FirstElement Fuel Funding, Investors & Competitors

FirstElement Fuel has raised $129M across 3 funding rounds, most recently a strategic investment round in December 2025.

Last FirstElement Fuel funding round

Strategic investment

Amount undisclosed · Dec 2025

Cumulative funding FirstElement Fuel raised

$129M

across 3 funding rounds

Key investors in FirstElement Fuel

FirstElement Fuel Overview

About FirstElement Fuel

FirstElement Fuel is a Los Angeles-based operator of retail hydrogen fueling stations for fuel cell electric vehicles. The company manages 18 stations in Southern California, supplying H70-grade hydrogen compliant with California Air Resources Board standards. FirstElement Fuel partners with Honda, Toyota, and Hyundai to support FCEV adoption, with stations integrated into ARCO and Shell forecourts.


Founded

2014

HQ

United StatesLos Angeles, CA

Status

Privately held

Customer focus

B2B & B2C

Revenue model

Usage-based

FirstElement Fuel Funding History

FirstElement Fuel has raised a total of $129M across 3 funding rounds.

FirstElement Fuel's first fundraising round was a $24M strategic investment round in April 2019. The most recent completed round was a strategic investment round in December 2025.

FirstElement Fuel funding rounds

FirstElement Fuel funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
Dec 2025Strategic investmentToyota Motor North America (lead)-FirstElement Fuel operates the True Zero network, the largest retail hydrogen fueling infrastructure provider in California with 92 retail fueling positions across 38 locations, supporting fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty applications. The company provides fast refueling with water vapor as the only byproduct and aims to accelerate widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel and expand infrastructure to build a hydrogen economy. On December 12, 2025, Toyota Motor North America announced a strategic corporate minority investment in FirstElement Fuel to strengthen U.S. hydrogen infrastructure for current and future FCEVs. This partnership reinforces Toyota's commitment to hydrogen mobility and bolsters the retail fueling network in California. FirstElement Fuel has notable investors including Air Water, MUFG Bank, Nikkiso, Japan Infrastructure Initiative, Mitsui & Co., Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and Air Liquide, with prior funding such as a $7.7M grant in 2023. The company was founded by Joel Ewanick, Shane Stephens, and Tim Brown, with operations dating back to at least 2014 through partnerships with Honda, Toyota, and the California Energy Commission.
Nov 2021Series DAir Water; Nikkiso Co; MUFG Bank; Japan Infrastructure Initiative Company$105MFirstElement Fuel, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Irvine, California, operates the world's largest hydrogen fueling network under the True Zero brand, supplying retail hydrogen for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) via liquid hydrogen, which is more efficient than gaseous methods. By November 2021, the company had grown to 31 stations in California, representing the top market share among 52 total stations, with a capacity of 16,500 kg/day, and plans to expand to 80 stations by 2024. The network had dispensed 2,668,334 kg of hydrogen since December 2015, enabling 171 million zero-emission miles and avoiding 110 million pounds of CO2 emissions. On November 8, 2021, FirstElement Fuel closed a $105 million Series D funding round led by investors including Air Water, MUFG Bank, Ltd., Japan Infrastructure Initiative Company, and Nikkiso Co., Ltd., bringing total funding to around $241 million across multiple rounds. The capital supports network expansion amid California's mandates for zero-emission vehicles by 2035 and growing FCV production by automakers like Honda and Toyota. Air Water aims to provide liquefied hydrogen tanks and trailers to enhance station operations. Operational traction in 2021 included 700,000 kg of hydrogen dispensed year-to-date and 94,000 kg in October alone, with records like 3,968 kg single-day sales and 23,719 kg over seven days. The company focuses on California as a key market for hydrogen infrastructure, partnering with entities like the California Energy Commission, amid rising demand for FCEVs in light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty applications.
Apr 2019Strategic investmentAir Liquide (lead); Hy Solution (lead)$24MFirstElement Fuel operates the True Zero network of hydrogen fueling stations supporting zero-emission fuel cell vehicles, including light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty models, with fast refueling producing only water vapor as a byproduct. The company develops and manages a chain of retail hydrogen stations, partnering with entities like Honda, Toyota, and the California Energy Commission since at least 2014. In early 2019, around March-April, FirstElement secured $24 million in funding, with Air Liquide and Mitsui Group's Hy Solution each investing $12 million to support network expansion and hydrogen infrastructure growth. This round aimed to boost capacities amid increasing fuel cell electric vehicle adoption and California's hydrogen refueling initiatives. Around the funding time, FirstElement Fuel was actively involved in California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure (HRI) crediting program, operating multiple stations such as Truckee (266 kg/day capacity, effective April 2019), Coalinga, and Studio City (808 kg/day with 2 units, effective July 2019). By Q2 2019, the state had over 55,000 kg/day available hydrogen capacity across 38 participating stations with 60 fueling positions, reflecting growing utilization and scale in FCEV infrastructure. Air Liquide also operated stations like Palo Alto (136 kg/day). The investments aligned with broader momentum, including Hyundai's FCEV Vision 2030 for 40,000 fuel cell stacks annually by 2022, Air Liquide's 30 ton/day hydrogen production facility, and strategies to reduce station costs and build times. FirstElement contributed to standards development and commercial market transition. Later, the company attracted additional investors like Toyota, NIKKISO, MUFG, Mitsubishi HC Capital, Air Water, Mitsui & Co., Japan Infrastructure Initiative, and Japan Bank for International Cooperation between 2021-2023, indicating sustained expansion in the hydrogen economy.

