Peihao Lian

Student biologist and three-time founder

Peihao Lian

Singapore Scroll to explore

The record

My work has repeatedly drawn me toward the same challenge: turning scientific ideas into solutions that work in the real world. At NTU, I explored fermentation in the laboratory. Later, I researched producing bioethanol from lotus, before helping develop GreenWave, a startup exploring how invasive species could become biofuel. Along the way, I discovered that understanding the science was only the beginning. Making an idea work also meant understanding economics, people, and the systems surrounding it.

Grand Prize and US$5,000, Global Youth Entrepreneurship Competition Global Final 2025

Invasive species damage ecosystems. Corn-based biofuel competes with food. GreenWave turns the first problem into an answer for the second: biofuel made from invasive species.

See the venture Watch the pitch

Ventures

Biofuel from invasive species

A student-led startup converting invasive species into biofuel, to reduce reliance on corn-based biofuel and address the ecological damage invasive species cause. I led it from concept to an award-winning pitch.

Watch the pitch
Role
Co-founder and team captain
When
Grade 12, 15 hours a week

Recognition

  • Grand Prize with a US$5,000 cash prize, Global Youth Entrepreneurship Competition Global Final 2025
  • Winner, Global Youth Entrepreneurship Competition North America Division 2025
  • Global Finalist (top 3%) and DSWA Topical Prize nomination, Diamond Challenge Limitless World Summit 2025
  • Innovators Award (top 15%), Conrad Challenge 2025

In industry

Lian Tong Group

Board director intern and project intern, grade 12, 25 hours a week for four weeks

  • Took notes for the board, shadowing board meetings and major decisions.
  • Investigated whether expanding into Indonesia’s electric vehicle market was feasible, and presented the findings to the CEO.
Visit Lian Tong Group

  1. Manuscript, pending publication

    “Lotus as a potential alternative to corn bioethanol”

    Researched producing bioethanol from different parts of the lotus plant, designing and running more than 10 experiments, with Prof. Zhu at Hartford University. Grades 11 to 12, 8 hours a week.

    Pending publication with the Journal of Youth Impact. Shortlisted, S.T. Yau High School Science Award (Asia) 2024.

  2. Paper, published

    “Knockout of LINC01134 as a potential treatment for liver cancer in HepG2 cells”

    Written during the IEMP Research Program with Prof. Solomon at Brown University, where I earned an overall grade of A. Grade 11.

    Published in MedScien (ISSN 2959-409X). DOI 10.61173/btwtm605

  3. Internship

    Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, NTU

    Compared the fermentation yields of several bacterial strains using amino acids extracted from fermented Drosophila larvae, and learned to prepare, run and troubleshoot lab equipment to protocol. Grade 10, 30 hours a week for five weeks.

  1. Highly commended2022
  2. Bronze2023
  3. Gold2024

British Biology Olympiad, three consecutive years

Awards

National service

  • Best Soldier of the MonthBMTC School 4, Singapore Armed Forces2026
  • Master Trainer CoinSpecialist Cadet School 3, Singapore Armed Forces2025

Grade 12

  • Grand PrizeGlobal Youth Entrepreneurship Competition Global Final, with a US$5,000 cash prize, GreenWave2025
  • WinnerGlobal Youth Entrepreneurship Competition North America Division, GreenWave2025
  • Global FinalistDiamond Challenge Limitless World Summit, top 3%, with a DSWA Topical Prize nomination, GreenWave2025
  • Innovators AwardConrad Challenge, top 15%, GreenWave2025
  • Gold AwardBritish Biology Olympiad2024
  • ShortlistedS.T. Yau High School Science Award (Asia)2024
  • Certificate of MeritUSA Biolympiad (USABO)2024
  • Global Silver MedalGlobal Chinese Writing Competition for Young Writers, for the narrative essay “Circle”2024
  • 2nd placeNational inter-school archery competition2024
  • Semi-finalistSingapore Full Contact Competition, Men Kata Division (karate)2024

Grade 11

  • Pitch-round QualifierDiamond Challenge, top 50%, Nutrisecure2024
  • Innovators AwardConrad Challenge, top 15%, Nutrisecure2024
  • Bronze AwardBritish Biology Olympiad2023
  • Honorable MentionUSA Biolympiad (USABO)2023
  • 5th placeNational inter-school archery competition2023

Grade 10

  • Second PrizeGlobal Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, with the Companies’ Choice Team Award, Walkwatch2023
  • Innovators AwardConrad Challenge, top 20%, Walkwatch2023
  • Highly CommendedBritish Biology Olympiad2022
  • 1st Runner-upSingapore Pesta Sukan Archery, Recurve 18m, U20 Men2022
  • White Target Award BadgeWorld Archery, Recurve
  • Regional Bronze MedalGlobal Chinese Writing Competition for Young Writers, for the narrative essay “A Few Steps of Faith”2022
  • BronzeNational Youth Achievement Award (Singapore)

Academics

IB Diploma
40
SAT
1530
TOEFL
112
IGCSE
9A*

Saint Joseph Institution International

Singapore. Graduated November 2024.

HL Chemistry
7
HL Biology
6
HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches
6
HL Chinese B
7
SL English Language and Literature
5
SL Business Management
7

IGCSE: A* in all nine subjects, First Language Chinese, First Language English, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Additional Mathematics, Cambridge International Mathematics, Economics, and Literature in English.

Harvard University

Continuing Education Program, online, June to August 2026

Principles of Economics, grade A, 8 credits.

Secondary School Program, June to August 2023

Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology, grade A, 4 credits. Introduction to Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, grade A, 4 credits.

Pre-College Program, June 2022

The Genomics Era: Bioinformatics for Biomedical Discovery.

Beyond the lab

Archery

Team captain, Archery Avengers Club, Archery Academy, grades 9 to 12

Five years of professional training, ten hours a week, competing in regional and national games. 1st runner-up in Recurve 18m U20 Men at Singapore Pesta Sukan 2022, and the World Archery Recurve White Target Award Badge. 5th at the national inter-school competition in 2023, then 2nd in 2024.

Piano

Solo pianist, ABRSM Grade 8 with distinction

Ten years of training. Studied with pianist Prof. Shizhen Ying through grades 9 to 12, seven hours a week.

Karate

Assistant trainer, Shinkyokushin Karate, 1st kyu

Eight years of training, with a black belt expected in January 2027. Semi-finalist in the Men Kata Division at the Singapore Full Contact Competition 2024. As a student lead in World Karate Organization Shinkyokushin Singapore, organised a training exchange between the Ningbo Kyokushin Branch, Zhongshan Dojo and Singapore for more than 20 karate students.

Writing

Global Silver Medal, Global Chinese Writing Competition for Young Writers

Silver in 2024 for “Circle,” after a Regional Bronze Medal in 2022 for “A Few Steps of Faith.” Both are narrative essays written in Chinese.

Volunteering

Science mentor, translator, National Youth Achievement Award

Led 15 student mentors in SJII’s science mentoring program, managing mentor assignments and logistics, and taught two students who raised their IGCSE Chemistry grades from C to A. Translated more than 4,000 words for Coursera, including Prof. Nicholas Turner’s Industrial Biotechnology course from the University of Manchester. Earned the Bronze National Youth Achievement Award for academics and eight service hours a month.

Contact

For admissions, scholarship or research enquiries, email me directly.

peihao.lian@gmail.com