Vietnam’s climate-tech has a missing middle, and women founders are falling into it
In Vietnam’s climate-tech scene, a founder can win a grant and, with luck, eventually land a cheque worth several million dollars. What she is increasingly unlikely to find is anything in between. Recorded climate tech funding in Vietnam fell 52 per cent in 2025 to US$49.86 million across 33 transactions, down from US$104.20 million across […] The post Vietnam’s climate-tech has a missing middle,…
Vietnam's climate-tech sector is experiencing a funding gap, with a significant lack of middle-sized deals that could help startups transition from pilot programs to commercial operations. A report by New Energy Nexus Vietnam, SNV Vietnam, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), and RMIT University Vietnam found that overall climate-tech funding in Vietnam dropped 52% in 2025 to US$49.86 million, down from US$104.20 million in 2024.
The number of recorded deals also nearly halved, with none falling within the US$350,000 to US$1 million range in 2025, compared to four deals in 2024. This "missing middle" is particularly detrimental to women founders, who account for about a third of active climate-tech enterprises in Vietnam but receive only around 1.7% of total climate-tech capital.
The barrier lies in collateral requirements and financing that cannot serve both commercial and impact goals, often leaving women entrepreneurs at a disadvantage due to land title ownership. While the government's interest in a Yozma-style national venture fund is promising, investors remain more comfortable with revenue-generating assets like rooftop solar and EV charging infrastructure.
Climate startups are also competing with Vietnam's booming AI and semiconductor sectors for skilled engineers, making it challenging for climate startups to attract and retain talent.
Written by urgent.news from e27's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
