Bio
Joseph Hartvigsen, Co-Founder and CEO of OxEon Energy, is a pioneering engineer with more than four decades of experience advancing solid oxide technologies, hydrogen production, aerospace thermal systems, and clean-energy innovation. His career bridges aerospace engineering, advanced materials, fuel cell science, and renewable energy—not only in industry-leading organizations, but also through his own entrepreneurial ventures.
Joseph holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University, where his graduate research at the Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory created a new process for silicon nitride synthesis. Outside of his professional work, Joseph is known for building micro-hydro and small-hydro turbines used worldwide and for maintaining vintage Caterpillar tractors on his family’s ranch in Idaho—a tradition he hopes to pass on to his grandchildren.
Career Highlights
Solid Oxide Innovation & Aerospace Foundations
Joseph began his career in the defense aerospace sector, working at Hercules Aerospace and Boeing Defense and Space Group on:
- Design and analysis of solid rocket motor operation and manufacturing
- Thermal protection for hypersonic aircraft
- Thermal, fluid, and mass-transfer modeling
- Contrail and IR-signature reduction research
- Splashdown analysis for manned space vehicles
These early roles established his expertise in complex multi-physics systems—skills that would later become central to his leadership in solid oxide technologies.
Three Decades of Leadership in Fuel Cells & Electrolysis
In 1991, Joseph joined Ceramatec, where he became a leading figure in the development of:
- Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)
- Solid oxide electrolysis (SOE/SOEC)
- High-temperature electrolysis
- Co-electrolysis for syngas production
- Fischer-Tropsch synthesis
His detailed 3-D multi-physics stack models and engineering leadership contributed to more than two dozen patents, multiple book chapters, and major industry advances.
He served as the Mars2020 (Perseverance) Co-Investigator and the Institutional PI for the MOXIE stack development — an SOE system that successfully produced oxygen from the Martian atmosphere aboard the Perseverance Rover.
Entrepreneurial Impact on Clean Energy
Parallel to his corporate work, Joseph founded Hartvigsen-Hydro, producing hundreds of custom micro-hydro turbines ranging from 50 W to 500 kW. These systems now generate clean energy for customers around the world.
Current Role at OxEon Energy
Joseph’s long-standing leadership in solid oxide systems and his water turbine business prepared him to start OxEon Energy, where he served as Vice President of Engineering before becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2023.
At OxEon, he oversees the development and commercialization of high-performance solid oxide electrolysis systems that enable:
- Low-cost hydrogen production
- CO₂-to-fuel conversion processes
- Large-scale synthetic-fuel pathways for energy storage
- Scalable SOE manufacturing, including DOE-supported Project EquinOx
OxEon’s technology—built on the same foundation that powered MOXIE on Mars—is being scaled nearly 35-fold for terrestrial and space applications. The company’s automation and materials-innovation efforts aim to dramatically reduce SOE stack cost and accelerate the global transition to clean fuels.Closing Note
With a rare blend of aerospace rigor, entrepreneurial creativity, and deep expertise in electrochemical systems, Joseph Hartvigsen continues to shape the future of clean energy and solid oxide innovation. His leadership at OxEon Energy is advancing technologies that not only power Earth’s decarbonization efforts but also support humanity’s exploration of other worlds.