Bryan Mack (Delaware Prosperity Partnership), Jonathan Tracy (AirJoule), Matthew Grandbois (AirJoule), Noah Olson (Delaware Prosperity Partnership) and Yvonne Deadwyler (New Castle County Chamber of Commerce) following the Council on Finance Development meeting.

July 23, 2024

WILMINGTON, Del. – AirJoule LLC (“AirJoule” or the “Company”), a 50-50 joint venture between GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) and Montana Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRJ) that focuses on economical atmospheric water harvesting, has chosen to locate in Delaware.

AirJoule is leasing a 30,000 square-foot site on Shea Way in the Newark area’s Delaware Industrial Park for its main office and manufacturing facilities. It is also leasing 500 square feet at The Innovation Space in Wilmington’s DuPont Experimental Station for research and development activities.

The Company projects an investment of up to $15.3 million to prepare the Newark site for its operations. It also anticipates hiring up to 60 employees for professional, skilled and semi-skilled technical positions with salaries ranging from $60,000 to over $100,000 during the next few years.

“This is exciting news for Delaware. AirJoule’s decision to bring administrative, manufacturing and research operations to the First State creates a variety of job opportunities for Delawareans,” said Governor John Carney. “I want to thank the Delaware Prosperity Partnership for its continued work to make sure Delaware has a vibrant workforce and a strong economy.”

AirJoule uses an environmentally friendly, sorbent-based process with minimal emissions to produce efficient and sustainable air dehumidification and harvest pure distilled water from air. Designed to reduce energy consumption and generate material cost efficiencies, the AirJoule system eliminates the need for refrigerants, uses little energy and works in both humid and arid environments.

AirJoule is a 50-50 joint venture between GE Vernova and Montana Technologies. GE Vernova is a publicly traded global leader in electrification, decarbonization and energy solutions, with more than 80,000 employees across 100 countries, that generates approximately 30% of the world’s electricity and serves many of the world’s leading utilities and large industrial electricity users. Montana Technologies is a publicly traded corporation that developed the AirJoule system based on a concept developed by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

AirJoule’s location in Delaware will further strengthen the state’s advanced chemical and materials science industries while contributing to global decarbonization initiatives.

“Congratulations to AirJoule on the location of their main office and manufacturing center in Newark, along with their cutting-edge R&D site in Wilmington,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “Their commitment to pioneering atmospheric water harvesting through innovation and collaboration is truly inspiring, and we wish them a future filled with sustainable solutions and impactful advancements.”

Following a referral from the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, DPP collaborated with the Company, the State of Delaware, and other partners to help AirJoule select its sites in Delaware. DPP supported AirJoule’s request to the Council on Development Finance for a Jobs Performance Grant of up to $540,000 and a Capital Expenditure Grant of up to $460,650 from the Delaware Strategic Fund. Distribution of these grant monies is dependent on the Company meeting commitments as outlined to the CDF, which reviewed and approved AirJoule’s request for up to $1,000,650 in total funding.

According to Company officials, AirJoule selected Delaware over another potential location primarily due to the state’s robust talent pool of chemical engineers and its business affordability.

“We are thrilled to be establishing our main office and manufacturing facility in the vibrant state of Delaware,” said AirJoule CEO Bryan Barton, who previously worked at other companies in Delaware. “Delaware’s dynamic business environment and talented workforce make it the ideal location to locate our operations.”

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About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership is the nonprofit public/private organization that leads Delaware’s statewide economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent.

About AirJoule LLC

Created as a 50-50 joint venture between GE Vernova and Montana Technologies in March 2024, AirJoule offers transformational technology that enables the atmosphere to become an around-the-clock renewable energy and water resource. It is the exclusive commercialization entity resulting from technologies developed both at GE Vernova and Montana Technologies. Furthermore, it is one of the first business transactions from GE Vernova’s Ventures and Incubation group, which brings leading energy transition innovations to customers by collaborating with startups.

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June 24, 2024

DOVER, Del. – Delmarva Corrugated Packaging (DCP) showcased its 465,000-square-foot, energy-efficient, rail-served, full-line corrugated manufacturing facility during a recent “OPEN THE BOX” event at the Delaware plant.

DCP’s Dover facility, which is located on a 37.4-acre site at 1601 POW/MIA Parkway, strengthens the critical logistical supply chain of the Mid-Atlantic region. It has been operational since December 2021 and currently has 160 full-time manufacturing positions that have significantly improved workers’ ability to move up the skilled labor ladder.

