Frere Byrne is a proven technologist, venture architect, and serial builder with deep experience building and scaling complex ventures across hardware and software.

As co-founder and CEO of PlasmaLeap Technologies, he is transforming how the world produces fertiliser and fuel, replacing a century of fossil-based industry with clean, on-farm production that puts food security in the hands of the world’s poorest communities.

Before founding PlasmaLeap, Frere spent over a decade leading innovation at the frontier of finance and technology, holding executive roles at Commonwealth Bank and serving as Portfolio Director at its venture arm, x15ventures, where he built world-leading technology platforms and guided the growth of ventures in blockchain, clean energy, and social-purpose payments across the financial services, energy, government, and technology sectors.

Professor PJ Cullen is one of the world’s leading researchers in plasma engineering and plasma catalysis: the science at the heart of PlasmaLeap.

A Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Sydney, he led the breakthrough research demonstrating an energy-efficient, plasma-driven pathway for synthesising ammonia and nitrate fertilisers from air, water, and renewable electricity.

A Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher with more than 300 publications and tens of thousands of citations, PJ has held academic posts at the University of Nottingham, Technological University Dublin, and UNSW Sydney, and served as Technology Director at Innopharma Labs in Dublin. He holds a BSc and PhD from University College Dublin.

As Chief Scientific Officer, he leads PlasmaLeap’s scientific direction, ensuring the company stays at the frontier of what plasma chemistry can do.

James Foster is a power electronics specialist whose career spans some of the most demanding applications in the field: from designing power systems for the pre-accelerator at CERN, to engineering rugged military power supplies for radar applications in the UK.

He holds a PhD in power electronics from the University of Nottingham and relocated to Australia over a decade ago, where as Chief Technology Officer at Empower Energy he designed and took to production thousands of residential power systems, including an all-in-one hybrid inverter home battery, overseeing technical architecture, hardware development, and certification.

At PlasmaLeap, James leads the engineering of the company’s modular plasma reactors, turning breakthrough plasma science into robust, field-ready systems for on-farm fertiliser and fuel production.

Sam Cullen is a co-founder of PlasmaLeap and leads the company’s commercial strategy, partnerships, and customer engagement.

She has been central to PlasmaLeap’s journey from university spinout, building the early business alongside the founding team.

Working directly with farmers, agribusinesses, and energy partners, Sam translates PlasmaLeap’s breakthrough science into products and partnerships that deliver clean, affordable fertiliser where it’s needed most.

Nick Bishop brings nearly three decades of financial markets and capital advisory experience to PlasmaLeap.

His career spans senior roles across London and Sydney, including Head of Australian Fixed Income at Aberdeen Standard Investments and Managing Director at Gresham Partners, with earlier portfolio management roles at Deutsche Asset Management and Morgan Grenfell.

He co-founded Bishop & Fang, a boutique debt and capital advisory firm, and has advised ventures across fintech and emerging technology. A CFA charterholder, Nick leads PlasmaLeap’s financial strategy and product structuring as the company scales its clean fertiliser and fuel technology globally.

Dr Charlie Cao leads PlasmaLeap’s research and development, driving the company’s reactor technology from laboratory breakthrough to field-ready product.

A chemical engineer with a PhD from UNSW Sydney, postdoctoral research experience in advanced catalysis, and an ARC Industry Fellowship, Charlie joined PlasmaLeap in 2023 as a senior process engineer and has since led prototype development and engineering across the company’s core platforms.

His work sits at the intersection of plasma chemistry, catalysis, and process engineering, and he is a regular presenter on next-generation technology for localised fuel and fertiliser production, including at Ammonia Energy Association conferences.

Benji Prawer leads operations at PlasmaLeap, bringing together an engineer’s rigour and a strategist’s eye for scale.

He holds a double degree in environmental engineering and philosophy from Monash University and previously worked in Deloitte’s climate and sustainability practice, advising organisations on the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Benji joined PlasmaLeap as Executive Advisor and Chief of Staff before stepping into the COO role, where he oversees the company’s day-to-day operations, delivery, and growth as it moves from field trials to its first commercial fertiliser production hubs. His career reflects a longstanding commitment to solving the world’s biggest problems, grounded in years of community and youth leadership.