Lucas Zubillaga Maharg is Co-Founder and CTO at Rise Reforming, a Y Combinator-backed cleantech startup commercializing modular biogas-to-chemicals technology to produce supply-secure, low-carbon dimethyl ether (DME) and methanol.

Lucas graduated summa cum laude from the University of Chicago with a double B.Sc. in Molecular Engineering and Physics, bringing hands-on research experience from Argonne National Laboratory in nuclear waste management and offshore wind work at Avangrid/Iberdrola.

Driven by a passion for fixing broken waste management systems, Lucas led the design, procurement, construction, and operation of Rise Reforming's bench-scale reforming unit, underpinning the company's patent-pending process.

Rise Reforming is a Y Combinator S26 company that has raised over $400K, won first place in the DOE EnergyTech University Prize 2024 (awarded $50K), and secured the 2025 European Aerosol Federation Startup Award.

Rise Reforming is now building the first wastewater-biogas-to-methanol pilot plant in the Americas in Chicago, targeting a US biogas opportunity worth over $20B annually in chemical production.