Climate Tech Startup Eztia Materials Develops Gel-Based Cooling Wear That Cuts Skin Temperature by 9°C

Climate-tech firm Eztia Materials has developed water-based gel beads that can be applied to the underside of clothing to absorb body heat and reduce a person's skin temperature by as much as 9 degrees Celsius, with the cooling effect sustained over six to eight hours. The solution was showcased at the Building and Construction Authority's technology exchange event in Singapore on May 22, which brought together government agencies, construction firms and technology companies to explore innovations protecting workers from rising heat stress. Founded in California in 2022 and having expanded to Singapore in 2025, Eztia Materials has already been recognised as a finalist of Temasek Foundation's The Liveability Challenge and winner of the Dimension X Award at Slingshot 2025.

 

How the Gel Cooling Technology Works

 

The gel beads are water-based and work by absorbing heat directly from the body through contact with skin. Darryl Tan, Asia-Pacific Market Lead for Eztia, said the cooling wear reduces skin temperature by up to 9 degrees Celsius within the first couple of minutes of wearing, with the temperature difference sustained over the next six to eight hours. The rapid onset and extended duration of the cooling effect are significant features for outdoor and construction workers who face sustained heat exposure across full working shifts.

The technology addresses a physiological challenge that is particularly acute in Singapore's humid environment. When the body overheats, blood flow to the skin increases and heat is released to the surrounding air, while perspiration evaporates to provide additional cooling. In high-humidity conditions, evaporative cooling through sweat becomes significantly less effective, leaving workers more vulnerable to heat stress. The gel material compensates for this reduced evaporative efficiency by providing a direct heat absorption mechanism that does not depend on low ambient humidity to function.

 

Read more: La Caisse Invests in Novisto to Scale Sustainability Data Platform Amid Global Disclosure Pressure

 

Market Context and Heat Stress Innovation

 

The Building and Construction Authority event reflected a broader push across Singapore's construction sector to address occupational heat stress through technology, with solutions spanning trackers, wearables and AI-based monitoring systems designed to alert supervisors about potential heat stress cases on site. Rising temperatures linked to climate change and Singapore's persistently high humidity are creating increasing pressure on outdoor industries to protect workers through means beyond rest breaks and hydration protocols. Wearable cooling technology represents an emerging category within this space that can provide continuous passive protection during active work periods.

Eztia's participation in the Slingshot 2025 competition and its recognition through Temasek Foundation's Liveability Challenge signal growing institutional interest in climate adaptation technologies that directly address the lived experience of heat in tropical and subtropical urban environments. As global temperatures continue to rise, the market for personal cooling solutions targeting outdoor workers, athletes and elderly populations is expected to expand significantly. Singapore's position as both a testbed market and a regional technology hub makes it an attractive location for companies developing and validating heat stress solutions before broader international deployment.

 

Explore OneStop ESG Marketplace: Monitoring and testing

 

Outlook for Wearable Climate Adaptation Technology

 

The Eztia Materials technology represents a practical application of materials science to a climate adaptation challenge that is becoming more commercially urgent as extreme heat events intensify globally. If the gel cooling performance can be validated across diverse working conditions and scaled into cost-effective commercial garments, the technology could address a significant unmet need in construction, agriculture, logistics and other outdoor sectors. The combination of passive operation, long duration effectiveness and wearability without equipment burden gives the solution a practical profile that more complex active cooling systems may struggle to match.

Whether Eztia can translate its Singapore trial success into broader regional market penetration will depend on manufacturing scalability, garment integration quality and the strength of commercial partnerships with workwear providers and employers. Sustained execution would position the company as a leading provider of wearable climate adaptation solutions across the Asia Pacific region, where heat stress is a growing occupational health concern. The convergence of climate change, urbanisation and tightening workplace safety standards creates a structurally favourable environment for solutions that can demonstrate measurable, sustained protection for outdoor workers.