Sustainability start-ups Krosslinker and Ayrton Energy secure S$1 million each in catalytic funding at The Liveability Challenge 2025 Grand Finale

• The 2025 Grand Finale witnessed another record-breaking year, attracting more than 1,200 submissions from over 100 countries competing for the top prize in two tracks: Decarbonisation and Cool Earth. 

• Passive cooling using advanced aerogel technology and safe, cost-effective storage and transport to accelerate adoption of hydrogen as a clean fuel were the top winners at the Grand Finale. 

Singapore, 7 May 2025: Krosslinker and Ayrton Energy have emerged as the top winners at The Liveability Challenge (TLC) 2025 Grand Finale for their innovative solutions to drive decarbonisation and tackle climate challenges. 

The two groundbreaking projects were the standouts among eight finalists, each securing a S$1 million grant in catalytic funding to help advance and scale their solutions sustainably. 

The winner of the Cool Earth track was Singapore-based deep-tech start-up Krosslinker, which develops passive cooling technologies in the form of aerogel materials capable of reducing surface temperatures by up to 10 degrees Celsius and ambient temperatures by up to 5 degrees Celsius. 

The winner of the Decarbonisation track was Canada-based Ayrton Energy, which develops technology for safe and cost-effective hydrogen storage and transport, and addresses infrastructure challenges that currently hinder the widespread adoption of hydrogen energy. 

The two winners were selected after a competitive and rigorous judging session, where all eight finalists pitched their innovative solutions live to a judging panel at the Grand Finale, held at ParkRoyal Collection Marina Bay as part of Ecosperity Week. 

These pioneering climate solutions are integral in advancing progress towards the climate targets set under the Paris Agreement in 2015 – an urgent imperative as global temperatures reach dangerously new highs each year.  

With rising heat, extreme weather events and ecological deterioration afflicting society and natural ecosystems, solutions must be mobilised to address these climate impacts while contributing to the global targets of reducing emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. 

This will require coordinated efforts across society, enabling regulatory frameworks and strategic investments to enable the large-scale deployment of innovative climate technologies. 

Presented by Temasek Foundation and organised by Eco-Business, TLC was launched in 2018 as a platform to search for the most disruptive and innovative solutions that solve the pressing sustainability challenges of today. 

Today, TLC is Asia’s largest sustainability solutions platform and since its first edition, has attracted thousands of applications globally, shortlisted and incubated 53 finalists, and deployed more than S$12 million in funding to help these startups, who have gone on to raise hundreds of millions more.  

In its eighth edition, TLC searched for solutions across two tracks: Decarbonisation and Cool Earth. The Decarbonisation track seeks disruptive deep-tech solutions that provide scalable and impactful solutions to reduce carbon emissions across diverse industries. The Cool Earth track seeks groundbreaking innovations that specifically address the challenges posed by climate-induced extreme weather conditions. 

The eight shortlisted finalist teams – Ayrton Energy, CatAmmon, Cetogenix, CO2Tech, D-CRBN, Eztia Corp, Krosslinker and SXD, Inc – represent various countries including Singapore, Australia, Belgium and the United States. 

TLC’s strategic partners this year are Enterprise Singapore, OCTAVE Well-being Economy Fund, TRIREC and Valuence Ventures. Amazon Web Services was the Tech for Good partner for the event. 

“We are very happy and excited [to have secured this award], but this is just the beginning. We have a very big job to do to make sure that we develop solutions that equitably reach everybody and not just the tech-savvy community. Many thanks to Temasek Foundation for all the inspiring work that you have been doing, and to all our investors who have specially flown in for this event. To all the fellow finalists who keep inspiring us – it’s such amazing work to solve some of the most difficult challenges in this world and committing to a cause rather than building easy solutions,” said Dr Gayathri Natarajan, Co-founder and CEO of Krosslinker Private Limited.  

“We’re really excited to be able to have this funding support and cement our position in Singapore and Southeast Asia. I’m very grateful to Temasek Foundation for believing in the tech that we’re building, and in our ability to decarbonise these hard-to-abate sectors. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my fantastic team of nerds, as I like to call them back home, as well as the support that we have from our investors both locally and internationally,” said Dr Brandy Kinkead, Chief Technology Officer of Ayrton Energy Inc. 

