As one of Thailand’s leading impact entrepreneurs, Nophol Techaphangam, nornnorn’s Founder & CEO, had the pleasure of joining an Entrepreneurship class at the Faculty of Economics, Thammasat University, Bangkok, as a guest speaker on November 23.

The goal of the talk was to use nornnorn’s business model, journey and challenges to help the third and fourth-year Bachelor of Economics (International Programme) students broaden their horizons toward professional practices and bring entrepreneurship theories to life.

As a circular economy business pioneer and a member of the NEXUS community, Nophol Techaphangam, nornnorn’s Founder & CEO, had the pleasure of sharing his experience in starting and scaling nornnorn on the “Eat, Sleep, Scale: Cultivating Circularity in Everyday Essentials” panel at the NEXUS Asia Summit 2024 on Bintan Island, Indonesia, on October 18. 

Joining him as a fellow panelist and the session’s moderator were Felix Böck, ChopValue’s Founder & CEO, and Tomo Hamakawa, a Co-Founder of Mana Earthly Paradise, an ultra sustainable resort in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, and one of nornnorn’s earliest customers.

NEXUS is a global community with over 6,000 members from 70 countries founded to bridge communities of wealth and social entrepreneurship. It has since 2011 worked to unite young investors, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists and allies to catalyse new leadership and accelerate needed political, societal, indigenous, financial, environmental and equal justice solutions.

“‘nornnorn’ - A Thai start-up providing the world’s first “Mattress Subscription + Recycling” service driving forward its green, GHG-reducing business with R&D under the support of NXPO-PMU-C.”

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As a circular economy thought leader, Nophol Techaphangam, nornnorn’s Founder & CEO, had the honour of joining the ASEAN Circular Economy Forum 2024 (ACEF 2024) as a panelist in the “Strengthening the Regional Ecosystem for Circular Startups” session alongside:

• Nguyen Hong Long, Director, Centre for Creativity and Sustainability, Vietnam

• Tam Phan Hanh, Country Director, Circo Hub Vietnam, Vietnam

• Nicholas Gandolfo, Director, ESG Finance, MUFG, Singapore.

Held on October 2, the session was moderated by Rene van Berkel, a Co-Convenor of the ASEAN Circular Economy Business Alliance (ACEBA).

Hosted by the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok on October 1-2, ACEF 2024 served as a platform for the ASEAN policy community to engage in dialogue with stakeholders on advancing a circular transition through national policies and regional initiatives. The event supported innovation and entrepreneurship for a circular transition, highlighted existing circular economy practices in ASEAN and the EU, and built on the region’s traditions and values for a sustainable future. 

"nornnorn - New business concept - Mattress subscriptions together with recycling”

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On September 5, nornnorn, under Circularity Co., Ltd., received a THB2.3-million grant (USD68,000) from Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA) in support of our circular economy product subscription platform development.

The grant is a part of the agency’s “economic innovations necessary for Thailand’s development” grant programme (“Mandatory Grant”) that aims to help transition Thailand towards the economy of the future. 

As a circular economy entrepreneur, Nophol Techaphangam, nornnorn’s Founder & CEO, was invited to take part in the “Financing and Investment Capabilities for Environment and Climate Change Innovation Projects in Thailand” seminar on July 24 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Bangkok.

Organised by Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the event aimed to mobilise and support sustainable investments and financing in Thailand as well as uplift the environment and climate change innovation ecosystem in the country. 

The seminar was a part of the Startup x Innovation Thailand Expo 2024 (SITE 2024) that was hosted by NIA between July 22 and 28.

The launch of ACEBA in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 22, 2024

On July 22, nornnorn joined the newly founded ASEAN Circular Economy Business Alliance (ACEBA) to reaffirm our commitment to help make circular economy a reality in Southeast Asia.

Developed within the framework of the ASEAN Responsible and Inclusive Business Alliance (ARIBA) by the ASEAN Corporate Social Responsibility Network in strategic partnership with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC), ACEBA was officially launched in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 22.

With support from the European Union SWITCH-Asia Programme and businesses in the ASEAN Member States, the Alliance aims to assist its members in implementing circular economy solutions and catalyse further circular economy business initiatives in the region. 

Aligned with the ASEAN Circular Economy Framework 2021 by design, ACEBA will facilitate the development, sharing and application of innovative and appropriate circular economy practices, techniques and operational tools and guidance. The Alliance will also showcase and give a voice to its members.

