Helios
EnergyOverview: Helios
Helios has created a novel technology to refine iron, including low-grade iron ores and mining waste, with zero carbon emissions using 30% less energy and with 20% reduced operating costs allowing for once thought depleted mines to stay open.
Helios’ process, known as the Helios Cycle™, uses sodium as the critical reducing agent to convert iron ore to iron instead of heavily polluting coke (a type of coal), the conventional reducing agent, which emits high levels of CO2 from traditional blast furnaces. The Helios process emits only oxygen as a byproduct. If a renewable energy source is used, the whole process is 100% carbon emissions-free.
The details here are based on information received from, and verified solely by, the company.
Helios Management Team
Jonathan Geifman
CEO, Chairman, Co-Founder
Jonathan Geifman is the co-founder of Helios, as well as CEO and co-founder of two companies operating in the fields of product development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution in Israel, Europe, and the US. Jonathan is experienced in managing C-level executives, raising funds (raised over $17M for Helios), and business development in the raw materials industries in Europe, US, Japan, India and LATAM. Jonathan was a captain (res.) in the IDF's Infantry Corps with over 15 years of experience in leadership roles.
LinkedIn profileDr. Linoam Eliad
CTO, Co-Founder
Dr. Linoam Eliad has a PhD in electrochemistry and physical chemistry from Bar-Ilan University under the guidance of Prof. Doron Aurbach. Linoam has 15 years of experience in academia and industry leading research teams, developing commercial electrochemical processes and cells, and developing high vacuum systems. He is an expert in conducting cyclic voltammetry. Linoam will lead the company's R&D efforts throughout this proposed project.
LinkedIn profileOhad Hallak
CFO & COO, Board Member, Co-founder
Ohad Hallak is experienced as an analyst in the IDF with the rank of captain, in the Ministry of Defense – Budget Department, and financial advisor to the Chief of the General Staff, as well as an analyst in a financial trading firm. He is a certified financial risk manager (FRM), with a BA in economics and an MBA with financial expertise, both from Tel-Aviv University (Israel).
LinkedIn profileDr. Yossi Goffer
Chief Science Officer
Dr. Yossi Goffer has a PhD in electrochemistry and physical chemistry from Bar-Ilan University (Israel) under the guidance of Professor Doron Aurbach. Dr. Goffer has extensive academic experience including four years as a post-doctoral fellow in two leading universities in the US in electrochemistry, physical chemistry, and chemical analysis, and the last 20+ years studying alternative energy sources. In the last 25 years Dr. Goffer has been involved in several scientific and technological endeavors, mainly focused on the research and development of innovative energy storage and conversion.
Bat-Chen Herchkovich
Chief Business Officer
Bat-Chen has vast entrepreneurial experience and deep understanding in the auto-tech world serving in leadership roles including as a co-founder and CEO, VP of business development and technical projects, and as a management team leader. Bat-Chen (Adv.) holds an MBA in technology, entrepreneurship and innovation, and a BA and LLB in law and business. Bat-Chen was a major (res.) in the Israeli Air Force and is still managing operational combat teams in the reserves.
LinkedIn profileDr. Hani Farran
VP R&D
Hani Farran holds a PhD in physical chemistry and is an expert in materials science. She specializes in leading product development from concept to final product. With 17 years of experience across the full product development cycle in the energy devices market, including the automotive and security industries, as well as in 3D printing machines for heavy industry, she also has nine years of management experience in multidisciplinary startup companies. This background has given her extensive expertise in building, mentoring, and leading R&D and engineering teams toward successful product outcomes.
LinkedIn profileAt a Glance: Helios
Helios began as a space technology company with the bold mission to extract oxygen from the moon. Faced with a severe and unforgiving lunar environment, Helios’ research team was pushed to achieve unprecedented innovation. Its challenge was to enable the separation of oxygen from lunar minerals in extreme environments, where zero emissions are not an option but a necessity.
Helios’ efforts resulted in a breakthrough zero-emission method for metal production, applicable both in space and on Earth. This process, known as the Helios cycle™, produces iron from iron ore, using renewable energy, while emitting only oxygen. It requires less energy than traditional methods, dramatically cutting costs and minimizing environmental impact.
From Helios’ initial “Moonshot,” the company has evolved into a leader in green steel innovation, poised to transform the trillion-dollar steel industry. Through strategic partnerships and collaborations, Helios is scaling operations and advancing its ambitious vision, on Earth and beyond.
High-grade ore is crucial for green steel production.
Operational mines of high-grade ore are nearly exhausted. Producing high-grade ore is expensive and generates billions of tons of tailings, waste materials left after extracting valuable minerals. These tailings present severe environmental and safety risks, as improper disposal can lead to contamination and catastrophic disasters.
Additionally, the industry’s dependence on carbon-intensive processes, such as using coke in blast furnaces, results in substantial greenhouse gas emissions. This makes the sector a prime target for stricter environmental regulations and carbon taxes.
These challenges, combined with fluctuating raw material costs and the need for substantial investment in cleaner technologies, create a complex landscape for steel producers striving to achieve profitability and sustainability.
Helios does not require steelmakers to alter their processes, as the Helios product can be integrated into their existing infrastructure, which can reduce costs and facilitate faster adoption.
The sodium-based process binds oxygen to sodium instead of carbon, creating sodium oxide, which can be reused, thus promoting a circular economy. This new approach mitigates the environmental impact associated with traditional iron production, including the handling of ore tailings (low grade ore) and the reduction of hazardous waste. This novel green steel method produces zero direct carbon emissions.
Unlike other green steel technologies, Helios does not require steelmakers to make major changes to their existing processes. The method requires 30% less energy than the industry standard and operates at temperatures so low that even a household oven could initiate the process.
Information sourced from www.heliosmatters.com, verified solely by the company.