Alternō Raises Series A to Scale AI-Powered Sand Batteries for Clean Heat
Alternō, a 2023-founded climate-tech company, has closed its Series A financing round, having raised capital to expand its disruptive sustainable heat technology.
The business aims to displace 100 million tons of CO₂ emissions per year by 2030 by leading a new era in clean energy infrastructure, with heat, electricity, and AI-facilitated energy management being its areas of focus.
UntroD Capital Asia led the round, with ADB Ventures, the investment arm of the Asian Development Bank, participating in the round.
The investment reflects investor optimism in climate solutions that are scalable, especially for industries where decarbonization has been challenging. Antler, an early institutional backer, has also played a critical role in Alternō's early development and growth.
Revolutionizing Heat Storage with Sand Batteries
At the center of Alternō's solution lies its patented system for thermal energy storage, namely the sand battery. This innovation employs low-cost, locally sourced materials—namely sand for storing heat up to 600°C with minimum thermal loss without any emissions upon operation.
Sand, with its superior thermal stability and low price, is a very cost-effective and scalable industrial decarbonization solution. It has an ideal combination of performance and price, beating more costly options such as copper or steel on a cost per unit of energy stored basis.
The sand battery places Alternō's technology as a low-cost, high-efficiency route to clean heat solutions, especially in developing markets where clean alternatives are still economically unviable.
The technology has already been effectively deployed in industrial use, especially in industrial drying and agro-processing in Vietnam, assisting firms to cut down fossil fuel reliance, minimize energy expenditure, and enhance product quality and consistency.
Well-known customers, such as PepsiCo and Mondelez, are already taking advantage of Alternō's innovative heat storage solutions.
A Growing Product Lineup to Serve Global Energy Needs
Alternō is scaling its thermal battery solutions with new funding. The Alternō One delivers clean heat to off-grid homes, piloted in Vietnam and headed to Mongolia.
The Alternō Hybrid combines electric and biomass heating for 24/7 energy in rural agro-processing. Both feature AI, IoT, and remote monitoring, with ongoing improvements by the in-house R&D team.
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Strategic Growth and Global Recognition
Alternō is also making its technology more accessible through flexible financial models such as Heat-as-a-Service (HaaS), enabling clients to decarbonize without significant upfront investment.
Hai Ho, Co-Founder and CEO of Alternō, “This funding marks a pivotal milestone for Alternō. With the support of ADB Ventures and UntroD, we’re accelerating our efforts to bring large-scale, cost-effective decarbonization to industrial sectors.
He added, “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.”
The company’s global potential is underscored by its ongoing co-development discussions with major international partners, including Honda and Marubeni, indicating the widespread demand for its clean energy solutions.
Alternō has gained international recognition for its technology, winning the 2024 PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator for Asia-Pacificand placing in the Top 2 globally at the Startup World Cup. These accolades showcase both the technological maturity and commercial viability of the company’s offerings.
