Obuda Uni Venture Capital (OUVC) has committed to backing another technology-focused startup: they are supporting BDN Automotive Ltd. with a €340,000 investment to advance innovations aimed at making transportation more sustainable. The Hungarian engineering team’s mission is to retrofit existing diesel-powered vehicles with hydrogen-based propulsion, reducing harmful emissions and accelerating the green transition, without the need to purchase new vehicles.
Founded in 2019, BDN Automotive draws on international engineering experience and an innovation-driven mindset to make internal combustion engines more sustainable. Their latest development reflects not only motorsport-level precision, but also a strong commitment to eco-friendly mobility. Their efforts have been recognized with the Hydrogen Technology Innovation Award, established by the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network and the Hungarian Hydrogen Technology Association.
The company is working on a conversion technology that enables high-performance diesel vehicles—such as trucks, locomotives, and ships—to operate partially on hydrogen. This can significantly reduce emissions without requiring new vehicle purchases or complete infrastructure overhauls.
This funding round supports the next stage of BDN Automotive’s development program. The goal is to build a digital simulation system that enables fast and cost-efficient testing of hydrogen-diesel conversions optimized for different vehicle types. The project will also produce a working prototype engine to demonstrate the technology’s operation and benefits in a real-world setting. The investment will also fund the expansion of the engineering team and the procurement of necessary parts and testing equipment.
The company’s long-term goal is to develop an export-ready product that can be integrated into other countries’ environmental and energy strategies. BDN Automotive envisions becoming one of the leading hydrogen technology development and manufacturing centers in the region.
“This investment exemplifies the role OUVC has committed to in the ecosystem: the startup is working to convert existing diesel-based, high-energy equipment fleets to hydrogen propulsion, an effective contribution to solving the typically costly challenge of transitioning energy sources. They benefit from the support of Óbuda University’s Department of Hydrogen Technologies and Industrial IoT and the Research Center for Hydrogen and Hybrid Technologies, which brings together technological development and industrial application. This collaboration within Óbuda University’s Innovation Ecosystem Platform is a rewarding and constructive mission for OUVC. We will continue to announce similar value-driven collaborations between industry, investors, and academia in the future,” said Imre Hild, CEO of OUVC.
OUVC aims to support businesses that, through their technological expertise, contribute meaningfully to building a more livable future. In this regard, BDN Automotive represents not only engineering excellence but is also working on a solution with genuine social impact.