Filled with the latest technology for its industry and relying on advanced manufacturing practices, DCP’s plant was built to be 30% more efficient than required on energy and diverts millions of tons of post-consumer wastepaper from landfills each year. As announced during the event, further green initiatives for the company include installation of a 2-megawatt photovoltaic system that officials believe will be the largest rooftop solar panel installation in Delaware. The project will allow about one-third of the facility’s power to come from the sun, and it is estimated that the system will take power off the local grid that is equivalent to the electricity needed to power roughly 250 homes.

Also during the event, DCP announced a programming partnership with Autism Delaware and presented a $10,000 check to Executive Director Brian Hall. The partnership and donation will support participation in social opportunities for families presented with the unique challenges of autism.

Federal, state, local, business community and company officials praised DCP’s impact on the Delaware, Kent County and Dover-area economic landscape.

“Delaware is a small state, but we use that to our advantage to work together to create a nurturing environment for job growth and job preservation,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “This is a great example of the county, state and federal governments coming together to support good-paying jobs and a company that gives back to its community. That’s what I call a win-win!”

“Delmarva Corrugated Packaging’s commitment to green energy and strong supply chains ensures that they’ll be a key player in Delaware’s economy,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons. “It was great to join the rest of the state delegation to cut the ribbon on their Dover facility, and I look forward to seeing their continued growth that will create more good-paying jobs for Delawareans.”

“Today, we’re opening the box on a new chapter for Dover that was made possible by federal, state and local partners working together,” said U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “I’m glad to join Delmarva Corrugated Packaging to celebrate this achievement that is investing in our state’s capital community, creating jobs and strengthening our supply chains.”

“Delmarva Corrugated Packaging’s new manufacturing facility has created 160 new jobs for Delaware and strengthens our region’s supply chain,” said Governor John Carney. “We are grateful they chose Kent County for this major facility. I want to congratulate them on opening their doors and thank all the partners involved in this project, including the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, the Kent Economic Partnership, the City of Dover and members of the General Assembly.”

In 2020, Delaware Prosperity Partnership and Kent Economic Partnership assisted DCP in their site search and worked with the State of Delaware, Kent County, the City of Dover, Delmarva Central Railroad and other community partners to attract the company to Delaware. The DCP plant is in an Opportunity Zone and was supported by grants from the Delaware Strategic Funds and the Delaware Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund. The project highlights the importance that partnerships and coordination among federal, state and local programs in attracting industry.

“The reception we have received from the State of Delaware, from Kent County, the municipality, you could not have been more welcoming,” said DCP Chairman Dennis Mehiel. “We’re proud to be here, and we are extremely grateful to the community in both the business and the public sector.”

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May 28, 2024

WILMINGTON, Del. – Fifteen tech-enabled startups with at least one team member from an underfunded demographic are sharing $170,000 in nondilutive, nonrestricted grant monies from Delaware’s fourth Startup302 competition, which was coordinated by Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) and partners from throughout Delaware and beyond.

Companies competed in five categories and represented multiple industries in the live pitching round, which took place May 16 at Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington, Delaware. All three finalists in each category were awarded as follows:

Environmental Impact

FinTech

Life Sciences

Finalists with University of Delaware-affiliated founders also were considered for the Blue Hen Prize, which was sponsored by the University of Delaware’s Horn Entrepreneurship program:

In addition to the finals-day activities, competitors benefited from participation in educational networking events with potential advisees and funders. These included a welcome reception on May 15 and a breakfast with investors on May 17.

“We’re so grateful for the ongoing support from sponsors and community members for this exciting competition, and, as usual, we were extremely impressed by the quality of the startups who made it to the finals,” said DPP Director of Innovation Noah Olson. “Startup 302’s mission to support founders from underrepresented backgrounds is such an important one, and this year’s finalists not only further enhance the wellspring of innovation developing in Delaware but offer technologies and solutions that truly will make the world a better place.”

Startup302 launched in 2020 and is coordinated by DPP and partners from the local, regional and national innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems with an aim to foster diverse perspectives, promote inclusive and equitable consideration and attract diverse communities of founders to the region. Competing companies must be technology-based or tech-enabled with high-growth potential and at least one founding team member from an underrepresented group: women; people of color, including African Americans, Latin Americans and Native Americans; and members of the LGBTQ+ community – all of whose ventures are underinvested in relative to their demographic’s percentage of overall United States population. Including this year, Startup302 has awarded $813,000 in funding to 52 ventures since the first finals took place in 2021.

