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Dr Lin Yucheng, the scientist-founder behind a billion-dollar environmental company, died on Jan 3, 2026 from pneumonia. He was 63. |
Investors remember him best for two major chapters on the Singapore Exchange:
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The United Envirotech (subsequently CITIC Envirotech) Era: In 2004, Dr. Lin listed United Envirotech with a market cap of S$116 million, turning it into a market leader in industrial wastewater treatment.
Majority stakes were acquired by CITIC and KKR in 2014 and, in 2020, voluntarily delisted following an exit offer by CITIC. -
The Transformation of Leader Environmental: In 2021, Dr. Lin took the helm of Leader Environmental Technologies.
He pivoted the firm from a traditional waste manager into a high-tech powerhouse specializing in AI-powered water management and Ti-membrane production.
After retiring as Executive Chairman in February 2025 to serve as Emeritus Chairman, he remained the company’s largest shareholder with a 27.02% stake (approx. 414.7 million shares). He was also a substantial shareholder of SGX-listed Sunpower Group.
Dr Lin listed United Envirotech with a market cap of S$116 million in 2004. Ten years later, CITIC and KKR bought majority stakes at a valuation of S$1.9 billion. File photoBorn and raised in China, Dr Lin received his PhD from Imperial College in London on a prestigious Sino-British scholarship.
He was recruited by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) in 1990.
He didn't just work in Singapore; he became a Singapore citizen in 1993, and went on to help build its reputation as an international hydro-hub, serving as a key advisor to the Singapore government on the environment and water industry.