ACEBA’s members commit to lead by example by implementing strategies and taking actions in support of the circular economy transition in the ASEAN region. In particular, they will:

1. Actively promote and advance the circular economy transition in their relationships with buyers and suppliers; their advocacy to government, community and other stakeholders; and through information and knowledge sharing with their business and professional networks

2. Take proactive steps to develop and implement circular solutions in their current and future products, services, processes, operations and other business activities

3. Share their circular economy initiatives and activities along with the resulting impacts by communicating relevant business policies, targets, plans and the levels of resource circularity, resource efficiency and resource substitution achieved

4. Contribute, where appropriate, to ACEBA’s activities, such as to the development and promotion of operational guidelines, toolbox, case studies or other knowledge products.

Having been highlighted by the European Union SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component on Sustainable Consumption and Production as one of Southeast Asia’s 63 circular economy business case studies, nornnorn has the honour of being one of the five ventures featured in their “Mobilising Business Action for Circular Economy in Southeast Asia” promotional VDO.

Launched on July 22 in support of SWITCH-Asia’s drive to assist ASEAN countries in transitioning to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and circular economy, the VDO serves to motivate more businesses in Southeast Asia to join the circular economy movement and contribute to the sustainability of the rapidly growing region. 

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As the Founder & CEO of nornnorn, one of Thailand’s leading impact startups, Nophol Techaphangam was invited to share nornnorn’s business, challenges and environmental and social impact at SE Thailand’s Impact Night 2024 at SG Bonding Hub by Young Happy, The Ninth Towers Grand Rama 9, Bangkok, on July 18.

Organised by SE Thailand, the event aimed to be a networking and learning opportunity for SE Thailand’s members and those interested in social enterprises and social entrepreneurship. In addition to nornnorn, the event featured representatives from social enterprises and organisations, such as Wishulada, PEEL Lab, Dao Ethical Gifts, Find Folk, Swoop Buddy, Greenery and Teach For Thailand.

Nophol Techaphangam, nornnorn’s Founder & CEO, was invited to join the 6th SWITCH-Asia Annual Meeting on May 20-21 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the representative of the 30 Southeast Asian enterprises highlighted as circular economy business case studies by the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component (PSC) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) and the ASEAN Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Network’s “Mobilising Business Action for Circular Economy in the ASEAN Countries” initiative.

SWITCH-Asia is a programme funded by the European Union (EU) and rooted in the 2019 EU Green Deal and Global Gateway, Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The programme has been actively promoting SCP in Asia since 2007. 

The programme’s 6th Annual Meeting brought together SWITCH-Asia’s working partners from Asia and the Pacific, including representatives of the EU Delegations, governments, grants, SCP policy advisory experts, and international organisations and programmes. The event was an opportunity for the delegates to exchange ideas and share insights on the development and mainstreaming of SCP and circular economy practices, thereby promoting the co-creation of innovative SCP solutions and strengthening mutual learning between SWITCH-Asia grant and policy advisory projects. Additionally the conference aimed to take forward multi-country SCP initiatives under the framework of the PSC and facilitate the development of ideas for future PSC’s technical assistance programmes. 

Our Founder & CEO had the honour of joining the panel on “Making circular economy work for businesses” during the “Learning from business experiences to scale-up commitment and action for circular economy” breakout session alongside:

• Prof Dr Anthony Chiu, Fellow and Presidential Advisor, De La Salle University, and Senior SCP Expert for SWITCH-Asia PSC

• Arab Hoballah, Executive Director, SEED

• Hannes MacNulty, Manager, Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP)

• Brikena Keco Ukelli, Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains (SWITCH2CE) Project Coordinator

• Melody Melo Rijk, SCP Project Manager, WWF Philippines

The session was moderated by Thomas Thomas, the CEO of the ASEAN CSR Network.

In addition, our Founder & CEO also:

• Represented the private sector during the SWITCH-Asia grant projects meeting

• Contributed to the discussion on “Financing and market transformation for SCP, circular economy and climate resilience”

• Participated in the roundtable discussion on how to drive forward SCP in Southeast Asia and the fashion and lifestyle sectors.

Based on our 2023 climate action, nornnorn has achieved the following recognition from Climate Neutral Now, a United Nations’ (UN) initiative that has since 2015 encouraged and supported all levels of society to take action to achieve a climate neutral world by 2050:

• Bronze Level for the self-declaration of our 2023 greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory

• Silver Level for our GHG emission reduction plan based on our commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050 or earlier

• Silver Level for our financial contribution (through the purchase of carbon credits) to a bio-power plant operated by Mitr Phol Bio-Power Plant (Danchang) Co., Ltd., a project that has helped reduce global GHG emissions, based on our 2023 GHG emissions under Scopes 1 and 2 and Partial Scope 3.

Overall, our 2023 climate action has achieved the initiative’s Bronze Level.

A member of the UN Climate Neutral Now initiative since May 2020, nornnorn aims to be carbon negative once our mattress recycling operation commences in around five years’ time or earlier.

