Emission Free Generators

Traditional generators leave 127 million Americans in the dark. That’s why Emission Free Generators (EFG) has created a powerful, reliable alternative.

It’s developed a hydrogen-powered on-demand portable generator. This device produces zero emissions, runs silently, and can fit on your bedroom nightstand. Most importantly, it offers immediate power, enabling:

One billion people without reliable power to gain immediate access — no grid infrastructure required.

Medical devices, refrigerators, and essential electronics to stay running when the grid fails.

And power generation that is free from harmful carbon emissions.

Right now, the U.S. is considered the “blackout capital of the developed world.” Think about it…

The lights flicker, then go dark. Your cell phone battery is dwindling. The humming from the refrigerator stops. Suddenly, you’re cut off from power and from the world.

For millions of Americans, this isn’t a rare scenario. In fact, it’s becoming more and more frequent. America’s power grid is struggling to keep up with rising energy demands from electric vehicles and data centers. Meanwhile, seventy percent of power-transmission lines have exceeded their fifty-year lifespan.

The result is outages that last nearly three times longer than they did in 2017. More than 1,600 major blackouts happen annually. And eighty percent of Americans don’t have a backup power solution.

That’s why EFG’s system can be so valuable. It’s a portable generator that’s safe for indoor use and powers devices for hours. Here’s how it works:

Simply insert a special cartridge into the generator and add water. Each cartridge contains a specialized powder that creates hydrogen on-demand. It works with any water source — tap water, rainwater, even pond water — to power devices and provide instant electricity.

Though it’s small in size — the unit measures 10’’ by 9’’ by 15’’ — it can power a CPAP machine for eighteen hours, a fridge for nine hours, home-office electronics for twelve hours, and outdoor lights and devices for up to fifteen hours — all from a single cartridge.

To make money, EFG employs a razor/razor-blade business model. It sells the generator to bring in revenue up front and earns recurring revenue through sales of its cartridges. Each cartridge retails for $6.45.

EFG is targeting the $7.8 billion market for generators. More than $1.5 billion of this market includes those who use non-gas-powered generators (battery and solar-powered ones).

Notably, California recently passed a ban on gas-powered generators, which takes effect in 2028. The problem is that California is the U.S. blackout capital. Nearly one in four blackouts happens in the Golden State.

Residents there need a clean-energy generator solution. And that’s what EFG offers, and why it’s initially targeting California for its launch.

EFG aims to complete pre-production of its generator in Q4 2025 and launch initial production in Q1 2026.

The company has four pending patents, covering its cartridge system, chemical process, safety mechanism, and system architecture. Its generator has undergone more than 10,000 hours of real-world testing.

EFG has raised $750,000 from Corp. Venture Capital and received a $280,000 grant from SoCal Gas, a California utilities company.

The company is a member of the Cleantech San Diego accelerator program and was the 2024 winner of the Caltech Rocket Fund, selected from more than 260 applicants.

EFG presented its technology to NASA for potential space applications and the U.S. Army funded development of the prototype of the generator and field testing.

Team Background

Mark Collins - Founder & CEO

Mark is an inventor with twenty-eight patents. He has created and commercialized products for more than thirty-five years and achieved three successful exits.

In addition to his role with EFG, he is CEO of Collins Synergy, a product-development company. He’s also Managing Director of Surface Control, a company creating a product to prevent floor-slipping accidents.

Previously, Mark was R&D Director with Concentrated Solutions, a company creating consumer-cleaning products. Before that, he was Managing Director of Xtreme Materials, a company that developed a range of products made from marble, granite, and terrazzo materials.

He began his career spending twenty-eight years with Waterbed Group, a product-development company.

Mark studied at the University of Chichester and East Surrey College.

Tom Buday - Chief Marketing Officer

Tom has extensive experience in product launches and environmental branding.

Before joining EFG in 2022, he spent sixteen years with Nestle, a consumer-products brand, as its Vice President of Marketing and Head of Marketing & Consumer Communication. He also spent four years as European Marketing Director with Nestle Purina.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Penn State and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati.

Chase Collins - Chief Technology Officer

Chase is a co-creator of EFG’s proprietary chemical formulation that helps power its generators. He created this after gaining a decade of experience in hydrogen technology.

Prior to EFG, he was Founder & Chief Technology Officer of Collins Synergy, a family-run product-development company.

Co-Investors