Hydrogen is a revolutionary molecule that has the potential to transform global energy systems, offering a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. It powers fuel cells, enables energy storage, and can decarbonise industries like steel and transportation. While most hydrogen today is produced through electrolysis or from natural gas, geologists are now turning their focus to natural hydrogen hidden beneath the Earth’s surface.
Often called “gold hydrogen”, this naturally occurring resource forms through geological processes and is trapped in underground reservoirs, much like oil and natural gas. If successfully extracted, natural hydrogen could accelerate the global transition to clean energy, offering a sustainable solution that minimises emissions while leveraging existing drilling and extraction technologies.
This is where French startup Mantle8 comes into the picture. It develops tools that help find trapped natural hydrogen.
Funding to quantify hydrogen systems
Mantle8 has secured €3.4 million in seed funding from Kiko Ventures and Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures Europe (BEV-E). The round saw participation from prominent angel investors.
The new funds will be used to run a technological pilot to image and quantify hydrogen systems in the ground. Mantle8 will also further develop the cross-border scalability of its technology and expand its team by hiring new AI and geochemistry experts.
One-of-its-kind hydrogen exploration company
Mantle8 was founded by Emmanuel Masini in 2024 and comprises a team of geologists with 20 years of experience in the field. It is touted to be the first truly geology-based natural hydrogen exploration company. Its technology is scalable for the assessment and exploration of the entire planet. Its leading levels of accuracy and detail mean that the project development time for natural hydrogen exploration is halved, saving millions in costs.
It aims to find 10Mt of natural hydrogen by 2030. This complements the EU goal of producing and importing the same amount of hydrogen generated from renewable energy.
Mantle8’s proprietary technology combines geophysics, geochemistry and seismic data to accurately detect natural hydrogen locations with world-first accuracy. The company can visualise the entire hydrogen generating system to evaluate the amount and quality of hydrogen present.
This breakthrough enables Mantle8 to identify optimal natural hydrogen reservoirs and target hydrogen production at $0.80/kg, which would otherwise cost $4 to $6 per kg. At this low price point, it could revolutionise the clean energy market.
“Our science-first approach represents a paradigm shift in hydrogen exploration. It makes hydrogen discovery more scalable, accurate, faster and profitable,” said Emmanuel Masini, Founder and CEO of Mantle8. “Our technology was founded on broad and intimate collaboration with the scientific community. The next step was finding the right partners that would enable us to deliver this technology boldly. With the support of our investors, we now have the fuel to move at the necessary pace.”
“Most existing approaches to natural hydrogen extraction are based on trial and error, but Mantle8’s proprietary technology is based on rigorous science,” added Rob Trezona from Kiko Ventures. “We are big believers in the hydrogen economy and exited our last investment in hydrogen at over a billion; this could be even more valuable.”
“Mantle8’s expansive regional knowledge and geology-based approach to natural hydrogen exploration puts the company in a strong position to make affordable hydrogen a reality in Europe,” said Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “With its team of experienced geologists and its bottom-up exploration approach, Mantle8 will have a significant impact on transforming hydrogen discovery.”
