Alternō – ASSIST

Investing in Impact

P4G has awarded the partnership about US $437,275 in grants across two funding rounds.

Alternō is a venture capital backed Vietnamese startup that uses sand battery technology to efficiently convert electricity to thermal energy that can be stored in the sand at 600°C.  The technology has several uses including drying agricultural products such as tea, coffee, rice and cocoa, and heating residential and commercial buildings.  

Sand is heated to high temperatures using high-efficiency heating systems. A thick layer of insulation preserves the high temperature of the thermal energy that is stored in the sand. An air blower pushes air through a series of tubes inside the battery and the hot air that leaves the batter is heated to 100 - 300°C. The air is circulated in a drying chamber to dry agricultural products and saves up to 50% in drying costs. There is only an estimated thermal loss of 5% a day.  

ASSIST, an international nonprofit, has experience in the energy sector and will help Alternō find customers in agro-processing. It will also support the startup with promotional activities and targeting marketing and communications campaigns to increase awareness of the technology and increase the customer base.  

The company has made notable strides, including securing multiple agricultural and automotive clients and upgrading the Alternō Air 2 battery to boost capacity by 300%. Additionally, a new Tray Dryer Machine has been introduced, featuring enhanced heat flow and 50% less heat loss.

Alternō has hit several key product development milestones including upgrading its sand battery capacity from 88kWh to 250kWh, completed manufacturing of Alternō Air 2 and Alternō One, and deploying Alternō E Test 0.1. Media coverage on VTV9, HTV News and Nikkei has further elevated Alternō’s visibility and recognition.

Alternō secured a US $2.08 million contract with Arista Partners for the full installation of energy systems and solar panels, with project implementation underway. A pilot project with Mondelez was finalized to process food and sludge waste using a combination of sand battery and rotary dryer technology.  

In April 2024, Alternō announced that it secured over US $1.5 million in funding co-led by leading impact and venture capital funds The Radical Fund in Singapore and Touchstone Partners in Vietnam.

In 2025, Alternō closed its A1 round with US $1 million investment from UntroD. It aims to raise almost US $4 million in additional investment. It will also aim to reduce or avoid more than 124,000 metric tons of carbon emissions and onboard 10 new customers.  

Active in regional events, Alternō participated in the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator Program, pitched at the Decarbonization Summit in Thailand and attended the Future Energy Asia Exhibition and Summit 2024. In June 2024, Alternō joined the "Investment Policy for Startup" discussion in Hanoi, hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

In August 2024, Alternō co-organized the Green Energy Transition Showcase, funded by P4G and organized with ASSIST, EBOOST and Stride. The event gathered over 180 participants to explore renewable energy solutions and foster partnerships for a sustainable energy future. Alternō was named winner of the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator APAC Program and second place winner at the Startup World Cup. The startup was also selected as a semi-finalist for the Asia Entrepreneurship Award 2024 in Japan and took part in the Net Zero Challenge 2024 Grand Finale, hosted by Touchstone Partners and Temasek Foundation. Alternō showcased its solutions at Techfest Hai Phong Province 2024 in Vietnam and participated in HIC SG 2024 in Singapore, using these platforms to expand its global reach, build partnerships and present its climate technologies to a broader audience.

Moreover, Alternō contributed to a virtual masterclass on global circular economy perspectives, hosted a Tech Planter Vietnam Information Session at its lab, and co-hosted the Empowering Sustainability Unitour with Stride and EBOOST, where over 600 students learned about the skills needed for a career in green transition. In 2024, Alternō also hosted a climate change workshop with Fulbright University for 30 young Southeast Asian leaders.  

During its second grant funding period, partnership plans to drive adoption of Alternō’s solutions by increasing buy-in from targeted electricity-storage businesses while strengthening the company’s investor readiness and market positioning. Efforts will include tailored coaching for Alternō staff to identify due diligence gaps and enhance investment preparedness, alongside the development of compelling communications materials distributed across multiple platforms.  

In parallel, the partnership will focus on scaling Alternō’s sand battery technology and expanding awareness of alternative energy solutions. This includes research and development efforts which will advance a zero-emission electricity system through the Alternō E proof of concept, supported by field deployment and performance validation. Alternō aims to engage with Da Nang Department of Science and Technology and the P4G National Platform together with the National Innovation Center to present on Energy Storage standards, specifically aimed at securing institutional support for Alternō's business expansion in Vietnam.

The partnership comprises the following partners: Alternō (lead business partner); ASSIST (lead administrative partner).