“At Temasek Foundation, we believe in the urgency of supporting bold and deep-tech innovative solutions that can drive real progress in decarbonising our planet, and keeping our environment cool even with rising temperatures. Our catalytic funding reflects this important commitment – helping innovators move from promising innovations to operational prototypes with potential to scale. Beyond The Liveability Challenge, Temasek Foundation is growing our network of climate tech challenges across the region into China, Indonesia and Vietnam. By doing so, we aim to accelerate innovators’ paths to commercialisation and deliver real impact for both the people and the planet. Our heartiest congratulations to Krosslinker Private Limited and Ayrton Energy Inc on this exciting milestone,” said Heng Li Lang, Head of Climate and Liveability at Temasek Foundation.  

“TLC has become a fixture in the global sustainability innovation ecosystem, providing a vital catalytic platform for promising start-ups with cutting-edge climate tech solutions from all over the world. By driving innovation, entrepreneurship, ecosystem collaboration and access to finance, it helps groundbreaking ideas move beyond the prototype stage to deliver real-world impact. In a world dangerously close to irreversible planetary thresholds, accelerating these solutions is no longer optional – it is critical,” said Jessica Cheam, Founder and CEO of Eco-Business. 

In addition to the two S$1 million in grants (S$1 million for each winner), a total of S$400,000 in investment and grant opportunities were awarded to the finalists by TLC’s strategic partners [see Appendix A].  

The Grand Finale also hosted an Innovation Dialogue where speakers Mark Gainsborough, Chairman, Seatrium; Magdalene Loh, Director, Urban Systems and Solutions, Enterprise Singapore; and Dr Dazril Phua, Chief Operating Officer, Nandina REM, identified the solutions needed to advance climate tech solutions and innovation in Singapore and globally – including ecosystem building, policy and financial support and public private partnerships. 

Experts said that clear market signals and policy coherence were key to enabling climate technologies to scale. “Technology risk is (usually) the least of the problem. But is the market going to develop the way as expected and is there a supportive policy framework and regulation? Unfortunately, there are too many cases in the climate tech space where the market hasn’t developed as we expected because of an ever-changing policy and regulation landscape,” Mark Gainsborough, Chairman of Singapore-listed marine engineering company Seatrium, shared during the Innovation Dialogue.  

Magdalene Loh, Director, Urban Systems and Solutions, Enterprise Singapore, noted that in addition to scaleability and exportability, climate tech solutions must be effectively priced to attract customers, and designed for easy integration into existing systems or processes. 

“Today, many of the climate tech solutions that we’re seeing do need to interact with existing infrastructure – existing systems that clients would already be used to. How would these tech solutions integrate? Many times, you need the buy-in internally within the organisation, not just with the innovation team. There are different facets of the clients to [consider] to secure buy-in as well,” Loh said.  

For more information, visit The Liveability Challenge website at  www.theliveabilitychallenge.org.  

For high-resolution photos from the event, please visit this page. 

Notes to Editors:  

All media coverage should include a mention of The Liveability Challenge, presented by Temasek Foundation and organised by Eco-Business.  

For media-related requests, please contact:  

media@eco-business.com  

About Temasek Foundation  

Temasek Foundation supports a diverse range of programmes that uplift lives and communities in Singapore and beyond. Temasek Foundation’s programmes are made possible through philanthropic endowments gifted by Temasek, as well as gifts and contributions from other donors. These programmes strive towards achieving positive outcomes for individuals and communities now and for generations to come. Collectively, Temasek Foundation’s programmes strengthen social resilience, foster international exchange and regional capabilities, advance science and protect the planet.  

For more information, visit www.temasekfoundation.org.sg  

About Eco-Business  

Established in 2009, Eco-Business is Asia Pacific’s leading media organisation on sustainable development. Its independent journalism unit publishes high quality, trusted news and views that advance dialogue and enables measurable impact on a wide range of sustainable development and responsible business issues. Eco-Business is headquartered in Singapore, with a presence in Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and correspondents across major cities in Asia Pacific. Visit www.eco-business.com  

Appendix A 

Additional investment and grant opportunities: 

• Singapore’s Krosslinker Private Limited received S$100,000 from OCTAVE Well-being Economy Fund to develop urban cooling solutions using zero energy aerogel coating. 

