Where electrification and hydrogen in industry often run into obstacles related to infrastructure, costs, or availability, Rift chooses a different route. The company is developing a solution for CO₂-free heat up to 1,000 °C based on circular iron fuel, precisely for the heavy processes where emissions are highest.

With this approach, Rift now ranks among the fifty most innovative and promising companies in the Netherlands. Its inclusion in the Sprout Challenger50 is recognition of both the technological breakthrough and the speed with which the company is moving toward real-world application and scaling.

Iron fuel as a clean heat source

Rift focuses on one of the most difficult parts of the energy transition: high-temperature heat for industry and the built environment. Instead of fossil fuels or large-scale modifications to the energy system, the company works with fine iron powder as a fuel.

Combustion produces high-temperature heat while releasing no CO₂. The residual product (iron oxide, essentially rust) can be converted back into new iron. This creates a circular fuel chain that can be deployed without entirely new infrastructure.

Founders Mark Verhagen, Lex Scheepers, and Vincent Seijger thereby show that deep decarbonization of industrial heat does not necessarily require complex conversion chains, but rather the smart application of existing technology in a new context.

International recognition and first deals

Rift’s innovation has not gone unnoticed. The company was previously selected for the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program founded by Bill Gates, a program that supports only a limited number of promising climate solutions. That selection underlines the international potential of iron fuel as an alternative to fossil heat.

At the same time, Rift is taking concrete steps in the market. The first commercial deal has been concluded with Kingspan Unidek, and pilots are running in, among other places, Helmond and Arnhem. This means iron fuel is no longer a concept on the drawing board, but a technology that must prove itself under realistic conditions.

Testing and accelerating

Part of this practical development takes place in the Connectr Innovation Lab at Cleantech Park Arnhem. Here, Rift continues testing the technology in an environment where energy technology, grid infrastructure, and industrial applications come together.

Within the ecosystem around Connectr, technology companies, start-ups, grid operators, and knowledge institutions work closely together. For Rift, this means access to:

• test facilities where systems operate under real-world conditions;
• partners who help think through integration into existing processes;
• a network that helps accelerate the transition from demonstration to scaling.

This combination of technological depth and a strong network makes Arnhem a logical place for a company like Rift to continue growing.

A well-deserved place in the Challenger50

Rift’s position in the Sprout Challenger50 is therefore more than a symbolic recognition. It shows that solutions for clean industrial heat are maturing rapidly and that circular iron fuel can play a serious role in this development.

Rift demonstrates that it is possible to decarbonize heavy heat processes without new large-scale infrastructure or complex intermediate steps. This makes the technology attractive for companies that want to accelerate but are tied to existing installations and locations.

A well-deserved place in the Challenger50 and an important step for a solution that shows truly clean heat is closer than we think.