Rise Reforming
YC S26 · Active · We turn waste gases into supply-secure chemicals
Competitors
| Company | Category | Status | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
 SolugenShared: chemical industry, climatetech, produceActiveOther | Other | Active | YCW17 |
Adjacent
| Company | Category | Status | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nira EnergyShared: renewable energy, climatetech, siteActiveOther | Other | Active | YCW22 |
 CatalonShared: chemical industryNot statedAI | AI | Not stated | EF2025 |
 RUUFShared: renewable energy, climatetech, processActiveOther | Other | Active | YCW23 |
 AstroShared: renewable energy, climatetech, secureActiveAI | AI | Active | YCW25 |
 ValoShared: climatetech, modularActiveOther | Other | Active | YCW19 |
Also from S26
All of S26
About Rise Reforming
Geopolitical conflicts and natural disasters frequently expose the vulnerability of the American chemical industry. The reason? Production is centralized and fossil fuel-dependent. The solution? Localized production using an undervalued resource: biogas. The US produces enough biogas to make over $20 bn/y worth of chemicals, but 60% is wasted in low-margin applications or flared altogether. Rise Reforming is commercializing a modular process to transform this underutilized biogas on-site into cheap, supply-secure chemicals. Our beachhead market is dimethyl ether (DME), used as an aerosol propellant and a low-carbon fuel additive in propane. Our target market is methanol: an established billion $ chemical and the future of low-carbon shipping. We're doing our pilot project at a Chicagoland wastewater plant. This will be the first wastewater biogas-to-methanol demo in the Americas. We're hiring for a senior chemical process engineer. Apply here: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/rise-reforming/jobs/wJ9Q9nv-senior-chemical-process-engineer
- YC batch
- S26 · Summer 2026
- Status, per YC
- Active
- Category
- Other
- Team size
- 4
- Location
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Checked
- 35m ago
YC tags: Hard Tech, Smart Waste Management, Alternative Fuels, Renewable Energy, ClimateTech
Rise Reforming: questions
Which YC batch was Rise Reforming in?
Rise Reforming was in Y Combinator's Summer 2026 batch (S26).
Is Rise Reforming still active?
Y Combinator lists Rise Reforming as active.
Where is Rise Reforming based?
Rise Reforming lists Chicago, IL, USA as its location on YC's directory.
Sources: each program's public company list, read twice a week. Not affiliated with Y Combinator or any other program. Logos via logo.dev; trademarks belong to their owners.