Selected from more than 200 regional champions representing over 60 countries, ZymoChem takes the top prize at the global pitch competition organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures.
ZymoChem selected as the Startup World Cup 2026 Champion following CEO Harshal Chokhawala’s pitch on November 6th in San Francisco, CA.
On Friday, November 6, ZymoChem was named the winner of the Startup World Cup 2026 Grand Finale at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, taking home the $1 million investment prize.
A panel of venture capital investors and industry leaders chose ZymoChem from a global field that began with more than 200 regional competitions across six continents.
The Road to the Grand Finale
The path to San Francisco began on September 10, when ZymoChem won First Place at the Startup World Cup East Bay Regional, organized by the East Bay SBDC, and received the Hayward Horizon Award.
“We are incredibly proud to have ZymoChem represent the East Bay Regional on the global stage.”
Harshal Chokhawala accepted the First Place trophy for the Startup World Cup East Bay Regional and the Hayward Horizon Award on behalf of ZymoChem on September 10.
The Pitch
During the three-day Grand Finale, held November 4 to 6, ZymoChem advanced through the Semi-Finals to join the Top 10, alongside startups from Australia, Colombia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, and the United States.
Harshal Chokhawala, Co-Founder and CEO of ZymoChem, presented on behalf of the full ZymoChem team, sharing the company's vision for reinventing the chemicals industry.
Using renewable sugar feedstocks and biomanufacturing, ZymoChem is building resilient, traceable supply chains that are independent of fossil oil, with applications in verticals ranging from hygiene to fashion.
“Standing on that stage, I was representing years of work by an extraordinary team.
This recognition affirms that bio-based materials can deliver performance, economics, and added benefits that the market demands.
This also provides added momentum as we bring BAYSE™ Bio-SAP to commercial scale.”
Dr. Chokhawala presenting in the Startup World Cup Grand Finale on November 6
What Comes Next
The win arrives as momentum builds across ZymoChem and its commercialization of BAYSE Bio-SAP.
For years, brands have had to choose between a material that performs and a claim they can stand behind. BAYSE ends that trade-off at a decisive moment. Anti-greenwashing legislation is now in effect in the EU, and a growing number of U.S. states are raising the bar for environmental claims.
Meanwhile, geopolitical turbulence, from the war in Ukraine to the 2026 closure of the Strait of Hormuz, continues to expose the fragility of petroleum-based supply chains.
BAYSE answers both pressures with verified claims, full traceability from renewable feedstock to finished product, and a true alternative to fossil dependence.
With a robust customer pipeline in hand, the added visibility from the Grand Finale has opened conversations with additional partners and industry leaders.
ZymoChem thanks Startup World Cup and Pegasus Tech Ventures for building a truly global stage and congratulates all of its fellow finalists.
The company also acknowledges and thanks the East Bay SBDC and California State University - East Bay for championing the company from the regional competition all the way to the finals.
You can read the official announcement from Startup World Cup on Business Wire.