Mantle8, a French natural H₂ exploration company, has announced the close of its €3.4-MM seed financing round with investment from Kiko Ventures and Breakthrough Energy Ventures Europe (BEV-E), with participation from prominent angel investors.

Mantle8’s proprietary technology combines geophysics, geochemistry and seismic data to accurately detect natural H₂ locations with world-first accuracy. The company can visualize the entire H₂ generating system to evaluate the amount and quality of H₂ present. This breakthrough enables Mantle8 to identify optimal natural H₂ reservoirs and target H₂ production at $0.80/kg – a price point that could revolutionize the clean energy market.

Natural H₂ is produced by nature when water reacts with iron rich rocks underground. Unlike conventional H₂ production methods, natural H₂ does not require energy-intensive separation processes. While low-carbon alternatives such as electrolysis from renewable energies have emerged, they remain costly. As industries worldwide seek sustainable alternatives for hard-to-decarbonize sectors like steel, cement and aviation, natural H₂ has the potential to eliminate the green premium and become the sustainable solution for achieving net-zero goals.

Mantle8 is the first truly geology-based natural H₂ exploration company. Some companies are already experimentally drilling for natural H₂ based on surface or former drill hole indications. But similarly to oil and gas or mining exploration, reliable and significant new finds come from geoscientists analyzing the Earth’s subsurface to evidence the resources available beneath. Mantle8’s 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 H₂ exploration is halved, saving millions in costs.

Mantle8 was founded in 2024 and comprises a team of geologists with 20 years of experience in the field. The funds now secured from Kiko Ventures, BEV-E and prominent angel investors will be used to run a technological pilot to image and quantify H₂ 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.

By 2030 Mantle8 aims to find 10 MMt of natural H₂, complementing the EU goal of producing and importing the same amount of H₂ generated from renewable energy.

“Our science-first approach represents a paradigm shift in H₂ exploration. It makes H₂ 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 H₂ 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 H₂ economy and exited our last investment in H₂ at over a billion; this could be even more valuable.”

“Mantle8’s expansive regional knowledge and geology-based approach to natural H₂ exploration puts the company in a strong position to make affordable H₂ 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 H₂ discovery.”