Pennsylvania’s innovation ecosystem is a hotbed for the development of new technologies to solve real-world challenges in fields like AI, energy, life sciences, manufacturing, and agriculture. One company working on solutions is Verne, which was founded in 2020 to develop energy technologies that meet the rapidly increasing demand for energy from all sources while lowering emissions.
The energy landscape of today looks very different from ten years ago. As the global population increases, living standards rise, and new technologies like electric vehicles and data centers become more prevalent, energy innovation is critical for meeting the power demands of the future. In 2020, three entrepreneurs – Ted McKlveen, David Jaramillo, and Bav Roy – joined together to develop solutions for energy-intensive industries that have historically been difficult to decarbonize.
Together, they founded the company Verne in California, and initially began working on efficient hydrogen storage for the trucking industry. “Our core mission has always been to deliver solutions for industrial sectors to allow them to decarbonize – without any tradeoffs,” says McKlveen. “To have an impact at scale, it needs to be an economical solution. You can’t just rely on customers wanting a green solution without the financial case behind it.”
Courtesy: Verne
Verne came up with a new form of hydrogen technology called cryo-compressed hydrogen. To create greater energy density hydrogen, and therefore to increase its energy potential, it can be cooled into a liquid rather than its normal gas form. The challenge was always that liquifying hydrogen is prohibitively expensive due to the massive amount of energy it requires to change hydrogen’s state from gas to liquid. The twist of chemistry that Verne developed was combining compression with lower temperatures to squeeze the gaseous hydrogen until it reaches the same energy density as liquid hydrogen – but without the larger costs of liquifying it.
Cryo-compressed hydrogen is both more efficient and less expensive than liquified hydrogen and can be used for applications like fuel for trucking, which was the company’s initial focus. But it soon became apparent to the Verne team that cryo-compressed hydrogen can be deployed for several important uses. “Basically, you can use cryo-compressed hydrogen anywhere that you need to store a lot of hydrogen efficiently,” McKlveen says. “Beyond trucking, we saw a bigger and more immediate need for delivered power – basically like a diesel generator replacement. Mines, construction sites, disaster relief centers, even remote film studios have a need for reliable and abundant power and can’t access power from the grid.” And as energy-hungry data centers become more prevalent across the U.S. and the world, Verne is also focusing heavily on using their technology to enable data centers to get online quicker and reduce their carbon emissions.
The huge opportunity within the data center market made it imperative for Verne to scale up quickly. The company worked closely with BusinessPA, the Pennsylvania team responsible for attracting and retaining businesses in Pennsylvania, as well as the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, and ultimately chose Muncy, Lycoming County as the location for their new site. “We didn’t necessarily want to move from California,” said co-founder and Chief Technology Officer David Jaramillo. “We were also considering Nevada, Ohio, and West Virginia, but Pennsylvania and Lycoming County really stood out due to their world-class manufacturing ecosystem.”
That overall ecosystem also enabled Verne to move quickly. According to McKlveen, “everyone at BusinessPA and the Lycoming Chamber did whatever they could to help connect us and make things move quicker, more so than other states we looked at. It’s very cool to see the whole ecosystem come to you and say ‘what can we take out of your way? What can we do to help you move faster?’ That initiative and drive from everyone involved to get things done quickly is one of the major things that made us excited about moving to Pennsylvania.” Verne also formed a partnership with the nearby Pennsylvania College of Technology to assist with workforce needs.
Everyone at BusinessPA and the Lycoming Chamber did whatever they could to help connect us and make things move quicker."
- Ted McKlveen, Co-founder & CEO, Verne
It all culminated in July 2025, when Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro joined Verne to announce the expansion project at the site of their future facility at the Marcellus Energy Park in Muncy. “Pennsylvania’s energy economy has created great jobs. It’s lifted people out of poverty. It’s powered our middle class,” said Governor Shapiro at the announcement event. “… and I want people to see that energy is part of their future, that they can get great jobs in the energy sector at companies like Verne ... I know that’s great news for everyone who cares deeply about the vitality of this community.” The announcement event was attended by economic development partners, elected officials, community members, and employees.
Courtesy: Verne
Verne is investing nearly $4.5 million into the project which is expected to create at least 61 new, full-time jobs in Lycoming County over three years. To support Verne and help get them across the finish line, BusinessPA is also investing more than $1.27 million to help offset the expansion costs. “That generous investment package from Pennsylvania enabled us to accelerate opening up this site, order that first equipment, and engage with apprenticeship programs,” Jaramillo says.
Moving forward, the goal is for Verne to continue growing and deploying larger and larger solutions to meet the growing energy needs of the data center industry. At their new Pennsylvania facility, in addition to manufacturing, the company will establish a Data Center Innovation Hub, developing and testing new power and cooling technologies for the industry. “In order to do this,” Jaramillo says, “we need to learn and collaborate with a best-in-class manufacturing ecosystem. We have to combine our innovation with manufacturing know-how, and there’s no better place to do that than right here in Pennsylvania – and that’s why we’re here.”
For more information about Verne, check out their website. If you’re exploring opportunities to expand or relocate your business, Pennsylvania offers the workforce, resources, and support to help you succeed. Stay connected with the latest announcements, funding opportunities, and business news by following us on LinkedIn and subscribing to our monthly newsletter.