HZwei magazine, a leading publication in the hydrogen industry, recently featured Hyfindr in an exclusive interview with our Managing Director and Co-Founder, Dr. Björn Lüssow. The discussion explored how Hyfindr’s new supplier module is transforming procurement in the hydrogen sector, making it more efficient, transparent, and accessible for businesses worldwide.
In the interview, Dr. Lüssow shares insights into the challenges of hydrogen procurement, the role of digital marketplaces in accelerating the growth of hydrogen fuel and hydrogen production, and how Hyfindr is driving innovation in the industry. As hydrogen suppliers and manufacturers seek smarter procurement solutions, Hyfindr is making it easier for companies to find suppliers and streamline their sourcing process. This innovation is crucial in an evolving hydrogen industry, where efficiency and transparency are key to scaling green hydrogen and advancing hydrogen energy solutions worldwide.
Read the full interview below as published in HZwei Magazine.
ACCELERATING PURCHASING PROCESSES
Employees in development and purchasing departments are always searching for suitable technical products for their projects. Without sufficient transparency regarding the supply chain, there is a risk that manufacturers will be overlooked and not requested to quote, even though they offer suitable products. The company Hyfindr has developed an approach to make the corresponding business relationship initiation for the global hydrogen industry more efficient. Their newly developed supplier module makes it possible to address all suppliers listed on Hyfindr in a product category with just a few clicks. H2-International had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Björn Lüssow, Managing Director and co-founder of the Stuttgart-based company, about this.
We talked about Hyfindr back in early 2023. How has your company and the B2B marketplace you operate developed?
Our digital B2B platform has grown continuously. Several thousand professionals already use Hyfindr every day. If you compare the origin of the users of our platform with the locations of international projects in the industry, you can clearly see that Hyfindr is being used where the hydrogen industry is currently taking place globally. We are very pleased about this. Professionals appreciate the fact that technical products and services are presented in high quality and are easy to find. Our team has also grown, which has resulted in a move to a larger office. We have also brought strategic investors on board to support our mission. Finally, we are currently establishing an international partner network to support our customers locally in relevant markets. We are all driven by the desire to bring greater transparency to the hydrogen industry with the Hyfindr B2B platform and to offer digital business processes that help this important industry to grow faster and better worldwide.
What is the aim of the new supplier module and what advantages does it offer?
The supplier module is intended to radically simplify the procurement processes for technical products in the hydrogen industry. Due to the lack of transparency in the technical supply chain, the problems start with the question: Who supplies what? Over the past few years, we have continuously built up a high-quality database behind the scenes, from which it is possible to see which companies can cover which product categories globally. Thousands of suppliers are stored in it - and only for the hydrogen industry. We would now like to make this wealth of data available to professionals in an intelligent way. With the new supplier module on our B2B platform, users can contact all relevant suppliers in a category with just a few clicks, without having to research and contact each individual supplier themselves. This also offers advantages for suppliers. They are efficiently informed about business inquiries in a category and can contact potential customers via efficient workflows. This saves a lot of time for both sides and ensures that no potential suppliers are overlooked.
Where does the supplier data come from and how do you ensure its quality?
Our data comes from various sources: from the companies themselves, from publicly available data and through our collaboration with industry experts. We rely on regular data updates and a clear quality process in which we validate the company data to ensure that all information is up-to-date and correct.
How exactly does an inquiry via the new supplier module work?
A user fills out a form to specify which component or service is required, for example an air compressor for a fuel cell system. Care should be taken to explain clearly and in detail what exactly is needed and for what purpose. The tool is therefore only for serious requests between companies. The user can also choose the countries from which a user would like to source from. The suppliers known to us in the respective product category are displayed and can be selected. With just a few clicks, the enquirer can determine the exact scope of their inquiry. After the inquiry has been sent, our team briefly checks whether it is a serious inquiry. If this is the case, our B2B platform automatically forwards the inquiry to all selected suppliers. If the companies contacted do not yet have a user account with Hyfindr, they can create one to respond to the request and submit a quote. The process is efficient and transparent.
What are the advantages for suppliers who receive inquiries via Hyfindr?
Suppliers benefit from being approached directly by qualified customers. They receive relevant inquiries from their target group without having to actively search for new customers. This increases the efficiency of their sales processes and opens new business opportunities. Nowadays, the principle of “digital first” applies, especially when initiating business relationships. Companies should be represented on all relevant business channels. Due to the significantly increased importance of our B2B platform, registering as a supplier with Hyfindr is certainly not a disadvantage.
Is use of the supplier module free of charge?
Companies that want to use the new supplier module can test it several times free of charge. This applies to both the enquirer and the supplier. We have currently set it up so that three inquiries in categories are free of charge, and three responses to inquiries are also free of charge for suppliers. An annual fee is thereafter payable by the companies. In our opinion, however, the amount is not significant in view of the increased efficiency the R&D, purchasing or sales departments can achieve with our new module. There are no additional costs for companies that already list their product portfolio on our B2B marketplace.
How can suppliers that are not yet in your database become part of Hyfindr?
It's very simple: Suppliers can register directly on our platform. Setting up such an account for the respective company does not initially generate any costs. The company then can select from a range of digital services of us the right digital services for their business. We are also happy to advise the relevant companies personally.
What feedback do you get from users, both on the buyer and supplier side?
The supplier module is only available for a very short time, so there are no reliable findings yet. The response from professionals who we showed the digital product to in advance at trade fairs was very positive. With the supplier module, we now want to make our data available to the hydrogen industry, even if not all functionalities were launched immediately. I would be delighted if companies would test the supplier module. I am very confident that it will be very well received on the market.
In which direction is Hyfindr developing? Is it on its way to becoming the “Amazon of the hydrogen industry”?
Comparison is often made in that regard, but we see ourselves more as a specialized B2B platform that has set itself the goal of mapping the requirements of the hydrogen industry as well as possible and offering innovative digital services. One example of innovative digital services is the supplier module.
What role does your YouTube channel play in your strategy?
Our YouTube channel is very important to us and is an integral part of our strategy. We want to share knowledge and strengthen the community with our tech videos. We regularly publish videos on technology, innovative products and practical use cases. My co-founder, Steven Oji, conducts detailed technical discussions. In this way, we reach interested parties and professionals who want to be educated or inspired in equal measure. The companies that present themselves in the Hyfindr videos also benefit because they can communicate their expertise to potential customers. We are delighted that our YouTube channel is growing rapidly. Further innovative formats are also planned.
What innovations are you currently working on?
We are currently making our B2B platform even more user-friendly. We have also been heavily involved in the topic of artificial intelligence for some time now. An AI assistant is already helping registered suppliers to use Hyfindr. But we are pursuing much more ambitious goals. I am very curious to see how the hydrogen industry will react to our innovations in 2025. For us, this is not about being in love with technology. Rather, we are convinced that we can further increase the customer benefits of Hyfindr with our IT innovations. Our goal is to make Hyfindr the central point of contact for professionals in the hydrogen industry worldwide if they are looking for something and want to initiate and conduct business efficiently.
Read the Interview in HZwei Magazine
Hyfindr continues to innovate and support the hydrogen industry with cutting-edge solutions. If you want to learn more about our Supplier Module and how it can streamline your procurement process, visit Supplier Module or contact us for more details.