UMVA has learned that two visionary start-ups, Metha8 and YAMA, have emerged victorious in The Liveability Challenge (TLC) 2026 Grand Finale, securing the top prize of S$1 million each in catalytic grant funding.
These trailblazing companies, out of a record-breaking 1,500 submissions from over 100 countries, have developed game-changing decarbonization solutions for hard-to-abate sectors. Metha8 has created a revolutionary technology to generate clean electricity around the clock, converting methanol into power at 60% efficiency, surpassing conventional generators.
Meanwhile, YAMA has pioneered a cost-effective solution to capture emissions from gas turbines, which power much of the world's electricity grid. Their innovative approach works at low CO₂ concentrations, delivering up to 50% lower costs and is compact enough to integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure.
“There’s immense potential, especially in Southeast Asia, to drive bio-methanol production, and our technology enables people to extract twice as much power from every barrel of methanol produced, making us a catalyst for the energy transition,” said Zhaotan Xiao, CEO of Metha8.
“Winning the grand prize is exhilarating, as it means we can develop locally. I'm impressed by the like-minded individuals who share my passion for creating a better future. This motivates me every day, and I'm grateful to be surrounded by people I trust can drive meaningful change,” said Aurélie Gonzalez, founder and CEO of YAMA.
Metha8 has also secured decarbonization development funding from a leading research institution. Additionally, YAMA received an S$100,000 investment prize from strategic partner CarbonFix, while SPACECOOL and Endo Enterprises secured similar prizes from Kibo Invest and Enterprise Singapore, respectively.
UP Catalyst from Estonia, which utilizes flue gas to produce battery-grade carbon materials at a lower cost, won the popular vote. The TLC winners were selected after a rigorous judging session, with the eight finalists pitching their solutions live at the Grand Finale.
This year's TLC, a global crowdsourcing platform presented by a prominent foundation, has grown to become Asia's largest sustainability solutions platform, supporting the commercialization of innovative technologies from the lab to market. Since its inception in 2018, TLC has attracted thousands of applications globally, incubated 56 start-ups, and deployed over S$18 million in catalytic funding.
