WestTech London Welcomes Ki Hydrogen as Launch Tenant for New Innovation Hub
NEWS: Cleantech start-up Ki Hydrogen has been announced as the first company to take space at the ambitious new Innovation Hub at 1 Portal Way in North Acton, which will be opening this summer in the heart of WestTech London.
1 Portal Way creates a new West London destination for science, technology and scale-up businesses, boosted by unique support from Imperial Incubator and the wider Imperial ecosystem. Delivered and operated by Sciopolis, 1 Portal Way offers 55,000 sq ft of fresh, affordable innovation space, spanning fully-fitted labs, premium workspace and fantastic event facilities.
The Ki Hydrogen team will occupy 1,500 sq ft of laboratory and office space to drive its scale-up, placing them at the heart of Imperial College London’s Old Oak Innovation Cluster and the broader transformation which is taking place across the area led by Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), together with Ealing Council, Hammersmith and Fulham Council and Brent Council.
Ki Hydrogen – which emerged from Imperial Incubator and Imperial’s innovation ecosystem – is developing a novel biomass electrolysis technology to produce low‑cost green hydrogen and biogenic carbon from waste biomass such as paper and wood.
The company was selected for the inaugural cohort of EarthScale — which supports pioneering climate tech ventures to advance from prototype to commercial manufacturing — plus Imperial’s Undaunted accelerator, a dedicated program supporting climate startups with training, networking and expert mentorship.
“Remaining within the Imperial and WestTech London ecosystem — while gaining the space, capability and flexibility to scale our technology — is a major advantage. We’re excited to grow here in Old Oak and to contribute to this emerging innovation cluster.”
Koji Muto — Co-Founder & CEO, Ki Hydrogen
“Ki Hydrogen’s journey shows exactly what WestTech London is designed to deliver: a place where a startup can launch easily, expand within a supportive community and begin pilot manufacturing locally.”
Graham Hewson — Head of Incubation & Prototyping Spaces, Imperial College London
To discover more about the opportunities for start-ups and scale-ups at 1 Portal Way, head to the Sciopolis website.
Image: Sciopolis CEO Charlie Mitchell pictured with Ki Hydrogen CEO Koji Muto
Photo credit: Sciopolis
