Alternō – ASSIST

Investing in Impact

P4G has awarded the partnership US $357,275 in grant funding. 

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 can have 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 saved 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. 

Between April to June 2024, Alternō hosted a climate change workshop with Fulbright University for 30 young Southeast Asian leaders. 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. 

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. 

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. Between September 2024 and March 2025, Alternō continued to gain international recognition. 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. 

Alternō secured a US $2.08 million contract with Arista Partners for a 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. 

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 Air 2 and Alternō E Test 0.1. Media coverage on VTV9, HTV News and Nikkei has further elevated Alternō’s visibility and recognition. 

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

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