The 2026 Net Zero Challenge To Fund Climate Tech Pilots And Market Entry In Vietnam
The 2026 Net Zero Challenge competition, organized by Touchstone Partners and the Temasek Foundation, is looking to fund climate tech pilots and aid with market entry in Vietnam.
Organized in partnership with the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies (HIDS), the program will provide innovators and their solutions with funding, connecting them with mentorship opportunities, investors, corporate partners, and possibilities to demonstrate their technologies in real-world settings.
Net Zero Challenge 2026 is structured in three main tracks: Renewables & Carbon Removal, Food Systems & Sustainable Agriculture, and Circular Economy & Waste Management.
The initiative is open to solutions focused on carbon measurement and removal, renewable energy, energy storage, grid modernization, energy efficiency, green hydrogen, sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, recycling, plastic alternatives, and waste-management innovations.
The competition welcomes applications by startups, research groups, corporate ventures, nonprofit organizations, and international teams looking to enter the Vietnamese market or establish local collaborations.
The program entails a comprehensive package of financial backing and business development support. It includes equity-free funding, where ~ $571k (VND 15 billion) will be awarded to the three winning teams to support pilot implementation in Vietnam.
Additionally, the competition will award more than $228k (VND 6 billion) in investment prizes, and further support will be provided by partner venture funds and enterprises.
Relevant: Remove Is Now Accepting Applications For Cohort 9 Of Its CDR Accelerator In Europe
Applicants selected as finalists may access structured pilot opportunities enabled via the competition’s network of corporate and government partners. To enter or expand presence in the Vietnamese market, participants will have access to mentorship, investor connections, and strategic partnerships.
2026 Net Zero Challenge Eligibility
To be eligible for the Net Zero Challenge 2026, participants must have developed a minimum viable product and have a clear plan to demonstrate the solution’s value through a pilot project in Vietnam.
The solution must also have a clear commercialization path, and the team behind it must be prepared to pilot and implement it within Vietnam.
Launched on 1 July 2026, the competition is accepting applications by 31 August 2026, with the grand finale of the initiative scheduled for 12 November 2026.
Interested parties can find further information here.
Read more: Vietnam’s First Carbon Exchange Trades Over 1,200 Tonnes On Debut Day