There is no charge for companies to enter. This year’s competition launched in December and attracted more than 100 applicants from throughout Delaware and across the United States as well as Mexico and two countries in Africa. Two preliminary rounds and a semi-final round, all conducted remotely, determined which ventures would compete in the final in-person round.

Finals day began with Michelle Harris, Delaware District director, Small Business Administration, giving the morning keynote address on how SBA assistance for small businesses helps boost the U.S. economy. Erika Lucas, founder of StitchCrew, gave the afternoon keynote “The Majority Economy: Economics of Why We Need to Invest in Diverse Founders.” Other speakers included Don Mell, executive director and site leader for the Delaware Market of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., who discussed Chase’s new program to help with environmental impact, and Molly Giordano, executive director of Delaware Art Museum, who welcomed participants to the venue and invited them to view the exhibition “There is a Woman in Every Color.”

The educational panel discussion “Preparing for Funding” was moderated by Troy C. Farmer, owner of EVA Enterprises and manager of the Delaware Small Business Development Center’s Community Navigator Program. Panelists were Christine Parrish of Ardent Technology Solutions; RoseAnn B. Rosenthal of the First Fund; Marcie Reilly of The Innovation Space; and Blessy Thomas of Innovative Capital Growth Fund.

Judges for the finals included Regina Barry of Ashland; Jonathan Burbaum, Entrepreneur in Residence, The Innovation Space; Dora Cheatham of First State Hydrogen; Cynthia Conway of Oakwise Marketing; Daniel Freeman of Horn Entrepreneurship; Christine Galib of Venture University Venture Partners; Juliana Green of FMC Ventures; Elyce Hall of the Small Business Development Center; Martin Hunt of Swanlaab USA Ventures; Anastasia Jackson of the Delaware Division of Small Business; Nicholas Moriello of Highmark; Dwayne Parker of Highmark; Janet Reed of Potter Anderson; Luz A. Sellers of the Women’s Business Center at True Access Capital; Billy Taki of ResilienceVC; Amy Walls of Discover Bank; Troy Wilford of Horn Entrepreneurship; and Laura Wisler of the Delaware Division of Small Business.

Judges for the preliminaries and semi-finals included Nathaniel Brese of DuPont; Desa Burton of ZipCode Wilmington; Leopoldo Carbajal of DuPont; Cora Castle of OmniPotential Energy; Ryan Hamilton of Ashland; Ellyn Herbert of the Small Business Administration; Lisa Hoffman of FMC; Garry Johnson III of First Founders; Katie Lakofsky of the Delaware BioScience Association; Jeff Meth of DuPont; Michael Mills of DuPont; Pedro Moore, Fintech Incubator/True Access Capital mentor; Liz Nutting of Discover Bank; Dwayne Parker of Highmark; Mike Rinkunas of Flying Pig Ventures; Maggie Schano of Highmark; Lori Sefton of the University of Maryland; Jeff Snellberg of Pennsylvania Angel Network; Lauren Swain of the Delaware Division of Small Business; Xavier Thomas of DuPont; Joe Zilcosky of the Delaware Division of Small Business; Deb Travers of The Innovation Space; and Matthias Weber of Mighty Capital.

Pitch sessions were moderated by steering committee members Alysse Bortolotto of the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce; Troy Farmer of EVA Enterprises; Cathy Holloway of the Emerging Enterprise Center; Ayanna Khan of the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce; and Marcie Reilly of The Innovation Space. Other steering committee members included Salaika Adams of the Women’s Business Center at True Access Capital; Daniel Anzueto of StartOut; Sara Crawford of Sara Crawford, Consultant; Emiliano Espinosa of the Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center; Sarah Mailloux of the Small Business Development Center; Darren Stephenson of Bronze Valley Gener8tor; Linda Walck of Horn Entrepreneurship; and Troy Wilford of Horn Entrepreneurship.

Sponsors included the Delaware Division of Small Business (Innovator Level); Discover Bank (Business+ Level); Chase (Supporter+ Level); DuPont, FMC, Highmark Delaware and the University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship Program (Supporter Level); Ashland, Bronze Valley VentureLab, Delaware Small Business Development Center Community Navigator, The Innovation Space, M&T Bank and Potter Anderson (Basic Level); and Aloysius Butler & Clark , Delaware Art Museum, Delaware Limo, Delaware Small Business Development Center, Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront, StartOut, True Access Capital Women’s Business Center and World Trade Center Delaware (In-Kind Level).