Who has invested in FirstElement Fuel?

7 investors have backed FirstElement Fuel across its funding rounds, including MUFG Bank, Air Liquide, Air Water, Japan Infrastructure Initiative Company, Nikkiso Co and Hy Solution.

Lead investors include Toyota Motor North America, Air Liquide and Hy Solution.


FirstElement Fuel Investors

Investors in FirstElement Fuel by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
Toyota Motor North AmericaUnited StatesUnited States1LeadDec 2025
Air LiquideFranceParis1LeadApr 2019
Hy SolutionIndiaMadurai1LeadApr 2019
Air WaterJapanOsaka1ParticipantNov 2021
Nikkiso CoJapanTokyo1ParticipantNov 2021

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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FirstElement Fuel Competitors

FirstElement Fuel competitors include listed companies like Enbridge, Williams Companies, Enterprise Products and Energy Transfer, and private ones like TenneT Germany and GNDB.

Public and private companies comparable to FirstElement Fuel
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
EnbridgeCanadaCanadaPublicly listed$47B$15B$109B3.6x
Williams CompaniesUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$12B$7.4B$88B9.8x
Enterprise ProductsUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$53B$9.6B$83B1.9x
Energy TransferUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$86B$15B$72B1.5x
TenneT GermanyGermanyBayreuthPrivate--$46B-
GNDBSpainBarcelonaPrivate-$1B$16B-

FirstElement Fuel Public Comps

FirstElement Fuel is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Enbridge, Williams Companies, Enterprise Products, Energy Transfer, Kinder Morgan, TC Energy, Targa Resources, Cenovus Energy, MPLX and ONEOK.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Enbridge$47B$15B4.2x3.6x13.3x13.3x
Williams Companies$12B$7.4B10.1x9.8x16.4x14.6x
Enterprise Products$53B$9.6B2.2x1.9x12.3x11.0x
Energy Transfer$86B$15B1.9x1.5x10.5x8.8x
Kinder Morgan$17B$8.2B6.1x5.8x12.5x11.6x
TC Energy$11B$7.8B10.7x10.3x15.1x14.0x
Targa Resources$17B$4.9B4.7x4.3x16.6x14.2x
Cenovus Energy$38B$7.3B1.8x1.6x9.2x5.7x

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Common questions about FirstElement Fuel

When was FirstElement Fuel founded?FirstElement Fuel was founded in 2014.
Where is FirstElement Fuel headquartered?FirstElement Fuel is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Is FirstElement Fuel publicly listed?No, FirstElement Fuel is a private, VC-backed company.
How much funding has FirstElement Fuel raised?FirstElement Fuel has raised $129M across 3 funding rounds.
What was FirstElement Fuel's last funding round?FirstElement Fuel's last funding round was a strategic investment round in December 2025, led by Toyota Motor North America.
Who are FirstElement Fuel's investors?FirstElement Fuel's investors include Toyota Motor North America, Air Liquide, Hy Solution, Air Water, Nikkiso Co, MUFG Bank and Japan Infrastructure Initiative Company.
Which companies are comparable to FirstElement Fuel?Companies comparable to FirstElement Fuel include Enbridge, Williams Companies, Enterprise Products, Energy Transfer, TenneT Germany and GNDB.

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