• Canada’s Ayrton Energy Inc received S$100,000 from TRIREC and S$100,000 from Valuence Ventures to develop safe hydrogen storage and transport which seamlessly integrates with existing liquid fuel infrastructure. 

• Australia’s CO2Tech received S$100,000 from Enterprise Singapore to develop a cost effective and compact CO2 capture solution which converts emissions into carbon-negative and valuable products. 

Appendix B 

Comments from our Strategic Partners: 

Emily Liew, Assistant Managing Director, Innovation, Enterprise Singapore, said: “As the world races to address pressing environmental challenges, we need platforms such as The Liveability Challenge more than ever to uncover and support breakthrough climate innovations. Start-ups can leverage Singapore’s robust innovation ecosystem, infrastructure and strategic networks to validate and scale their climate solutions. Enterprise Singapore is committed to working with important partners such as Temasek Foundation to accelerate the development of innovative solutions for a sustainable future.” 

Axel Tan, Venture Partner, OCTAVE Well-being Economy Fund, said: “Climate tech startups are pioneering vital solutions for a more liveable planet, but they face steep challenges in scaling. At the OCTAVE Well-being Economy Fund, we believe in backing these innovators by bridging capital, partnerships and purpose. Together with platforms like The Liveability Challenge, we can direct collective investment toward breakthrough technologies – accelerating the transition to a cleaner, more conscious and regenerative future.” 

Andrew Wong, Director, TRIREC, said: “The Liveability Challenge is crucial as it catalyses breakthrough innovations urgently needed to tackle escalating climate crises. By matching catalytic capital with the most promising solutions in climate change, the Challenge accelerates the commercialisation of transformative technologies, especially in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment. This platform not only empowers innovators to scale their impact but also drives collective action toward a net-zero and a climate-resilient future worldwide. TRIREC looks forward to supporting ambitious climate founders.” 

Andrew Hyung, General Partner, Valuence Ventures, said: “At a time when the world’s attention is pulled in many directions and the climate crisis is too often set aside, The Liveability Challenge brings much needed focus. It unites visionaries, doers and believers to shape a future we all deserve. By turning urgency into momentum and bold ideas into real solutions, this platform reminds us that hope backed by action can still change everything.” 

Ashley Tan, International Head of Social Impact & Sustainability at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said: “We’re excited by the powerful sustainability solutions presented by winners Krosslinker Private Limited and Ayrton Energy Inc, and the other finalists. Together with Temasek Foundation and Eco-business, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is committed to making a positive environmental and social impact around the world. We will continue to provide the latest AI-driven technologies and bench of deep technical expertise to power innovative solutions in the cloud and solve the climate crisis’s most pressing decarbonisation and food security challenges of our time.” 

Appendix C 

Finalists for The Liveability Challenge 2025: 

1. Ayrton Energy Inc (Canada)  

Solution: Safe hydrogen storage and transport that seamlessly integrates with existing liquid fuel infrastructure for scalable deployment that is up to 50 per cent lower cost  

2. CatAmmon (Israel) 

Solution: “Cold” (400ºC) ammonia cracking, catalysed by Ruthenium – free, ceramic nanomaterials that achieves over 30 per cent reductions in cost for hydrogen generation  

3.  Cetogenix (New Zealand) 

Solution: Transforming urban waste into renewable natural gas, green ammonia and other circular bioeconomy products with carbon intensities 19 times less than those of fossil equivalents  

4.  CO2Tech (Australia)  

Solution: Cost effective and compact CO2 capture solution capable of converting emissions into carbon negative and valuable products   

5. D-CRBN (Belgium)  

Solution: Plasma-based CO2 recycling with a fossil price parity   

6. Eztia Corp (US) 

Solution: Cooling wearables that absorb body heat, reducing skin temperature by 10°C   

7. Krosslinker Private Limited (Singapore) 

Solution: Cooling cities 24/7 with a zero energy aerogel coating: passive, powerful and planet friendly  

8. SXD, Inc (US)  

Solution: SXD uses its patent-published AI to co-design and scale zero material waste garments, driving 10 times the material savings, approximately 80 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions and up to 55 per cent in cost savings