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Namma Bengaluru
Challenge

16-25 Jan 2026
Launching in
197
DAYS
197
HOURS
197
MINUTES
197
SECONDS

What if you have an idea that could create a Better Bengaluru?
‍
That’s what the Namma Bengaluru Challenge is about: Big ideas, real impact, in real time.‍

Namma Bengaluru Challenge ‘26, by UnboxingBLR, in collaboration with Social Alpha, and WTFund is our way to address some of the city’s most pressing challenges through innovation, design, data, and imagination.

This edition was all about tackling one of the biggest challenges we face: climate change. And we called on startups and entrepreneurs to step up and build cool solutions to hot problems across 4 categories:

- Air Pollution 
- Construction 
- Waste Management 
- Water & Sanitation

We received a whopping 600+ registrations between October 6th - November 8th, 2025. On January 24th, 2026, the top 10 startups pitched their deployment ready solutions to a jury panel with actual skin in the game – Shark Tank style!

Congrats to the Top 5

Meet the Winners

These 5 startups will use the grant to pilot their solutions in Bengaluru this year. Watch this space for updates.

Carbon Craft Design

Low-carbon architectural building materials made from industrial by-products and recovered carbon.

Go Do Good

Plant-based coatings and inks that eliminate plastic from food packaging without compromising performance.

SatiQ  Concrete

Low-carbon cement binders and concrete solutions engineered for greener construction and infrastructure.

Sunbird Straws

Biodegradable drinking straws made from fallen coconut leaves, replacing single-use plastic at scale.

Tellus Habitat

Decentralised wastewater treatment systems that recycle sewage into safe, reusable non-potable water.

The Final 5 Winners Will Get

Pilot Deployments
‍
‍A grant of up to ₹25L to deploy their solution with govt, industry and civic partners for 6 months.
Market Access & Validation
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‍Space to test and validate their innovation inside Bengaluru’s urban systems, opening doors to other cities.
Showcase Opportunities
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‍A chance to pitch directly to government, industry, and community stakeholders who matter.
Funding
‍
‍Access up to ₹1 Cr in seed capital (subject to due diligence + alignment with Social Alpha’s thesis).

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Final Jury

Technical Jury

Learn more about Hot Problems, Cool Solutions..

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