ZymoChem won the US$1 million investment prize at the Startup World Cup 2026 Grand Finale in San Francisco, with Spain’s Lain Tech finishing second and Japan’s KAUCHE taking third. Portugal’s Lampsy placed 35th among 159 competing startups.

Organised by Pegasus Tech Ventures, the Grand Finale took place on November 4–6 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. The event brought together founders, investors and corporate leaders, with more than 60 countries represented across six continents.

Representing East Bay, United States, ZymoChem secured the top prize with its biomanufacturing technology, designed to improve sustainability and supply chain resilience in the chemical industry. Lain Tech, representing Madrid, Spain, earned second place for its industrial innovation in energy and raw materials, while KAUCHE, representing Tokyo, Japan, completed the podium with its gamified commerce platform.

Lain Tech’s second-place finish was a particular highlight for Fasttrack Ventures, organiser of the Madrid regional competition. After winning in Madrid, the Spanish startup advanced through the global semi-finals, secured a place in the Top 10 and reached the global podium.

The result highlights the strength of Spain’s startup ecosystem and the quality of the companies emerging through the regional competitions. It also demonstrates how a regional victory can become an opportunity for international recognition, investment and commercial partnerships.

Lampsy, winner of the Portugal regional competition organised by Fasttrack Ventures, finished 35th among 159 competing startups. Its performance placed Portuguese innovation before an international audience of investors and industry decision-makers.

The three-day programme combined startup pitches, investor discussions, corporate innovation sessions and networking. Speakers included Daymond John of Shark Tank, Marc Tarpenning, Co-Founder of Tesla, Will Grannis, CTO of Google Cloud, and Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer of Microsoft, alongside senior leaders from Uber, Waymo, ServiceNow, Autodesk, HP and Salesforce.

The investor lineup included representatives from Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures, DCVC, Norwest Venture Partners, Samsung Ventures, Greylock, ICONIQ and Greycroft, giving participating founders opportunities to connect with leading venture capital and corporate investment teams.

Congratulations to ZymoChem, Lain Tech, KAUCHE and all the finalists, and a special congratulations to the Lain Tech and Lampsy teams for representing Spain and Portugal on the global stage.