“DPP and its partners are excited to showcase these amazing companies and to help give them exposure, connections and a monetary boost to keep them moving forward on their entrepreneurial journey,” said DPP Innovation Manager Erica Crell. “We thank our sponsors and all of those who help bring this program to life and allow it to continue successfully impacting underrepresented members of the startup community.”

Descriptions of each competing company and biographies for the speakers and other participants are available in the Startup302 program booklet.

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May 22, 2024

WILMINGTON, Del. – Incyte, a Delaware-founded global biopharmaceutical company with a robust portfolio of treatments across oncology and inflammation and autoimmunity, has chosen downtown Wilmington, Delaware, for an expansion.

Incyte today announced it has purchased the Bracebridge I and Bracebridge III buildings at King and French streets in downtown Wilmington. The structures were built in the mid-1990s for MBNA and used by the bank until its 2006 merger with Bank of America, which eventually left both sites empty. Incyte will renovate the buildings, whose 517,307 square feet will almost double the company’s Delaware footprint, starting with Bracebridge I. The new space will allow Incyte to continue building its Delaware employee base by bringing in more than 300 employees currently working in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and provide space to grow and add more than 500 new positions across the two buildings in the future.

“Incyte’s decision to move their headquarters to downtown Wilmington is not only a big deal for the city – it’s a big deal for our state,” said Governor John Carney. “Incyte is a Delaware success story. Incyte grew out of its space at the DuPont Experimental Station and moved hundreds of employees into a renovated headquarters at Augustine Cut Off. Not only does this announcement mean more great jobs in our state – but it means that there is more opportunity for Incyte to keep doing good in our community and across the world. Incyte’s research makes a huge difference in peoples’ lives. We couldn’t be prouder to call them a Delaware-grown company and we’re excited about their next chapter. I want to thank Incyte’s leadership for their commitment to Delaware.”

Incyte was founded in Delaware in 2002 and has grown steadily over the last 22 years. The company has its European headquarters in Switzerland and maintains commercial operations and offices in other European locales as well as in Asia and Canada. Since 2014, Incyte’s global headquarters has been a former Wanamaker’s department store site just outside the Wilmington city limits in Alapocas. That location, which has been expanded to include three buildings, currently houses the company’s corporate and research and development teams.

Expanding its offices to downtown Wilmington will create numerous benefits for Incyte – vacated office space at the Alapocas campus will be converted into much-needed lab space and will accommodate the company’s projected future growth. The City of Wilmington will also benefit from the resulting reduction in office vacancy and the new-to-Wilmington jobs, which will be skilled, technical and managerial positions with annual salaries ranging from over $90,000 to over $200,000.

Following the May 20 Council for Development Finance meeting, DPP’s Noah Olson, Becky Harrington and Kurt Foreman were joined by Andrew Harton and Regina Mitchell of the Delaware Division of Small Business; Sean Park and James Williams of the City of Wilmington Office of Economic Development; and Catalina Loveman, Kevin Davis and Tom Tray of Incyte.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome Incyte to Wilmington, a city historically known as the home of corporate innovation, creativity and development,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “Incyte is a company with motivated leadership that is addressing complex health needs throughout the world. And now, that important work will be conducted from an expanded company location in our city, and we couldn’t be more excited. In addition to enhancing the Wilmington business community, Incyte will provide a wonderful boost to our local economy. I offer thanks and appreciation from our entire city to Chief Executive Officer Hervé Hoppenot and the Incyte team and Governor John Carney and the state team for working with the city to make this happen.”

“Delaware has been our home for more than 20 years, and we are looking forward to expanding our operations in Wilmington and continuing to grow our company here,” said Incyte Chief Executive Officer Hervé Hoppenot. “We are grateful to the continued support of the state, the city and others, including DPP, who have supported our company and fostered innovation and growth in our region.”

DPP worked with Incyte – collaborating with the State of Delaware, the City of Wilmington and other partners – to explore Delaware sites for expansion. DPP also supported the company’s request to the Council on Development Finance for a Jobs Performance Grant of up to $9,177,075 and a Graduated Lab Space Grant of up to $5,670,000 from the Delaware Strategic Fund. Distribution of these grants is dependent upon the company meeting commitments as outlined to the CDF, which reviewed and approved Incyte’s request for up to $14,787,075 million in total funding.

