Greentown Labs has announced the startup cohort for Greentown Go Make 2026—an open-innovation program with Shell Catalysts & Technologies (Shell) and Technip Energies. Go Make 2026 focuses on process technology and catalytic innovations for low-carbon fuels, low-carbon gases, CO2 removal, and alternative chemical manufacturing.

Catalysts are a critical enabler of the global energy transition. Nearly 90 percent of all chemical processes rely on catalysis, but many catalytic methods remain fossil-based and energy-intensive.

After a highly competitive selection and deliberation process that saw 148 applicants from 35 countries, a cohort of five cutting-edge startup participants was selected:

• Biosimo (Houston, TX) makes scalable biochemicals from ethanol that match petrochemical cost, performance, and industrial manufacturing scale.
• Catalyxx (Chesterfield, MO) transforms bioethanol into drop-in, cost-competitive, carbon-negative chemicals.
• HydGene Renewables (Sydney, Australia) produces low-carbon hydrogen and industrial chemicals from waste biomass using a modular biocatalyst platform designed for distributed deployment.
• TreaTech (Lonay, Switzerland) turns waste into renewable gas, water, and minerals through catalytic hydrothermal gasification.
• Unifuel (Los Altos, CA) develops a chemical technology for profitable decarbonization of fuels and chemicals based on a multifunctional catalyst.

The Go Make 2026 cohort will participate in a kickoff event on June 9 at The Ion in Houston, TX. Learn more and register here.

These startups will gain access to a structured program to collaborate with leadership from Shell and Technip Energies, focused on exploring and developing potential partnerships like pilots and demonstrations. Specifically, the cohort will have the opportunity to work directly with members of Shell Catalysts & Technologies' and Technip Energies' technical catalyst and process engineering teams, including in areas such as technical validation, scale-up and operational implementation, process design, and market channel validation. The startups will also benefit from networking and mentorship opportunities, partnership-focused programming, and marketing visibility.

Shell Catalysts & Technologies brings to the program world-class catalyst and research and development expertise, with a track record of developing leading-edge zeolites, catalysts, advanced solvents, and pioneering processes.

Technip Energies is a global technology and engineering powerhouse for energy infrastructure and decarbonization, combining its complementary business segments—Technology, Products, and Services and Project Delivery—to turn innovation into scalable, industrial reality.

"Catalysis is used in almost all industrial chemical processes; therefore, it is a critical enabler in building a sustainable chemical industry," said Wei Cai, Chief Technology Officer of Technip Energies. "Through Go Make 2026, in collaboration with Shell and Greentown Labs, we are pleased to work with this cohort of startups developing new catalysts and processes for low-carbon fuels, CO2 removal, and alternative chemical manufacturing. By combining their innovative ideas with our engineering and Shell's catalyst expertise, we aim to accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable solutions that drive decarbonization across the industry."

In addition to its startup incubators, Greentown runs cohort-based Greentown Go programs across five tracks: Go Make (manufacturing), Go Move (transportation), Go Energize (energy and electricity), Go Build (buildings) and Go Grow (food and agriculture). These open-innovation programs address industry's most pressing climate challenges by facilitating partnerships between leading corporations and climatetech entrepreneurs.

"Catalysis underpins the majority of industrial chemical processes, which together account for a significant share of global emissions, making it a critical lever for reducing carbon intensity while improving performance," said Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown. "Greentown Go Make 2026 is designed to close the gap between breakthrough innovation and industrial deployment. By connecting startups with Shell and Technip Energies' technical expertise and global scale, we're helping accelerate solutions that improve efficiency and drive industrial decarbonization."