Alternō secures $1m A1 investment to scale sand battery technology for zero-emission heat

Alternō secures $1m A1 investment to scale sand battery technology for zero-emission heat

Alternō, a climate-tech startup, on Monday officially announced it successfully secured US$1 million in A1 funding to expand its pioneering sand battery technology to decarbonise industrial heat in various industrial applications.

Hồ Việt Hải presents Alternō’s technology to Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun at the P4G Summit 2025 in Hà Nội in April. — Photo courtesy of Alternō

The round was led by UntroD Capital Asia, with strategic backing from Antler, one of Alternō’s earliest and largest institutional investors. The Asian Development Bank Ventures (ADB) also joined the round, signaling growing global investor confidence in scalable decarbonisation solutions.

Alternō’s thermal energy storage technology is transforming how industrial heat is generated and consumed across Việt Nam and Asia. The company’s patented sand battery system uses locally available, low-cost materials like sand to store heat at up to 600°C, with minimal thermal loss and zero emissions during operation—empowering global carbon neutrality goals.

This new investment will enable the compaby to scale up its manufacturing operations and accelerate development of Alternō E, the company’s next-generation product capable of storing and delivering both heat and electricity from a modular, integrated platform.

Hồ Việt Hải, co-founder & CEO, said: “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 decarbonisation 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.”

With this funding, Alternō is expanding its portfolio of energy storage solutions designed to serve both factory and community-scale applications including Alternō One; Alternō Hybrid and Alternō E. All systems are IoT-connected, AI-optimized, and remotely monitored by Alternō’s R&D team.

Founded in 2023, Alternō is addressing Southeast Asia’s fast-growing demand for clean, stable, and cost-effective thermal energy. Beginning with industrial drying and agro-processing facilities in Việt Nam, the sand battery has proven effective in reducing fossil fuel dependence, lowering energy costs, and improving output consistency and product quality.

To date, Alternō has deployed systems for major domestic and international clients, including PepsiCo, Mondelez, and a wide network of companies and co-operatives across Việt Nam. 

The startup is currently expanding into a new industrial sector every two months, with commercial projects underway in Southeast Asia and Japan. 

By 2030, the company aims to help eliminate 100 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. Its long-term vision is to become a fully integrated clean energy platform - bringing heat, electricity, and AI-powered energy management into a unified, intelligent, and affordable solution.

The company is actively pursuing expansion in Japan, Qatar, and the UAE, and is currently in co-development discussions with global players including Honda and Marubeni. 

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