Dr. Martin Schmickler joins Greenlyte’s founding team as Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director

DAC-2-E-Methane: Realizing Carbon Capture Utilization for Energy Storage & Transportation

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‍Essen/Duisburg/Aachen, 25.06.2024. Greenlyte Carbon Technologies, the Institute of Energy and Environmental Process Engineering (LEE) of University of Duisburg-Essen, the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center (ZBT) and the Chair of Technical Thermodynamics (LTT) of RWTH Aachen University have joined forces to research the coupling of a Direct Air Capture (DAC) plant with a catalytic methane synthesis. The project will showcase a carbon capture utilization case in the heart of the industrial Ruhr area and is co-funded by the European Union and the state of NRW as part of the EFRE "Energie.IN.NRW" innovation competition.

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Timeline: Q2 2024 - Q2 2027

Essen, Germany, 19th June 2025 Greenlyte Carbon Technologies is pleased to announce that Dr. Martin Schmickler has been appointed to Chief Operating Officer and will join the company’s managing director team alongside CTO/CPO Dr. Niklas Friederichsen and CEO Florian Hildebrand.

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This promotion marks a strategic milestone in Greenlyte’s evolution from early proof-of-concept (POC) to industrial deployment. Martin will lead Greenlyte’s operations - covering project execution, supply chain management, and manufacturing.

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Martin brings a rare combination of deep-tech expertise and operational execution. Prior to joining Greenlyte 1.5 years ago as Chief of Staff, Martin led the Entrepreneurship Center at RWTH Aachen University, where he supported numerous deep-tech spin-offs. He also co-founded a social venture, completed a PhD on disruptive innovation, and conducted a research fellowship at Harvard University.

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With Martin stepping into the role of COO, Greenlyte’s leadership structure has been refined to support the company’s shift toward commercial-scale deployment. As part of this evolution, Dr. Peter Behr - previously Chief Scientific Officer and Managing Director - has transitioned into the role of Lead Scientist. We are grateful for Peter’s continued commitment and his foundational work in developing Greenlyte’s core technology.

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The new management director team has the following

• Dr. Niklas Friederichsen (CTO/CPO) – steering technology development and product robustness

• Florian Hildebrand (CEO) – leading company building, strategy, and fundraising

• Dr. Martin Schmickler (COO) – responsible for scaling manufacturability and building the deployment ecosystem

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Florian Hildebrand, CEO:
“We’re not just building a company - we’re building the foundation for a defossilized future. To turn air and sunlight into scalable fuel takes world-class execution. My entrepreneurial experiences taught me how exceptional teams always make a difference. With Martin becoming COO, we have made a huge step up in the team.”

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Dr. Niklas Friederichsen, CTO/CPO:

“With Martin now leading operations, I can double down on further improving our core technology and product to validate and improve the unit economics, critical for making Greenlyte’s system competitive and scalable. I’m thankful for the strong groundwork Peter laid, which we now continue to build on.”

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Dr. Martin Schmickler, COO:
“Thank you to Niklas, Florian, and Peter for the trust - I’m honored to join the managing director team as COO. Our deployment efforts will be the most visible proof of what Greenlyte stands for. Now it is on us to turn them into success stories and I’m proud to give this my full focus.”

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About Greenlyte Carbon Technologies

In order to enter the energy abundance age, humanity needs to be able to tap into the endless power potential of the sun. Greenlyte’s Direct-Air-Capture (DAC) technology enables the production of cheap liquid renewable energy by extracting carbon directly from the air, co-producing green hydrogen and converting it to e-crude, an oil alternative made sustainably from the air. Founded in September 2022, Greenlyte has raised over $40 million, employs 60+ people, and launched its first commercial projects. Looking ahead, the company plans to grow its capturing capacity to 100 MT of CO₂ p.a. by 2050.

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