“Incyte has been an innovative pillar of the Delaware business community since it was founded here in 2002, and Delaware Prosperity Partnership is pleased to support the company’s expansion into downtown Wilmington,” said Rod Ward, co-chair of DPP’s Board of Directors. “New jobs and capital investment of this project’s magnitude will provide a tremendous boost for the city and create opportunities that will benefit many Delaware families along with the community at large.”

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DPP contact: Susan Coulby, Senior Manager, Communications, 302-983-5710 (cell), scoulby@choosedelaware.com

State of Delaware contact: Emily Hershman, Director of Communications, Office of Governor Carney, 302-943-0097 (cell), Emily.Hershman@delaware.gov

City of Wilmington contact: John Rago, Deputy Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office, 302-420-7928, jrago@WilmingtonDE.gov

Stay Up To Date With Delaware

DPP’s Erica Crell, Dr. Dennis Prather of PSI, DPP’s Noah Olson and Dr. Ahmed Sharkway of PSI following the April 22 CDF meeting.

April 24, 2024

WILMINGTON, Del. – Phase Sensitive Innovations – a veteran-owned, University of Delaware spinoff that specializes in radio-frequency components, devices and systems – has chosen to expand operations in its hometown of Newark, Delaware, to support its continued growth within the domestic defense and global semiconductor industries.

PSI will occupy an approximately 12,000-square-foot site along with its current 20,000-square-feet facility, both of which are located in Sandy Brae Industrial Park in Newark. Along with the physical expansion, PSI plans to expand staff from its current roster of 80 – all but three of whom are engineers – to more than 100 by the end of 2024 and add 30 to 40 more jobs in subsequent years

All of the new jobs will be highly skilled technical positions that provide a high degree of on-the-job training. PSI plans to continue recruiting locally from the University of Delaware and Delaware Technical Community College to fill these roles.

“It’s rewarding to see a Delaware-born company expand in its hometown, adding highly skilled jobs to our workforce and increasing manufacturing and lab space in Newark,” said Governor John Carney. “I’m pleased by Phase Sensitive Innovations’ work to recruit employees from our institutions of higher education. Those relationships and support from the Delaware Prosperity Partnership create a vibrant workforce and strengthen our economy in the First State.”

“I am thrilled Dr. Prather is going to continue expanding in Delaware,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons. “Phase Sensitive Innovations is a remarkable innovative company that manufactures the next generation of technology which translates radio signals into optical signals in no small part because of their patent portfolio and great employees. Dr. Prather and his team of innovators have taken an incredible idea and turned it into a technology that is now contributing to the vibrancy of the Newark economy, the security of the United States and our global competitiveness. From my first meeting with Dennis in the basement of Evans Hall at UD, to my recent visit where I saw his facility in Newark bursting at the seams, PSI is one of the better examples of how strong IP, a great team of people and initial help from SBIRs and STTRs can help research move from the early development to rapidly scaling.”

PSI’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will include more than 8,000 square feet of lab space and will focus on thin-film lithium niobate wafers and devices. This technology enables next-generation communications and radio frequency systems, and PSI is believed to be the only domestic supplier positioned to manufacture these items domestically. The expansion also will free up space in the original building that will be used to expand research and development operations.

PSI has received $110 million in ongoing Department of Defense contracts – extending across Army, Navy, Air Force and Office of the Undersecretary of Defense programs as well as related work with the National Air and Space Administration and the Department of Energy – and other transactional agreements since its founding in 2007. The company expects to book more than $20 million in additional contracts over the next year.

PSI also works directly with prime contractors and other commercial partners to manufacture state-of-the-industry photonic components. The company recently signed a transition agreement to manufacture and supply original equipment manufacturer components to a global leader in photonic components and aims to grow further in the commercial sector with advanced technologies for wireless communications, broadband, smart devices and other applications.

“Congratulations to Dennis Prather and the entire PSI team on the expansion of their facility in Newark,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “It’s critical to Delaware’s job market to retain successful homegrown businesses and to ensure success by creating more high-paying jobs right here in our community.”

DPP has consulted with PSI for several years and worked with the company since mid-2023 to explore growth opportunities. DPP supported PSI’s request to the Council on Development Finance for a Jobs Performance Grant of up to $139,800 and a Graduated Lab Space Grant of up to $566,090 from the Delaware Strategic Fund. Distribution of these grants is dependent upon the company meeting commitments as outlined to the CDF, which reviewed and approved PSI’s request for up to $705,890 in total funding.

