Vietnamese company Alterno outpaced nearly 500 applicants from 79 countries to crash the top 15 at the SET Award 2026 ceremony in Berlin on March 17, an annual recognition of leading startups driving the sustainable energy transition.

The win is huge for Viet Nam as for the first time in the award's 10-year run, a Vietnamese firm has actually made it to the finals.

The ceremony was part of the SET Tech Festival 2026, coinciding with the festival's 10th anniversary as a pioneer in the field of energy transition.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Dac Thanh, in his speech, said the Vietnamese Government is strongly committed to sustainable development, with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, alongside accelerated energy transition, green growth and innovation across sectors.

He pointed to the growing energy cooperation between Viet Nam and Germany, exemplified by the Joint Declaration on Energy Partnership signed in July 2025. Platforms like the SET Tech Festival, he noted, facilitate knowledge sharing, investment flows, and new innovation ideas between the two nations. On the occasion, he expressed national pride in Alterno’s top-15 placement and offered congratulations to all participants in the SET Award 2026.

A judging panel of leading global experts in energy, technology, and commerce selected five companies with the most groundbreaking solutions for the global energy transition, awarding honours across five categories: Buildings and Construction, Mobility and Transportation, Quality Energy Access, Industry, and Clean Energy and Storage.

Alterno ranked among the top three of the Clean Energy and Storage category. Organisers described the company’s sand battery technology as a safe, non-flammable storage system capable of delivering industrial process heat at 300–600 degrees Celsius, with all components drawn from abundant natural materials that are fully recyclable.

Co-founders Hai Ho and Nam Nguyen spotlighted a core competitive edge: the system’s ability to store energy efficiently and at low cost, addressing affordability barriers that limit many alternative solutions. The battery core is made from inorganic materials such as ceramic, salt and nickel, making it super fire-resistant and safe to run. These attributes position the technology for wide adoption, particularly in data centres and factories where there is strong demand for stable, safe and eco-friendly energy storage.

Before the ceremony, Thanh met and congratulated the co-founders at the Vietnamese Embassy in Berlin.

According to him, Germany places strong emphasis on energy transition and regularly hosts events and initiatives to spread green solutions. In such context, Alterno’s sand battery technology is poised to draw interest from firms, researchers and investors. He expressed confidence that Alterno would continue to grow, expand partnerships and achieve further success in the clean energy sector.

Headquartered in Viet Nam, Alterno specialises in sustainable and efficient battery solutions for enterprises in diverse sectors, including sustainable agriculture.