Sasin and SCGC Kicked Start Bangkok Business Challenge 2024 Highlighting “Growing Impactful Ventures” to Drive Sustainable Startup Business  

Sasin School of Management kicked start the Bangkok Business Challenge 2024, with SCG Chemicals Public Company Limited (SCGC) as the official main sponsor. The Bangkok Business Challenge is a global English-language startup business plan competition for university students and the longest-running event of its kind in Asia. This year’s competition entitled “Growing Impactful Ventures,” focuses on sustainable business advancement. The event took place from June 20-22, 2024, at Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration as part of Sasin Impact Entrepreneurship Week 2024 (SasinIEW). 

Mr.Dibyendu Bose, Deputy Director for Strategy, Innovation & Impact, Sasin School of Management, said, “Bangkok Business Challenge is a mechanism to galvanize determined entrepreneurs to take action to solve global challenges for a more sustainable future.”   

Mr. Niwat Athiwattananont, Director of Technology, SCGC, explained that “SCGC aims to create innovative chemical products to improve people’s quality of life, addressing megatrends by focusing on eco-friendly plastic innovations in line with Circular Economy principles under the SCGC GREEN POLYMER™ brand. SCGC offers green solutions following Low Waste, Low Carbon approaches to concretely achieve sustainability goals towards a low-carbon society. Beyond driving business sustainability, SCGC recognizes that supporting university-level startup entrepreneurs through the Bangkok Business Challenge competition is another way to promote sustainability-focused businesses more broadly. This marks the 9th year SCGC has collaborated with Sasin to develop Thai startups capable of scaling up to the global level. This effort not only fosters a startup ecosystem with worldwide networks but also enhances the potential of new entrepreneurs in developing businesses with positive impacts. It drives positive change and creates a sustainable future for everyone, particularly by encouraging the use of green innovations and solutions to create businesses that contribute to a low-carbon society.” 

The Bangkok Business Challenge 2024 saw a total of 276 teams from around the world applying to compete, a 60% increase from the previous year. Participants came from 62 higher education institutions across 19 countries, spanning 5 continents. 20 teams advanced to the semi-finals. The competition’s evaluation criteria placed over 20% weight on sustainability and positive impact. The event was honored by the presence of experienced experts from various sectors serving as judges, including Ms. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, CEO of Toshiba Thailand Co., Ltd. The best teams would be awarded HM The King’s Award and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Sustainability Award, along with cash prizes worth over 42,000 USD or around 1,500,000 THB. The 20 semi-finalists were:  

1. Mantra Kombucha from Nong Lam University – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 
2. SeaNergy from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh 
3. Kairos from Putra Business School, Malaysia 
4. ProPika from University of Arkansas, USA 
5. Cardicare from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh 
6. Boo from Universitas Prasetiya Mulya, Indonesia 
7. Karobar App from Itahari International College, Nepal 
8. OxyJet from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh 
9. MetaCycler Bioinnovations from University of Waterloo, Canada 
10. Ne.Sense from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan 
11. CARSUP from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand 
12. MediFind from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Vietnam 
13. Akar from Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia 
14. Allegrow from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong 
15. Thaniie Wise Wishlor from Mahidol University, Thailand 
16. JT Space from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong 
17. Oli from Asian Institute of Management, the Philippines  
18. KaseChar from Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand 
19. XOBIFY from Khon Kaen University, Thailand 
20. Wicked XR from Queensland University of Technology, Australia 

For more information, please visit https://bbc.sasin.edu/2024. The competition was streamed live on Facebook: Bangkok Business Challenge (www.facebook.com/bangkokbusinesschallenge).  

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