UntroD Capital Asia’s (UntroD) Global Fund 2 has made its investment in Alternō, a climate-tech startup founded in Vietnam, to accelerate the deployment of its sustainable heat technology and support its mission to eliminate 100 million tons of CO₂ emissions annually by 2030. By building the next generation of clean energy infrastructure—delivering heat, electricity, and AI-powered energy management—Alternō aims to redefine how the world powers its factories, farms, and communities.

The round was led by UntroD Capital Asia, with participation from ADB Ventures, the venture arm of the Asian Development Bank—a testament to growing investor confidence in scalable climate solutions for hard-to-abate sectors. The company’s growth to date has been supported by early institutional backing from Antler, which played a pivotal role in Alternō’s initial development.

Alternō’s patented thermal energy storage system—known as a sand battery—utilizes locally available, low-cost materials like sand to store heat at temperatures up to 600°C, with minimal thermal loss and zero emissions during operation. While sand has a moderate heat capacity (~300 kcal/m³·°C), its exceptional thermal stability and ultra-low cost make it one of the most practical and scalable materials for high-temperature heat storage. As illustrated in comparative studies of sensible heat storage materials, sand offers an ideal balance between performance and affordability, outperforming more expensive options like copper, aluminum, or steel when it comes to cost-effectiveness per unit of stored energy. This positions Alternō’s solution as a high-efficiency, low-cost pathway to industrial decarbonization, particularly in emerging markets where clean heat alternatives remain scarce or economically unfeasible.

Alternō’s technology has already proven effective in industrial drying and agro-processing applications in Vietnam, where it has reduced fossil fuel dependency, lowered energy costs, and improved both output consistency and product quality. Clients include leading domestic and international companies such as PepsiCo, Mondelez, and a network of cooperatives and manufacturers across Vietnam.

“This funding marks a pivotal milestone for Alternō. With the support of ADB and UntroD, we’re accelerating our efforts to bring large-scale, cost-effective decarbonization to industrial sectors. This isn’t just another battery—it’s a revolution in how we generate and use industrial heat, starting from something as simple as sand.

In 2023, Alternō participated in TECH PLANTER in Vietnam, an acceleration program run by Leave a Nest. Since then, the company has also gained significant global recognition, winning the 2024 PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator for Asia-Pacific and placing Top 2 globally at the Startup World Cup and multiple Japanese corporates have been highly interested in collaboration. The company is also in co-development discussions with major international partners including Honda and Marubeni, further underscoring its global potential. These accolades highlight both the technological maturity and commercial viability of Alternō’s solutions.

This investment was also supported by Tadashi Sekimukai, a National University of Singapore MBA student and intern. Mr. Sekimukai, who is from the energy industry, has been with us as an intern since January 2024, and has contributed to the discovery and support of promising startups in Southeast Asia, including his support for the investment in Alternō. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen our partnerships with MBA programs and work together with the next generation of investment talent to develop the regional ecosystem.

UntroD (formerly Real Tech Fund) is a Japan-based venture capital firm supporting deep-tech startups solving global and societal challenges. Since 2015, it has led investments and hands-on support for seed and early-stage companies. With over ¥40 billion under management across Japan and global funds, UntroD relaunched in 2024 to further its mission of backing ventures in underserved but critical sectors.
Website: https://untrod.inc

Alternō is a climate-tech startup based in Singapore with R&D and manufacturing in Vietnam. The company develops sand-based thermal battery systems that deliver high-temperature, zero-emission heat for industrial and agricultural applications. Founded in 2023, Alternō aims to accelerate the energy transition in hard-to-abate sectors across Asia and beyond, with a long-term goal of reducing 100 million tons of CO₂ annually by 2030.

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Alternō
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🌐 www.alterno.net