DENS history since 2014
The DENS story: from TU/e student team to a leading battery manufacturer
In 2014 eight students started Team FAST at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). Today 180 people at DENS develop the most reliable energy solutions for a global customer base.
2014where it started
400+projects
100+companies energized
180employees
2014 to 2017
Team FAST
Students at Eindhoven University of Technology set out to prove that formic acid could store and release hydrogen safely, as a liquid.
September 2014
Team FAST is founded
Eight Honors students start Team FAST, with one mission: show this technology to the world at scale.
January 2015
First concept
Ten students build a 600 mW car that runs on formic acid.
March 2015
Formauto Junior
Six months in, the team presents a one-metre car with 25 W of power.
June 2015
BrainsAward
Team FAST wins the BrainsAward Sustainability Prize in Eindhoven.
July 2017
Bus concept
The team presents a 12-metre VDL bus concept running on formic acid.
“Watching that little car pulling away for the first time… It was as though you had invented a completely new fuel.”
Max Aerts, CEO
2018 to 2021
Hydrozine
Formic acid became Hydrozine, a safe liquid hydrogen carrier. The goal: replace diesel generators.
June 2018
First field test
The formic acid generator runs outside for the first time, at the N211 reconstruction with BAM.
July 2018
DENS is founded
Max Aerts and Tijn Swinkels take the technology to market as DENS, Dutch Energy Solutions.
December 2018
X2 prototype
The first 2 kW prototype is ready for testing.
December 2019
First 25 kW generator
Tested with Heijmans at the Atlas Living Lab, together with TU/e.
December 2020
Market introduction
The first pilot series of 25 kW Hydrozine generators.
“We were the only researchers in the world to have succeeded in making a working model of this size.”
Tijn Swinkels, co-founder
2022 to 2024
Batteries
While Hydrozine matured, we put our battery know-how to work, and the Powerhub was born.
2022
Powerhub launch
The first four units go to Van der Zanden and Weijtmans.
January 2023
Own production line
From design to production of the world’s largest mobile battery in a few months.
May 2023
World’s largest mobile battery
A 2.32 MWh Powerhub goes into service on an emission-free construction site.
May 2023
New home
DENS moves into the former Lightyear building on the Automotive Campus. The team grows from 50 to 94, and we post our first positive quarterly result.
February 2024
Powertrains
Integrated batteries for OEMs, with customers like Fundex, AMT and Liebherr.
May 2024
Gridhub
Our stationary battery for grid congestion, used by customers like Porsche and Canpack.
October 2024
100th integrated battery
Delivered for the RELLY mini loader.
2024
First full-year profit
DENS achieves its first full-year profit.
2025 to now
Scale-up
Ten years after the first formic acid car, DENS powers sites across Europe.
July 2025
Heijmans mobile charging station
Heijmans deploys the first mobile charging station for electric machinery, at an emission free runway renewal at Schiphol airport, powered by a 1.2 MWh DENS Powerhub.
August 2025
PSV
PSV installs an advanced stationary DENS battery system next to the Philips Stadium.
October 2025
Paris-Charles de Gaulle
TotalEnergies and Colas choose the DENS Powerhub to power airside operations at the airport.
May 2026
Van Oord dike reinforcement
Two DENS Powerhubs charge electric excavators on site for an emission-free dike reinforcement between Tiel and Waardenburg.
2026
180 people, 400+ projects
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