Activity background and purpose
The 2026 Asia Green Energy Innovation Challenge and the 8th Tsinghua University Open Innovation Marathon Challenge Hack5-point venue brings together top innovative and entrepreneurial talents from China and Singapore and is committed to promoting innovative breakthroughs in the field of sustainable energy.
Continuing the success of the first event, the Asian Green Energy Innovation Challenge set sail again. The 2026 event is co-sponsored by Tsinghua University's Tsinghua x-lab and the National University of Singapore's NUS Enterprise BLOCK71, a well-known university innovation and entrepreneurship platform in China and New Zealand, helping innovative entrepreneurs who are brave enough to respond to pressing global energy challenges. The event brings together top start-ups from both countries to focus on cutting-edge clean technology trends, catalyze transformative solutions, accelerate the energy transformation process in the Asia-Pacific region, promote cross-border cooperation and scalable pilot projects, and promote a greener and more sustainable future. development.
The 2026 Challenge will focus on six key topics shaping the future of sustainable energy: green and renewable energy, energy storage and grid resilience, smart grids and decentralized systems, artificial intelligence, digitalization and energy efficiency, clean fuels and industry Decarbonization, recycling and sustainable energy systems. Provides a unique platform for students, researchers and entrepreneurs from China and Singapore to jointly develop solutions with real-world impact.
Winning teams will have the opportunity to conduct on-site visits, participate in workshops, team coaching, project demonstrations and other activities guided by industry experts, and have the opportunity to obtain high funding and resource support to put entrepreneurial ideas into practice.
Six major challenges
Green and renewable energy Including but not limited to: solar energy, wind energy, hydrogen energy, emerging renewable energy and clean energy power generation. Energy storage and grid resilience Including but not limited to: battery/long-term energy storage, hybrid systems, grid optimization and flexible energy infrastructure. Smart grids and decentralized systems Including but not limited to: distributed energy (DERs), microgrids, virtual power plants, energy access and next-generation distribution models. Artificial intelligence, digitalization and energy efficiency Including but not limited to: artificial intelligence/machine learning solutions, digital twin technology, data-driven optimization, predictive analytics, and intelligent energy management. Clean fuels and industrial decarbonization Including but not limited to: hydrogen energy, low-carbon fuels, carbon capture, industries that are difficult to reduce emissions, industrial emission reductions, etc. Circular and sustainable energy systems Including but not limited to: recycling, waste energyization, sustainable materials and circular economy solutions for the energy value chain.
activity link
Event registration: from now until March 29, 2026 China Division Qualifications: From April 1 to April 24, 2026, the top 30 will be selected by letter review. China Division Final: On May 15, 2026, the top 10 teams in the China Division will be selected through on-site defense.
Eligibility and requirements
- Core members of the participating project team: students, alumni and teachers of Tsinghua University, National University of Singapore, and partner universities;
- Participating projects: Original products, services and business models;
- Product readiness: Start-ups should have at least one Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and a Technology Readiness (TRL) of Level 4 or above;
- The entrepreneurial project submitted: The entrepreneurial team must have corresponding ownership rights and naming rights, and there must be no property rights disputes;
- Projects that have not yet been incorporated have plans to be incorporated in Singapore within the next 6 months. Pre-match acceleration camp: From June 22 to 26, 2026, a total of 20 teams from China and New Zealand that advanced to the finals gathered at Tsinghua University to hold an offline acceleration camp, including lectures, seminars, workshops, mentor tutoring, team exchanges, field visits, etc. Finals and Awards Ceremony: June 26, 2026 Post-match cultivation: July to December 2026 SDG Finals: On November 29, 2026, the champion team of the sub-venue will participate in the 8th SDG Finals in 2026 *The specific time may be fine-tuned based on actual conditions, and shall be subject to the time notified by the organizer.
Harvest from the competition
Winning teams can receive initial start-up funding, totaling up to SGD 750,000 (4 million + RMB) Special Prize:SGD 300,000 (1.6 million + RMB), a total of 1 team First prize:SGD 150,000 (800,000 + RMB), a total of 2 teams Second prize:SGD 50,000 (250,000 + RMB), a total of 3 teams (Calculated based on the exchange rate of 1 Singapore Yuan =5.4 RMB)
On-site visits and practices, understand the pain points of China's market demand and innovation ecology, and have in-depth exchanges with industry leaders Tsinghua students who complete all practical links receive 2 credits of "Scientific and Technological Innovation Practice" Received the honorary certificate and SDG Challenge certificate jointly awarded by NUS Enterprise BLOCK71 and Tsinghua x-lab Obtained support from Tsinghua x-lab and NUS Enterprise BLOCK71 platform project cultivation resources Cross-cultural exchanges and opportunities to interact with Singapore's most innovative teachers and students Understand the impact and importance of entrepreneurship in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Understand from a global perspective what can help achieve green energy