Overview
The GIC team, represented by Ms. Ushnish Tuladhar and Mr. Karun Mooksrisai, participated in the IPPIN Demo Day held on 22 October 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was organised by CSIRO with support from the Australian Government’s Mekong–Australia Partnership, in partnership with the Thailand Environment Institute (TEI) and the Thailand National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC, NSTDA). Our team was invited as IPPIN alumni following our participation in the 2025 Incubator Program earlier this year.
The Demo Day is IPPIN’s flagship annual event, where innovators showcase bold solutions to combat plastic waste and work towards a more inclusive future and circular economy. As the final challenge of the Accelerator+ program, innovative start-ups pitched their solutions to an audience of industry experts, investors, and potential partners, aiming to scale their ideas for transforming the way plastics are produced, used, and recycled.
Event Highlights
The opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Angela Macdonald, Australian Ambassador to Thailand; Ms. Amelia Fyfield, Director Southeast Asia, CSIRO; Dr Wijarn Simachaya, President, TEI; Dr. Asira Fuongfuchat, Deputy Executive Director of MTEC, NSTDA; and Ms. Andrea Sosa Pintos, IPPIN Program Director, CSIRO.
The event featured two pitching sessions with eight ventures from Thailand, Laos, and Japan presenting their innovative, scalable solutions to tackle plastic waste and advance the circular economy. Interactive exhibits and demonstrations showcased various initiatives, including reusable plastic packaging, recycling technologies, pyrolysis, regenerative tourism models, and plastic transformation into innovative products.
An expert panel session, featuring representatives from NIA, SE Thailand, CIRAC, and PSM Plasitech Group, provided a platform for dialogue between investors, policymakers, and innovators on aligning policy, finance, and innovation to close existing gaps and unlock sustainable impact. Engaging group discussions on how capacity building can help address the gaps in plastic awareness were conducted between the participants.
Overall, the event served as a valuable platform for connecting with ventures, partners, and changemakers driving innovation in plastic waste management and circular economy solutions.
