Applications now open for ClimateLaunchpad – the world’s largest green business ideas competition
5 min read
ClimateLaunchpad, the world’s largest green business ideas competition by Climate KIC, has opened applications for its 2026 edition. Since 2014, the programme has supported nearly 5 000 ideas across 97 countries.
This year, it is expanding its presence in Asia with Singapore hosting both the regional final and Global Grand Final for the first time. The competition is therefore partnering with regional partners Better Earth Ventures and TPC Group (Tsao Pao Chee).
What is ClimateLaunchpad and how to join?
Since its launch in 2014, ClimateLaunchpad has become the most accessible pipeline for green innovation. The curriculum is designed to turn ideas on the back of a napkin into battle-proof businesses.
Participants move through several stages:
- An initial mini-course to refine the concept.
- An intensive multi-day Boot Camp led by expert trainers.
- Targeted coaching to perfect value propositions and investor pitches.
- National and regional finals, where teams pitch to expert juries and gain wider visibility.
- A place at the Global Grand Final, with prizes and access to a global climate network.
In 2025, the programme received over 2 700 applications from 40 countries. The winning ventures gain prize money, investor connections and access to a global cleantech network.
Applications are now open for the 2026 edition of ClimateLaunchpad. Climate innovators, green venture builders and entrepreneurs from around the world can apply here.
Partnering with regional players
This year, Climate KIC is partnering with Better Earth Ventures to host both ClimateLaunchpad Singapore and the Global Grand Final. Better Earth Ventures is a Singapore-based climate innovation platform supporting early-stage founders across Asia-Pacific. As the local delivery partner, it brings deep ecosystem relationships and hands-on experience running climate and agrifood innovation programmes, with a focus on turning promising ideas into scalable ventures. Its work is grounded in the belief that global change starts with local action, and that supporting entrepreneurs on the ground is key to building a resilient green economy.
“We are proud to host ClimateLaunchpad’s Regional and Global Grand Final in Singapore and to convene an international group of climate entrepreneurs from more than 50 countries,” says Rebecca Sharpe, founder and CEO of Better Earth Ventures.
“Climate solutions are emerging from every corner of the world, and bringing them together creates the kind of cross-border exchange and collaboration this moment demands. Our focus is to ensure early-stage founders have the structure, ecosystem access and support needed to move from idea to credible impact.”
At the same time, the competition is entering a new chapter, with Singapore-based TPC bringing a perspective rooted in interconnectedness. TPC is a fourth-generation family business ecosystem committed to advancing the wellbeing economy, with activities spanning global logistics, impact investment, education and philanthropy.
This perspective recognises that climate, economy, culture and community do not operate separately. Addressing the climate crisis requires understanding how these systems overlap and designing solutions that reflect that reality.
This systems perspective also informs the work of NO.17 Foundation, part of the TPC ecosystem, which focuses on aligning capital, collaboration and execution so that climate innovation can move from promising ideas to scalable systems change.
Says Luis Alvarado Martinez, CEO of No. 17 Foundation, “Climate innovation is ultimately a human endeavour before it is a technological one. The most powerful solutions often emerge from people closest to the realities of climate change. Platforms like ClimateLaunchpad help connect these founders with the networks, capital and collaboration needed to turn local insight into solutions that can scale globally.”
The partner network
ClimateLaunchpad is supported by long-term partners like Bank of America and Irish Aid. Support from Bank of America strengthens the ecosystem from the earliest stages, giving visibility to solutions that can deliver real-world impact and reshape our economy. Meanwhile, Irish Aid empowers entrepreneurs in emerging markets, ensuring those on the front lines of climate change have the tools to build their own local solutions.
Image: South Africa’s SeaH4 wins the ClimateLaunchpad Global Grand Final 2025
