[ { "id": 32192, "name": "Rise Reforming", "slug": "rise-reforming", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/5b908857ac82ef0d2a3b793f89fa198298587f8a.png", "website": "https://rise-reforming.com/home", "all_locations": "Chicago, IL, USA", "long_description": "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.\r\n\r\nRise 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.\r\n\r\nWe're doing our pilot project at a Chicagoland wastewater plant. This will be the first wastewater biogas-to-methanol demo in the Americas.\r\n\r\nWe're hiring for a senior chemical process engineer. Apply here: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/rise-reforming/jobs/wJ9Q9nv-senior-chemical-process-engineer", "one_liner": "We turn waste gases into supply-secure chemicals ", "team_size": 4, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Climate", "launched_at": 1783464355, "tags": [ "Hard Tech", "Smart Waste Management", "Alternative Fuels", "Renewable Energy", "ClimateTech" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Climate" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/rise-reforming", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2026/rise-reforming.json", "year_founded": 2024, "city": "Chicago", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/risereforming", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/5b908857ac82ef0d2a3b793f89fa198298587f8a.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Jared Friedman", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 3646927, "full_name": "George Rose", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Co-founder and CEO at Rise Reforming (S26). Previously @ Nexamp, Highland Electric Fleets, Mantel Capture, GenH. Background in Molecular Engineering @ UChicago.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-rose25/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/ee413aabedd5216b24ad28029e4413061ab156fa.jpg" }, { "user_id": 3620299, "full_name": "Lucas Zubillaga", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "Co-Founder & CTO at Rise Reforming (S26). Double B.Sc. in Molecular Engineering and Physics from the University of Chicago. Prev: nuclear waste management at Argonne National Laboratory, offshore wind at Avangrid/Iberdrola.\n\nLed the design, procurement, construction, and operation of a bench-scale reforming unit with controls. \n\nAlso have a Spotify playlist with 200k+ saves. Check it out at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3rV2gyEKHxixpKa3IDQLvF?si=3458c33e03e84738&nd=1&dlsi=d0006826be884d", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucaszubillagamaharg/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/209b2a1f6985cd73931fc7cb16aa2a3bb8462a42.jpg" }, { "user_id": 3610381, "full_name": "Jona van Oord", "title": "Founder/COO", "founder_bio": "Environmentalist turned engineer. Plan on spending the rest of my life building hardware to address the climate disaster :)\n\nCo-Founder and COO @ Rise Reforming (S26), Molecular Engineering @ UChicago", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonavanoord/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/e79cd2c8431a00a358ef4d9b12c2ee2e95e79849.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 105232, "title": "Rise Reforming: distributed chemical production", "tagline": "We turn waste gases into valuable supply-secure chemicals.", "body": "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.\n\nRise Reforming is commercializing a modular process to transform this underutilized biogas into valuable supply-secure chemicals like dimethyl ether (DME) and methanol. Our technology can be deployed on-site, helping biogas producers properly valorize their gas.\n\nWe've just broken ground on our pilot project at a Chicagoland wastewater plant. This will be the first wastewater biogas-to-methanol demo in the Americas.\n\nRise Reforming is hiring for a senior chemical process engineer. Apply here: \n\nVideo: \n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=105232&key=user_uploads/3620299/89d6b5de-3729-4019-a87f-0fe27a549152)\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=105232&key=user_uploads/3620299/b4ac7aec-afea-4a96-9174-ae6202812c2f)\n\n", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/RNI-rise-reforming-distributed-chemical-production", "votes": 5, "created_at": "2026-07-13T14:13:24.467Z" } ] } ]