BUSAN — Vazen, a deep-tech startup based in Busan, is developing domestically produced high-pressure hydrogen safety valves as demand grows for core safety components alongside the expansion of hydrogen refueling stations and storage and transport facilities. Having completed a prototype and built its own ultra-high-pressure testing environment, the company plans to accelerate performance verification and commercialization on the back of fresh investment and overseas partnerships.
Vazen received seed investment on the 13th of this month from the Busan Unicorn Startup Angel Investment Fund, operated by the Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, according to industry sources on the 16th. The investment amount was not disclosed.
Drawing on its technology and experience in industrial safety valves, Vazen is developing high-pressure safety valves for hydrogen infrastructure. The prototype has been completed, and the company is preparing for performance verification and certification. It has also built an in-house testing environment capable of directly verifying product performance and reliability under ultra-high-pressure conditions, laying the groundwork for full-scale commercialization.
The company is also working with potential customers to confirm its commercial prospects. It is in talks with domestic hydrogen and industrial equipment companies on product applications and supply, and has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with a Japanese company to discuss prototype evaluation and possible future supply. Vazen plans to expand into overseas markets on the basis of domestic certification and customer validation.
Vazen, which operates an in-house research institute and was selected this year for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Youth Startup Academy, demonstrating its research and development capabilities, will use the investment to upgrade its products, obtain certification, strengthen its production base and secure customers at home and abroad. "We will accelerate certification and commercialization of high-pressure hydrogen safety valves and prove our competitiveness not only in localizing domestic components but also in overseas markets such as Japan," said Vazen CEO Yoon Jang-geun.
The Busan center's investment is significant in that it identifies the potential for localizing core components in the hydrogen industry and supports early-stage commercialization. "Vazen has deep expertise in designing high-pressure safety valves for hydrogen, along with strong execution by its chief executive and team," an investment official at the center said. "We decided on this seed investment because the company has significant growth potential as the hydrogen economy expands."