For more information, click here.

The European Union SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component on Sustainable Consumption and Production and the ASEAN Corporate Social Responsibility Network’s “Mobilising Business Action for Circular Economy in the ASEAN Countries” initiative has highlighted nornnorn as one of Southeast Asia’s circular economy business case studies. The venture is the only start-up from Thailand to have received the recognition.

The initiative aims to mobilise, catalyse and facilitate business actions and commitment for the circular economy in the ASEAN Member States as well as support further development and implementation of the 2021 ASEAN Circular Economy Framework.

The initiative approaches circular economy as an ideation and co-creation framework facilitated by responsible business practices that contribute to closing the loops on the use of materials, energy, water and other natural resources in product and service lifecycles.

To ground-truth the initiative, SWITCH-Asia and the ASEAN CSR Network have documented and analysed practical business applications of the circular economy in ASEAN. nornnorn, as one of the enterprises with a strong, localised business rationale and actionable circular economy business model highlighted, serves to inspire more businesses, industries and governments to further create an enabling circular economy ecosystem.

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“nornnorn - An eco-friendly sleep.”

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“Into dream land: The quest for better sleep”

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As the Founder and CEO of nornnorn, one of Thailand’s pioneering start-ups providing circular economy product subscription service, Nophol Techaphangam was invited to give a talk on “Towards a Greener Future with Mattresses” and join a panel discussion on “Strategies and Best Practices for Hotel Environmental Sustainability” at THAIFEX-HOREC Asia 2024 on March 7. Held at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok, the event is Southeast Asia’s newest trade show for hotels, restaurants and catering (HORECA).

Moderated by Samantha Lauver-Marion, Director of Global Partnerships, Asian Institute of Hospitality Management (AIHM), the panel discussed how hotels could play a pivotal role in fostering a sustainable and responsible future. On the panel were:

1. Ailynn Seah, Commercial Advisory Board Member, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)

2. Emmanual Tay, Founder, Circular Unite

3. Nophol Techaphangam, Founder & CEO, nornnorn

Jointly presented by Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and Koelnmesse, the three-day event aimed to establish new HORECA standards for excellence in Asia and beyond and attracted 15,851 trade attendees from 68 countries

nornnorn cited by TechRound as one of the ten Thailand-based start-ups worth keeping an eye on.

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“nornnorn, a mattress subscription platform. A solution to mattress wastes and global warming!!”

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As the Founder and CEO of nornnorn, a circular economy start-up active in research and development (R&D), Nophol Techaphangam was invited to give a talk on “Circular Economy Ventures and R&D” during a breakout session on “Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management - Towards Circular Economy” at the “Sustainable Circular Economy Waste Management” seminar in Bangkok on February 22.

Organised by the Centre of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management and the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), Chulalongkorn University, the national event formed a part of the “Hub of Waste Management for Sustainable Development” project supported by the National Research Council of Thailand.

Other speakers featured at the breakout session were:

• Dr. Sujitra Vassanadumrongdee, ERI

• Dr. Nujarin Ramankul, National Metal and Materials Technology Centre (MTEC)

• Teerachai Suppameteekulwat, Designer Director, Qualy

• Dr. Krithpaka Boonfueng, Executive Director, National Innovation Agency (NIA)

• Assist. Prof. Dr. Rattanawan Mungkung, Director, VGreen, Kasetsart University.

The event aimed to foster collaborations among researchers, experts, and practitioners from various sectors—including education, public, and private sectors and civil society—engaged in waste management innovations and technologies, both locally in Thailand and abroad. It was hosted in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the ERI. 

As an entrepreneur driving a circular economy start-up, Nophol Techaphangam, our Founder & CEO, was invited by the AIT Entrepreneurship Centre (EC) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) to inspire AIT and university students from China to embark on their own entrepreneurial journey through a talk on the topic “Beyond Profit: Crafting Sustainable Dreams in the Mattress Industry” and a panel discussion on “Youth Entrepreneurship for a Sustainable Future” at the “Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Empowering the Youth” seminar at the EC Creator Space, AIT, on January 30.

Moderated by Dr. Lakeesha Ransom, Enterprise Engagement Director, AIT EC, the panel featured:

1. Alexander and Elodie Radach, Co-founders, Sai Yok Springs

2. Prof. Dieter Trau, Director, AIT EC

3. Kevin Marks, Managing Director, Landmarks Company

4. Nophol Techaphangam, Founder & CEO, nornnorn.

Organised by AIT EC, the half-day event aimed to ignite the passion for impact entrepreneurship among and provide the participants with valuable insights from accomplished entrepreneurs who had successfully integrated sustainability into their entrepreneurial journeys.