Net Zero Challenge 2026

   Got a working climate-tech prototype — energy storage, carbon capture, agri-waste recycling? It could win you a share of a VND 15 billion grant: equity-free, fee-free, no hidden terms, awarded so you can run a real pilot in Vietnam. The judges are investors and corporates who stick around after the pitch.

   This is the fourth edition of Net Zero Challenge, run by Vietnamese VC firm Touchstone Partners and Singapore's Temasek Foundation, in partnership with the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies (HIDS) and the Vietnam International Financial Centre (VIFC-HCMC). The first three editions drew over 1,500 applications; the 2025 round alone brought in more than 700 from 60 countries.

   What matters most

• Three tracks: renewables and carbon removal; food systems and sustainable agriculture; circular economy and waste management.
• Prize pool: VND 15 billion in equity-free catalytic grants for the top three teams, plus over VND 6 billion in investment prizes from partner funds — more than VND 21 billion in total (roughly USD 800,000).
• Timeline: applications close on 31 August, screening runs through September, finalists are announced in early October, then a month of coaching before the Grand Finale pitches on 12 November.
• Beyond the money: mentorship, introductions to investors, and access to the corporates and government agencies that can take a pilot to scale.

   Startups, research teams, corporate ventures and non-profits are all eligible. The one hard requirement is a minimum viable product — revenue is not part of the criteria, solo founders are welcome, and your team can be based anywhere in the world. The pilot itself, however, has to run in Vietnam. If your solution spans two tracks, pick a primary one and describe the rest in the application.

   The regional context is worth knowing: between 2015 and 2024, 78 Vietnamese climate-tech companies raised around USD 205 million across 217 deals, with almost half of that landing in 2024 alone. Climate tech now accounts for 22.3% of all venture funding in Vietnam — roughly double the global share. In November 2025 Touchstone Partners launched a dedicated USD 10 million Green Transition Fund covering the same sectors.

   Last year's winners show what the finish line looks like: Shoes Agtech (an ultralight farming robot cutting agricultural emissions by 70%), Alcarbo Technologies (an algae system converting CO2 using 1% of conventional energy) and Vietnam Food, whose RetriV technology recovers 80% of nutrients from food wastewater, split over VND 20 billion — about USD 790,000.

   A few practicalities. The grant is disbursed in tranches: the first typically lands 4–6 weeks after the agreement with Temasek Foundation is signed, with later payments tied to agreed milestones on a reimbursement basis, so you will need a pilot plan with a budget and evaluation metrics. Taking money from the investor partners is an option, not an obligation — term sheets are discussed before the finale. You may pitch virtually, though the organisers encourage you to fly in: a finalist reception and closed networking sessions run alongside the event.

   The Ho Chi Minh City venue for the finale has not been announced yet. Questions go to [email protected], and applications go through the form. The deadline is 31 August, 23:59.

   If you have spent the year building a climate solution and looking for somewhere to prove it, this is a budget and a testing ground in one.