11 TEAMS, 11 INNOVATIONS: GREENCHEM DEMO DAY 2026 IN KYIV
On 16 September, Kyiv hosted GreenChem Demo Day 2026 – the final event of the GreenChem Accelerator, marking the culmination of three months of intensive work by Ukrainian teams developing innovative solutions in green chemistry and green tech.
Eleven teams presented their technological solutions to an expert jury, answered questions, and received professional feedback and recommendations on how to further develop their projects.
The participants were welcomed by Maia Semerei, Head of the Chemical Products Management Division of the Environmental and Chemical Safety and Chemical Products Management Department of the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine; Olena Kovaliova, Head of the Ukraine Transitional Programme Office at UNIDO; and Onieka Obiocha, Director of the Global GreenChem Accelerator at the Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering.
Green chemistry is extremely important for Ukraine, especially in the context of the war. I am pleased to see how actively Ukrainian young people are engaging in such projects and developing innovative ideas with the potential to be implemented in Ukraine. I wish the teams every success as they continue developing their solutions and move confidently towards implementation, said Maia Semerei.
The Winners
Following the jury’s evaluation, the top three teams were:
🥇 1st place — PolyFuel
🥈 2nd place — Sludge to Value
🥉 3rd place — Argentera
As the winner, PolyFuel will have the opportunity to represent Ukraine at the Global Demo Day in Vienna in November 2026, held as part of UNIDO’s Circular Economy & Green Industry (CEGI) Week.
Three Months of Work – One Final Day
Over the course of three months, GreenChem Accelerator participants worked with mentors and experts, tested their hypotheses, refined their business models, and further developed their technological solutions. The final Demo Day provided an opportunity to showcase the results of this work to the professional community, potential partners, and an expert jury.
I am very happy that this year we have such a strong cohort of startups. We saw many interesting ideas and solutions and, most importantly, people who are truly committed to developing green technologies in Ukraine. I am glad that such an active community has formed around the GreenChem Accelerator, and I hope this is only the beginning for the teams, said Olena Tabachuk, GreenChem Accelerator Programme Manager.
GreenChem Demo Day was not only the culmination of the acceleration programme, but also a platform bringing together teams, experts, mentors, partners, and members of the professional community around the development of green innovation in Ukraine.
We thank all the teams, mentors, experts, jury members, partners, and participants of the GreenChem Accelerator 2026 for contributing to the development of this community. New solutions, partnerships, and opportunities to scale Ukrainian green tech innovations lie ahead.
The GreenChem Accelerator is implemented within the framework of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) project “Global GreenChem Innovation and Networking Program” (GreenChem), with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The programme is executed by the Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering (USA), with the Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Centre serving as the project’s national implementing partner.
