Koloma Establishes Research Presence in the Innovation District at Ohio State

Koloma, a clean energy startup founded on research from The Ohio State University, opened a new laboratory and offices this week in the Innovation District at Ohio State.

“Ohio State is pleased to welcome this visionary startup to the university’s Innovation District,” said Ravi V. Bellamkonda, executive vice president and provost at Ohio State. “Koloma’s decision to establish its research home here reflects the strength of our ecosystem and the collaborative spirit that defines our university. Together, we’re accelerating discovery, nurturing talent, and shaping the future of innovation.”

The technology behind Koloma comes from Tom Darrah, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences who now serves as Koloma’s chief technology officer and co-founded the company.

Darrah’s work began in the basement of Mendenhall Laboratory on Ohio State’s Columbus campus, where he developed the core technology that powers Koloma today. With support from the university’s Innovation and Commercialization team in the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge, he brought the research to market and was named Ohio State’s Innovator of the Year in 2023.

For Darrah, the pursuit of sustainable energy is personal. He grew up in Centralia, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town abandoned after a mine fire displaced his family.

“Experiencing that as a child impressed on me the need to balance energy production with environmental responsibility,” Darrah said. “It is why I have spent my career researching ways to unlock new resources with less impact.”

While Koloma is headquartered in Denver, the company chose to establish its research presence at Ohio State in the Energy Advancement and Innovation Center at the Innovation District. The new laboratory provides research opportunities, funding and industry partnerships for faculty and students, while also supporting regional economic development through job creation and innovation in Columbus.

“This is the leading laboratory for understanding and exploring natural hydrogen in the world,” Darrah said. “It is a catalyst for advancing a low carbon, abundant energy source in the United States and around the world.”

Natural hydrogen, the first new primary energy source identified since nuclear power in the 1950s, forms underground and can be extracted with minimal environmental impact. Kristen Delano, Koloma’s head of government affairs and public relations, described it as a versatile resource.

“Natural hydrogen is produced beneath the Earth’s surface and is the cleanest option, requiring minimal land and water,” Delano said. “It is a Swiss Army knife of energy, fueling aviation, powering data centers, cleaning up hard to abate sectors and supporting long haul shipping. It will not power cars, but it could be the next primary energy source we need in the United States and worldwide.”

Koloma employs alumni and regularly welcomes Ohio State students as interns in chemistry, earth sciences, and chemical engineering, giving them hands-on experience in the lab building tools to advance hydrogen research. University leaders say the opening of Koloma’s research facility demonstrates how Ohio State discoveries can move from the lab to the marketplace, advancing science, fostering industry collaboration, and driving economic growth in Ohio and nationally.

“We’re proud to see one of our college’s clean energy startups choosing to grow right here,” said Susan Olesik, dean of Natural and Mathematical Sciences in the College of Arts and Science. “Koloma is opening exciting new doors for our students and faculty to engage directly with cutting-edge research and real-world applications.”