HyPoint

01 / WHAT IT BUILT

What the company did

HyPoint was a Menlo Park, California startup developing turbo air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell systems for aviation. Founded in 2018 and led by CEO Alex Ivanenko, it built lightweight, high-power-density fuel cells — claiming three times the specific power of existing fuel cells and five times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries — for eVTOLs, helicopters, drones and electric aircraft with zero CO2 emissions. It unveiled an operable prototype in 2021 and signed a development agreement with Piasecki Aircraft for helicopter fuel-cell drives. In October 2022, hydrogen-electric aviation company ZeroAvia acquired HyPoint in full, integrating all 40 employees into its hydrogen power generation systems division.

03 / EVENT HISTORY

Events in the structured record

1. 2018
   Company founded

   HyPoint is founded in Menlo Park, California to develop turbo air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell systems for electric aviation.

2. 2021
   Product launch

   HyPoint unveils the first operable prototype of its turbo air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell system and signs a development agreement with Piasecki Aircraft for helicopter fuel-cell drives.

3. 2022
   Acquisition

   On October 6, 2022, ZeroAvia announces it has acquired HyPoint in full; all 40 employees join ZeroAvia, with CEO Alex Ivanenko becoming GM for VTOL and New Segments.

05 / CAUSAL CHAIN

How the factors connect

1. 01

   2018: founded in Menlo Park; turbo air-cooled hydrogen fuel cells

2. 02

   2021: operable prototype; Piasecki helicopter partnership

3. 03

   2022: acquired in full by ZeroAvia (Oct 6)

4. 04

   All 40 employees join ZeroAvia's hydrogen division