Namma Bengaluru
Challenge
What if you have an idea that could create a Better Bengaluru?
That’s what the Namma Bengaluru Challenge is all about:
Big ideas, real impact, in real time.
Namma Bengaluru Challenge (NBC) by UnboxingBLR in collaboration with Social Alpha, and WTFund is our way to give you the platform to address some of the city’s most pressing challenges through innovation, design, data, and imagination.
This edition is all about tackling one of the biggest challenges we face: climate change. And we’re calling on startups and entrepreneurs to step up and build real solutions.
Because the climate crisis isn’t someone else’s problem. It’s ours. And Bengaluru deserves more than complaints and quick fixes—it deserves bold, collective imagination.
NBC goes beyond a traditional pitch competition – we’re offering a platform to pilot and scale real solutions in the sandbox that is Bengaluru.
So whether you’re building a climate tech startup or have a deployment ready solution for the city and looked at a problem and thought “we need to fix this”
Winners Get Pilot Deployments – You get a grant of up to ₹25L to deploy your solution with govt, industry and civic partners for 6 months.
Market Access & Validation – You test and validate your innovation inside Bengaluru’s urban systems, opening doors to other cities.
Showcase Opportunities – You pitch directly to government, industry, and community stakeholders who matter.
Incubation – You receive one year of incubation with portfolio managers guiding your product and business growth.
Funding – You can access up to ₹1 Cr in seed capital (subject to due diligence + alignment with Social Alpha’s thesis).
Applications and more details coming soon. (to lead to SA site when live)
Our Partners
Bengaluru is India’s fifth-largest urban hub and one of its fastest-growing cities. Nearly 40% of Karnataka’s urban population calls it home. Once celebrated for its tree cover and cool climate, the city now faces the pressures of rapid urbanisation—rising density, infrastructure stress, and environmental degradation.
As the country’s technology and innovation capital, Bengaluru has both the challenge and the opportunity to rethink its growth—making it more sustainable, resilient, and equitable.
The Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP), launched in 2023, provides a roadmap to align the city’s development with global climate goals and India’s national commitments. But this transformation needs collaboration across government, industry, civil society, and innovators.
About Namma Bengaluru Challenge ’26
The Namma Bengaluru Challenge ’26, led by UnboxingBLR, presented by Social Alpha and WTFund, with support from GBA, Bengaluru Climate Action Cell, and WRI India, is here to power that transformation.
Our mission: to identify and support high-potential innovators and entrepreneurs who can combat climate change, strengthen resilience, and cut emissions—right here in Bengaluru.
Program Offerings
Pilot Deployments: Grants of up to INR 25 lakhs to deploy solutions with partners across government, private sector, and civil society for up to 6 months.
Market Access & Validation: Test and validate your solution within Bengaluru’s urban systems, creating pathways for wider adoption in other cities.
Showcase Opportunities: Pitch directly to city stakeholders—government, industry, and community organisations.
Incubation: One year of dedicated incubation with portfolio managers to guide product and business growth.
Funding: Access to up to INR 1 crore in seed capital, subject to due diligence and alignment with Social Alpha’s thesis.
Look Back at NBC 2024
Relive the highlights of NBC 2024—where bold ideas met real action, and changemakers across the city came together to shape Bengaluru’s future.
