The Incubation Network - SE Asia Waste & Circular Economy

Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-11 12:52

Social enterprise accelerator in Southeast Asia supporting ventures in waste management and circular economy. Provides catalytic capital, mentorship, technical assistance, and market access.

Source: https://www.theincubationnetwork.com

Funding Details

Funder

The Incubation Network (The Circulate Initiative & SecondMuse)

Funding Goal

Supporting and scaling innovative solutions that tackle plastic pollution, optimizing land-based plastic waste management and advancing a circular economy in South and Southeast Asia through accelerator programs, catalytic capital, mentorship, and technical assistance.

Funding Amount

US$2.3 million total across the full program (350+ startups supported); individual grant amounts per startup not publicly specified

How to Apply

Applications are accepted through periodic open challenge calls announced on the website and social media. Past programs used virtual sprint formats (e.g., 8-day Circular Innovation Jams) attracting hundreds of applicants, with cohorts of 25+ startups selected. Applicants typically submit information about their venture, team, and proposed solution. Winners receive catalytic capital, mentorship, technical assistance, and connections to corporate partners and investors. Note: the main program cycle has concluded in 2026.

Target Region

South and Southeast Asia (India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam)

Contact

Website: www.incubationnetwork.com; Contact form available on website

Official Page

https://www.incubationnetwork.com

Last Checked

2026-03-11 19:17

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Must be an early-stage or pre-investment startup/social enterprise working on plastic waste management, recycling, or upcycling
• Must operate in or target South/Southeast Asia (India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam)

Project Scope

• Solutions should address plastic waste leakage prevention, recycling, or circular economy approaches

Required Documents

• Applications typically submitted through open challenge calls announced on the website

Constraints

• Note: Main three-year program concluded in 2026; only Thailand-focused programs currently active
• Programs may have specific country or thematic focus (e.g., low-value plastics, flexible packaging, single-use plastics)

Summary

The Incubation Network (TIN) is a joint initiative founded in 2019 by The Circulate Initiative (a non-profit) and SecondMuse (an impact innovation company), based in Singapore. The program sources, supports, and scales innovative solutions that tackle plastic pollution across South and Southeast Asia. It focuses on five priority countries — India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam — which together account for approximately 60% of ocean plastic pollution. Over its lifetime, the program has supported more than 350 startups with US$2.3 million in funding, diverting approximately 42,000 tons of plastic waste from the environment. The network runs multiple country-specific accelerator programs including the Java Low-Value Plastics Accelerator (Indonesia), the Thailand Plastics Circularity Accelerator, and the Plastic Waste to Value Southeast Asia Challenge. Programs provide entrepreneurs with catalytic capital, technical assistance, mentorship, and connections to corporate partners such as Unilever, P&G, and Coca-Cola. The program is backed by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW). It targets early-stage and pre-investment solutions from local entrepreneurs and startups working in waste management, recycling, and upcycling. As of 2026, The Incubation Network has concluded its main three-year program cycle. Only two Thailand-focused programs remain ongoing (Thailand Waste Management & Recycling Academy, and Thailand Waste Action Network), while 10 other programs have been completed. The organization emphasizes gender equality and social inclusion, with more than half of applicants in some cohorts being women. Its Plastics X Circularity Curriculum (PXCC) was the first program in the region designed to fast-track startups applying circular economy approaches to plastic waste.

Historical Context

Founded in Singapore in 2019 as a partnership between The Circulate Initiative and SecondMuse. Backed by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW). Over three years, ran 12+ accelerator programs across five Asian countries, supported 350+ startups with US$2.3M, and diverted ~42,000 tons of plastic waste. The main three-year program concluded in 2026, with only Thailand-focused programs remaining active.

Why it was added

Accelerator specifically for waste and circular economy ventures in SE Asia, highly relevant for OPF

Sources

• https://www.theincubationnetwork.com
• https://www.incubationnetwork.com
• https://www.incubationnetwork.com/our-programs/
• https://www.incubationnetwork.com/about/
• https://kr-asia.com/the-incubation-network-is-ending-plastic-pollution-in-south-and-southeast-asia-one-solution-at-a-time
• https://www.endplasticwaste.org/what-we-do/projects/circulate-initiative-incubation-network
• https://www.incubationnetwork.com/fast-track-solutions-for-plastic-waste-and-circularity-challenges/

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