“Delaware is so well-placed – with a prime location in the Mid-Atlantic region – and it’s an untapped resource when it comes to technical talent,” said PSI President Dennis Prather, who is also a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Delaware and a veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve and who founded PSI with fellow faculty member Christopher Schuetz. “We are very grateful to the State of Delaware for supporting the expansion of our manufacturing facility, which will enable PSI to become a major provider of a key technology to the defense and commercial sectors for years to come.”

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About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (choosedelaware.com) is the nonprofit public/private organization that leads Delaware’s statewide economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent. To learn more about manufacturing and research and development in Delaware click here.

About Phase Sensitive Innovations

Phase Sensitive Innovations (PSI) is a small, high-technology company specializing in radio-frequency (RF) photonic devices, components and systems, with a particular focus on the millimeter wave (mmW) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. PSI produces high-quality and high-performance RF photonic devices, components and systems with applications that include mmW imaging and wireless communications systems such as 5G/B5G cellular, communications, radar and vision enhancement markets.

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February 26, 2024

WILMINGTON, Del. – FFI Ionix Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortescue, a global green technology, energy and metals company, has chosen Dover, Delaware, to base its operations to support global decarbonization and establishment of the hydrogen economy.

FFI Ionix, which focuses on hydrogen technologies, will relocate from its approximately 15,000-square-foot site in Harrington to 60 Starlifter Avenue within the city limits of Dover. More than 22,000 square feet of the new facility’s almost 57,000 square feet will be lab space.

The physical expansion at the new location also builds capacity for future job expansion, with the potential for new professional and semi-skilled positions, including engineers, lab technicians, chemists, quality control personnel and production and warehouse associates.

“FFI Ionix’s decision to stay and grow in our state is great news for Delaware and our leadership in the hydrogen economy,” said Governor John Carney. “We recently announced investments in downtown Dover, and this expansion will bring even more activity to our state’s capital. This is what the Graduated Lab Space Grants and Strategic Fund are for: keeping and growing innovative companies here in the First State.”

FFI Ionix is part of Fortescue, a company that ranks 414th on the Forbes Global 2000 list, but its origins were founded in Delaware as Xergy. Xergy won more than $10 million in research and development funding and patented more than 100 of its membrane and device innovations before being acquired by Fortescue and transformed into FFI Ionix in 2021.

FFI Ionix is a leader in next-generation electrolysis technology, such as anion exchange membrane (AEM), and is a commercial supplier of membranes for water electrolysis, electrochemical compression, water transmission and fuel cells. The company’s advanced ion-exchange membranes enable more efficient and cost-effective electrolysis, a crucial process for producing green hydrogen from water, and represents continued leadership in membrane research, development and production that benefits customers around the world.

Its focus on innovation in the hydrogen economy aligns with green hydrogen production goals set by the recently designated and federally funded Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub (MACH2), in which Delaware companies will play key roles.

Over the last two years, Delaware Prosperity Partnership – assisted by Kent Economic Partnership and the City of Dover – helped FFI Ionix explore potential Delaware sites while the company also considered out-of-state options. DPP supported FFI Ionix’s request to the Council on Development Finance for a Graduated Lab Space Grant of up to $1,604,960; a Jobs Performance Grant of up to $70,400; and a Jobs Retention Grant of up to $42,500 from the Delaware Strategic Fund.

Distribution of these grants is dependent upon the company meeting commitments as outlined to the CDF, which reviewed and approved FFI Ionix’s request for up to $1,717,860 in total funding. This marks the first time that a Graduated Lab Space Grant has been awarded for a site in Kent County (Central Delaware) since the program was piloted in 2021.

“This is very exciting for Dover and the greater Dover community,” said Dover Mayor Robin R. Christiansen. “Developing here reassures more jobs and more opportunities for our younger generations, in an industry with the potential to grow, all while decreasing our carbon footprint.”

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Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (choosedelaware.com) is the nonprofit public/private organization that leads Delaware’s statewide economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent.

FFI Ionix Inc. is a technology development company focused on global technology leadership and commercialization of hydrogen technologies, including ion-exchange membranes for water electrolysis, electrochemical compression, water transmission and fuel cells. The United States-based company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortescue, a global green technology, energy and metals company recognized for its culture, innovation and industry-leading development of infrastructure, mining assets and green energy initiatives.

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