Helix Carbon pitches CO2-recycling electrolyzer at Disrupt
The startup says its electrolyzer can handle a blast furnace's full exhaust stream and cut coke use by 33%.
Helix Carbon presented live onstage on Tuesday in the Startup Battlefield pitch competition at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, according to TechCrunch. The conference runs this week from October 13-15, 2026.
The startup says it can recycle blast furnace waste CO2 back into the furnace using an electrolyzer. It also says its electrolyzer design can handle the entire exhaust stream from a blast furnace.
Helix Carbon is proposing that iron producers start by replacing 33% of their coke. According to the company, using its technology to replace that share of coke would save iron producers $14 per ton of iron.
Context
Blast furnaces have made iron for centuries, using coke, a processed form of coal, to help turn raw iron ore into metallic iron. The iron and steel industries are a combined $2 trillion market, according to Grand View Research. The company's co-founder and CEO, David Brown, said there are blast furnaces that have lived for over 100 years.
Quick answers
What did Helix Carbon present at TechCrunch Disrupt?
Helix Carbon pitched in the Startup Battlefield competition, presenting an electrolyzer it says can recycle blast furnace waste CO2 back into the furnace.
How much does Helix Carbon say its technology could save iron producers?
The company says replacing 33% of coke with its technology would save iron producers $14 per ton of iron.
When is TechCrunch Disrupt taking place?
TechCrunch Disrupt is taking place this week from October 13-15, 2026, in San Francisco.