When the skies over Sydney turned a haunting shade of brown during the Black Summer bushfires of 2019–2020, Oliver Pang knew his life was about to change. What began as a routine commute became a moment of reckoning. “The usual blue of Sydney Harbour [was] replaced by a haze that not only stretched as far as the eye could see but we could also feel in our lungs. I remember seeing brown raindrops hit my windscreen, and my car wipers proceeding to smear my windscreen with a reddish-brown substance,” he recalls. “The rain had mixed with smog, ash, and dust from the intensity of the bushfire to create this blood rain. It wasn’t a horror movie. It was climate change, right before our eyes.”

 

That visceral experience sparked a lifelong commitment to climate action. “I didn’t want to live in a future where bushfires would become more extreme/frequent and where blood rain would fall from the sky on a regular basis,” Oliver says.

 

Today, at 27, Oliver is the co-founder (with Zoe Hu) of a climate tech startup, GreenCoat, transforming how buildings manage energy — one smart window at a time.

 

Oliver Pang and Zoe Hu, co-founders of GreenCoat, at the global finals of Hong Kong Techathon+ 2025. (Credit: Alexander Ng, Idea Creation Elite)

 

Reducing Costs and Climate Impact

 

Born and raised in Sydney, Oliver now calls Hong Kong home in order to scale his startup’s impact across Asia. The company, GreenCoat, specializes in smart window technology that reduces unwanted heat transfer in buildings, cutting heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), and lighting usage by up to 50%. The result? A win-win of lower energy bills and a smaller carbon footprint.

 

“The best thing about the work we do is being able to solve a real problem – over-usage of financially and environmentally costly HVAC systems – using our innovative smart window technology while also having a meaningful climate impact. And we’re doing it in a way that’s financially and environmentally sustainable,” Oliver says.

 

The Business of Betterment

 

Oliver credits Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus as a key influence. “His work on social business showed me that companies can be a force for good,” he explains. Yunus’s book Creating a World Without Poverty, which shaped Oliver’s belief that innovation must serve both people and planet, remains one of the young innovator’s favorites.

 

Pang at the Australia-Vietnam Green Economy Summit 2024. (Credit: Alexander Ng, Idea Creation Elite)

 

Worldwide Recognition

 

Oliver’s work has already garnered international acclaim. In 2023, GreenCoat was named Australia’s National Winner at the Climate Launchpad competition, the world’s largest competition focused on cleantech and green technology ideas. And at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park Elevator Pitch Competition (EPiC) in 2024, GreenCoat was selected as a Top 74 Global Startup. These accolades reflect not just technical excellence, but a deep commitment to addressing climate impact. “It's been an honor to receive such recognition,” says Oliver. “It's been great to receive this external validation across different markets, and it is a testament to the hard work of everyone in our team.”

 

Lessons from the Startup Trenches

 

Breaking into the business-to-business (B2B) space wasn’t easy. “It’s tough to stand out, especially in a small market like Australia,” Oliver acknowledges. His strategy? Being receptive to the needs of each specific customer. “We spent time understanding our customers’ pain points before pitching solutions. That made all the difference.”

 

His advice to aspiring changemakers: “Embrace the process, not just the outcome. Draw on your passions, talk all the time to the users/customers you want to help so you can really understand their pain points when designing your solution for them, and just give it a go […] You never know if you never try!”

 

Contestants from the Asia-Pacific at the Elevator Pitch Competition 2024 (EPiC 2024) grand finale in Hong Kong. (Credit: China Daily)

 

What’s Next?

 

With growing interest from Asian markets, Oliver’s startup is going international. He’s building new partnerships and expanding operations while staying laser-focused on impact.

 

“If you want to start your own environmental initiative,” he says, “taking that first small step often seems the hardest — but all the great environmental initiatives also started with just an idea. Just take that first step. Your action, no matter how small, is the beginning of your impact journey.”

 

You can connect with Oliver via LinkedIn to follow his journey and learn more about his work in plasma coating and sustainability. And if you know of any other young innovators Ezinne should interview, reach out to her there as well!

 

Ezinne is a passionate advocate for sustainable development and human rights, actively contributing to global initiatives led by PwC, the UN, and the World Bank, among others. She has received international recognition for leadership and innovation and has represented her native Nigeria at global climate fellowships. With a strong interest in technology-driven solutions, Ezinne supports Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and shares insights through global platforms like the UN and Google Women Tech Makers.

 

Banner photo courtesy of Scott Webb, Pexels.