The first "Green & Smart Future" Global Sustainability Challenge finals and awards ceremony took place in Shenzhen on November 24, 2025. Co-hosted by Vertex Ventures China and Temasek Foundation, the competition selected ten finalists from over 1,000 projects across approximately 70 countries and regions. The event aimed to identify innovative and commercially viable projects that contribute to global sustainability goals. During the finals, Zheng Juncong, Founding Managing Partner of Vertex Ventures China, shared insights into the investment logic behind green projects.
**Innovative Model: Bridging the Funding Gap for Green Startups** Addressing the common financing challenges faced by green projects, Zheng noted, "Green startups often struggle with commercialization due to high initial costs and long payback periods, leaving many promising technologies stuck at the proof-of-concept stage." To overcome this hurdle, Vertex Ventures and Temasek Foundation provided seed funding to help projects validate their technologies. Zheng explained, "We aim to support early-stage validation through philanthropic capital. Once the technology demonstrates potential, market-driven investments can scale it up. This model could inspire broader green entrepreneurship."
Regarding the decision to hold the global finals in China, Zheng highlighted the country's advantages: "With 1.4 billion people, a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, strong policy support for green innovation, and a complete industrial chain, China offers fertile ground for high-quality projects that can drive global green technology adoption."
The competition also connects winning early-stage projects with potential clients in Shenzhen and Southeast Asia to accelerate commercialization. Zheng cited Singapore as an example: "Limited land resources make large-scale solar installations challenging. Innovative solutions from this competition could help Singapore achieve its emissions reduction targets."
**Green 'Unicorns': Core Technological Breakthroughs Are Key** Zheng emphasized that future green "unicorns" must achieve breakthroughs in critical technologies. "The fundamental bottleneck in the GREEN ECONOMY lies in technology—this is a project's core competitiveness," he stated. Whether in carbon reduction alternatives, energy storage, hydrogen, or nuclear fusion, substantive technological advancements are essential for commercialization. He pointed to finalists like ethanol-based aviation fuel (addressing high-emission pain points), biodegradable materials (tackling plastic pollution), and flow battery storage (improving energy efficiency)—all aligning technology with market needs.
**Balanced Portfolio: Green and AI Investments Complement Each Other** Dismissing concerns about resource competition between green and AI sectors, Zheng argued they are mutually reinforcing. "AI offers rapid commercialization, while green tech, often B2B-focused, requires longer development cycles. We maintain a balanced portfolio to mitigate AI's bubble risks while upholding the long-term value of green investments." He added that AI can accelerate green innovation, such as using high-throughput computing to discover new materials critical for green technologies.
The event underscored the synergy between technological innovation and sustainability, paving the way for scalable solutions to global environmental challenges.