The fund will be used to launch and scale 50 companies operating in emissions-intensive sectors, including energy, food, materials and supply chains, said the venture builder 100×100.
The initiative reflects a broader effort to tackle one of the region’s key challenges: turning promising low-carbon technologies into commercially viable businesses that can scale.
“We believe that solving the world’s most pressing emissions challenges also represents a significant economic opportunity,” said Marie Cheong, founding partner at 100×100.
“Our name reflects our conviction that profit and carbon reduction are not a trade-off, but a multiplier. With [the fund], we are doubling down on a demonstrated strategy with a platform that is ready-to-go.”
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Southeast and South Asia sit at the intersection of the world’s most urgent challenges — holding a disproportionate share of global emissions while increasingly becoming a key region for manufacturing reshoring, AI infrastructure buildout and food system redesign.
Quentin Vaquette, founding partner, 100×100
The launch comes as climate technology startups in Southeast Asia show signs of resilience despite a difficult global fundraising environment. According to market intelligence platform Tracxn, climate tech companies in the region attracted US$166 million in disclosed equity funding in 2025. The figure was 10 per cent higher than in 2024, although still below the record US$288 million raised in 2023.
Asia has emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic startup regions, accounting for nearly a quarter of global venture capital investments between 2021 and 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data. Rapid digitalisation, expanding consumer markets and growing manufacturing capacity have helped drive startup activity across India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Climate-focused ventures, however, still make up only a small share of the broader startup ecosystem. This is despite governments across the region pursuing clean energy deployment, transport electrification and industrial decarbonisation.
Singapore remains Southeast Asia’s largest climate-tech hub. It has attracted nearly US$872 million of the roughly US$1.1 billion in disclosed climate-tech equity funding recorded in the region since 2018, according to Tracxn. Indonesia and Vietnam follow, with much of their funding concentrated in electric mobility companies.
Investors have increasingly targeted sectors such as waste management, smart-grid infrastructure, renewable energy and energy efficiency. These areas are seen as critical to meeting rising electricity demand while lowering emissions.
The investment case has also been strengthened by growing demand for technologies linked to manufacturing reshoring, artificial intelligence infrastructure and food system transformation.
“Southeast and South Asia sit at the intersection of the world’s most urgent challenges — holding a disproportionate share of global emissions while increasingly becoming a key region for manufacturing reshoring, AI infrastructure buildout, and food system redesign,” said Quentin Vaquette, founding partner at 100×100.
“By deploying our venture-building infrastructure here, with a target of reducing 10 per cent of global emissions collectively, we are building the very companies the world needs right now — and that will become the most compelling investment opportunities of this decade.”
Unlike traditional venture capital firms that invest in existing startups, 100×100 works with entrepreneurs to build companies from the ground up. The firm says it has co-founded 27 companies across eight countries since launching the first iteration of its fund, which closed at US$60 million in 2023.
Several portfolio companies operate in sectors attracting growing investor interest. They include Rize, which develops solutions to reduce methane emissions from rice cultivation, and Philippine residential solar company Helios.
The fund launch comes amid broader efforts to accelerate climate innovation in Asia. Last month, Google launched a regional accelerator programme focused on applying artificial intelligence to climate and environmental challenges. Governments across Southeast Asia are also expanding support for startup ecosystems and clean technology development.
Despite signs of growth, significant financing gaps remain. Climate-tech funding in Southeast Asia continues to be concentrated in a small number of markets and sectors. Many startups still struggle to secure growth-stage capital.
