PEM Electrolyzer Catalyst Patent Snapshot 2026
The PEM electrolyzer catalyst patent space is highly concentrated, with Ohmium International holding a commanding position among a small, emerging field of filers. Activity peaked around 2021 and has plateaued since, signaling a maturing but still forming competitive structure.
Ohmium International leads a tightly concentrated, nascent field
Ohmium International Inc ranks first with 6 patent records, representing a visible share of a corpus where the top five filers collectively account for 86% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total. The University of Southern Denmark and IRD Fuel Cells each hold 2 patent records, placing them in a distant but meaningful second tier.
The tier gap between the leader and all other applicants is substantial. With only 11 patent families in scope and seven distinct applicants, the field remains small and early-stage in terms of portfolio depth, creating room for new entrants to establish differentiated positions without immediately confronting entrenched incumbents.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohmium International Inc | 6 | |
| 2 | University of Southern Denmark | 2 | |
| 3 | IRD Fuel Cells A/S | 2 | |
| 4 | Suzhou Langtai New Energy Technology Co Ltd | 1 | |
| 5 | Yunnan Precious Metals Lab Co Ltd | 1 | |
| 6 | Central South University | 1 | |
| 7 | Guangdong Mingyang Wind Power Industry Group Co Ltd | 1 |
Ohmium’s lead is built primarily across powder metallurgy and electrolytic compound production branches, suggesting a vertically integrated materials-to-device approach. The academic filers — University of Southern Denmark and Central South University — concentrate on core electrolytic chemistry, signaling that foundational catalyst science is still being published through institutional channels rather than captured in deep industrial portfolios.
Patent records from 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and likely undercount actual recent filings; the apparent thinning of activity in 2024–2026 should not be read as a withdrawal of interest. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2021 surge has plateaued; electrolytic chemistry dominates the technology mix
Filing activity spiked sharply in 2021 before settling, and the technology composition is anchored in electrolytic compound production with secondary coverage in powder metallurgy and alloy design. These two charts together indicate where IP density is concentrated and where the field’s activity envelope currently sits.
Annual filing trend
Filings were negligible from 2017 through 2020, then jumped to 5 records in 2021 — the field’s peak year — before dropping and stabilizing at low single-digit levels in 2023 and 2024. The near-zero counts in 2025–2026 reflect publication lag rather than a real cessation of activity and should not be interpreted as decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) covers all 11 patent records and is the field’s definitional core. B22F (powder metallurgy) appears in 6 records, underlining the centrality of electrode fabrication techniques to catalyst IP. C22C (alloys), B82Y (nanotechnology), and C01G (compounds of other metals) each appear in 3 or fewer records, marking them as adjacent and currently sparse branches.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Bifunctional electrocatalyst
The present invention relates to bifunctional electrocatalyst for hydrogen electrooxidation and oxygen evolution reactions in water electrolyzers. The present invention also relates to a method to produce the bifunctional electrocatalyst and the PEM electrolyzer comprising the bifunctional electrocatalyst. (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一种与可再生能源自洽的高效、低成本质子交换膜电解水制氢控制系统及控制方法 | 5 |
| 2 | Porous electrolyzer gas diffusion layer and method… | 4 |
| 3 | Ru<sub>x</sub>Cr<sub>1-x</sub>O<sub>2</sub>双金属电催化材… | 2 |
| 4 | 一种纳米花状铱基PEM电解水析氧催化剂的制备方法 | 2 |
| 5 | Porous electrolyzer gas diffusion layer and method… | 2 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Ohmium International Inc
Ohmium International leads with 6 patent records — more than all other applicants combined. Its technology focus spans B22F powder metallurgy and C25B electrolytic compound production across multiple sub-classes (C25B 1, C25B 11), indicating an integrated approach covering both catalyst material synthesis and electrode assembly. Momentum is flagged as a new entrant in this specific corpus, consistent with a company building its IP position in a nascent category.
patent records: 6University of Southern Denmark & IRD Fuel Cells
The University of Southern Denmark and IRD Fuel Cells each hold 2 patent records and are the only applicants with documented co-filing activity between them. Both concentrate on C25B 1 and C25B 11, the core electrolytic chemistry sub-classes, without the powder metallurgy dimension that distinguishes Ohmium. Both are flagged as new entrants in this corpus, and their collaboration suggests a joint technology development program rather than independent parallel tracks.
patent records: 2 eachFrequently asked questions
The corpus contains 11 patent families in scope. This is a small, nascent field and the corpus size reflects the early commercialization stage of dedicated PEM catalyst IP.
Ohmium International Inc leads with 6 patent records, more than all other applicants combined. The University of Southern Denmark and IRD Fuel Cells each hold 2 patent records in second position.
China and WIPO (PCT) are co-equal lead jurisdictions with 3 patent records each, followed by Europe (EPO) and the United States with 2 each, and India with 1. The PCT-heavy profile indicates applicants are preserving broad international coverage.
C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) covers all 11 patent records and is the definitional core. B22F (powder metallurgy) appears in 6 records, and C22C (alloys) in 3. B82Y (nanotechnology) and C01G (compounds of other metals) each appear in only 1 record.
Yes. The University of Southern Denmark and IRD Fuel Cells co-filed 2 records together, the strongest collaboration pair in the corpus. Yunnan Precious Metals Lab and Central South University co-filed 1 record, reflecting a Chinese research-institute partnership.
The field is assessed as Maturity, with annual filings having plateaued near their 2021 peak. Given the small corpus size, this reflects stalled momentum in an early-stage area rather than saturation, and the 2024–2026 thinning is partly attributable to publication lag.
Ready to map your own PEM catalyst Snapshot?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.