly hydrogen storage in clean-ammonia configurations.
Beyond economics and resilience, Ammobia framed its technology as a decarbonization lever for an industry responsible for nearly 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with downstream implications across agriculture, energy, maritime, and chemicals. The company said lowering the cost barrier to producing ammonia with low-carbon inputs could accelerate adoption of cleaner pathways across those sectors.
Separately, Ammobia said it has added Guido Radaelli as chief engineering officer. Radaelli has decades of experience in ammonia process technology development and commercialization, and the company said his appointment strengthens its ability to move from pilot work toward commercial deployments.
About Ammobia, the company said it was founded in 2023 and is building modular ammonia production systems designed to reduce costs while remaining compatible with global manufacturing standards. It also noted recognition as a 2025 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and said its co-founders were included in Forbes 30 Under 30 Manufacturing & Industry 2024.
KEY QUOTES
“The ammonia industry is at an inflection point. If we want to lower costs and cut emissions in existing ammonia markets – while enabling ammonia’s untapped value in energy and maritime fuel – we need production technology designed for where the world is headed, not where it’s been.”
Karen Baert, CEO and Co-founder, Ammobia
“Ammonia is rapidly emerging as a critical fuel and energy carrier, creating significant new market opportunities. Traditional production has served existing markets well, but meeting this growing demand requires a diversified approach.”
Tomoaki Ichida, CEO, MOL Switch
“After 30 years developing and commercializing ammonia technology, I’ve seen every incremental improvement attempted in this industry. What Ammobia has achieved isn’t incremental – it’s a fundamental shift that changes the economics across the value chain.”
Guido Radaelli, Chief Engineering Officer, Ammobia
