Blaze Energy has closed a $6.5 million seed funding round to commercialize its fuel-flexible engine technology, which enables existing maritime vessels to run on multiple alternative fuels without engine replacement.

The Colorado-based startup, founded in 2023, said the capital will fund three priorities: marine engine testing, expansion of operations in the U.S. and Norway, and pilot deployment of its "Flex-Fuel Reformer System."

The bet targets a structural problem in ocean freight — ship owners lack viable retrofit options for vessels already in service, and must choose today between competing alternative fuels whose long-term dominance remains uncertain.

What does the reformer system do?

The Flex-Fuel Reformer System uses compact, engine-integrated fuel reforming technology. The unit converts alternative fuels — including ammonia, methanol, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) — into a hydrogen-rich mixture onboard the vessel. That mixture then feeds hydrogen-assisted combustion inside existing engine platforms, eliminating the need for newbuild orders.

According to Blaze, the approach gives ship owners a pathway to adopt alternative fuels, improve vessel efficiency, and reduce emissions without replacing existing engines or committing to a single fuel.

Rok Sitar, CEO and co-founder at Blaze Energy, framed the market problem:

"Maritime shipping used to be about moving cargo safely, on-time, and economically. Now operators need to be experts in fuel markets, energy shifts, and geopolitics just to keep vessels running. Blaze exists to cut through that uncertainty, giving ship owners fuel flexibility through their existing assets, so they can stay resilient no matter what is thrown at them."

Who backed the round?

The seed round drew six firms:

• Propeller Ventures (co-lead)
• Catalyzer Ventures (co-lead)
• Safar Partners
• SOSV
• Desai Ventures
• Cartography Capital

Kristina Johnson, partner at Catalyzer Ventures, pointed to the retrofit economics:

"Blaze Energy's Reformer System offers ship owners a practical, cost-effective pathway to meet increasingly stringent emissions requirements while preserving the value of their existing vessels and infrastructure."

What is the deployment timeline?

Blaze plans to install the Reformer System aboard a Lomar Shipping vessel in 2027, following land-based engine testing. The sea pilot aims to validate the technology under real maritime operating conditions and establish a retrofit pathway for existing fleets. A newbuild product launch follows in 2028.

The pilot will mark the first deployment of the Reformer System outside a controlled engine test environment. Performance data from the trial will feed directly into the 2028 newbuild offering, which targets shipyards ordering vessels with hydrogen-assisted combustion built in.

Why does fuel flexibility matter now?

The maritime shipping sector sits between tightening emissions rules and an unsettled alternative-fuel picture. Ammonia, methanol, and LNG each carry different production pathways, bunkering infrastructure requirements, and price exposure. Vessels typically remain in service for decades, leaving operators reluctant to back the wrong fuel on a 20-year asset.

A reformer that accepts multiple feedstocks and delivers hydrogen-assisted combustion to an unmodified engine platform removes that binary choice. The hardware can stay installed while fuel markets settle, and operators can switch between ammonia, methanol, or LNG as supply, regulation, and price dictate.

What milestone decides what happens next?

The next checkpoint is the 2027 Lomar Shipping pilot, contingent on land-based engine testing completing on schedule. A successful sea trial would convert the Reformer System from a lab demonstration into a commercially validated retrofit product and clear the path to the 2028 newbuild launch. Miss that window, and the 2028 product launch slips with it.