MAI

About the team

Our team is led by two passionate co-leaders dedicated to sustainable food and tackling climate change: - Chi Nguyen - Sales & Marketing Founder of MAI House, a vibrant hub where delicious, handcrafted meals meet sustainability. Chi is pursuing a Bachelors in Business and Entrepreneurship at VinUniversity. An Nguyen - Technical Focus - Former Business Development Analysis at Rize (Singapore Agrit-ech Startup on sustainable rice farming - Former Startup Innovation Consultant at ENGIE Factory (Venture Builder-backed by ENGIE Group) - Climate Venture Builder at Wavemaker Impact (one of the top Venture Capital in Asia, first climate focus venture in Southeast Asia).

Our vision

MAI envisions a future where food is not just a fuel, but a regenerative force that reconnects people, nature, and industry. By building a vertically integrated, climate-positive food system grounded in circularity, we aim to regenerate agriculture, restore ecosystems, and reshape consumption habits. Our approach draws inspiration from closed-loop systems designed for extreme environments - where every input and output is carefully optimized - pushing the boundaries of what a zero-waste, self-sustaining food ecosystem can look like. The current food system is extractive and wasteful. In Asia alone, over 100 million tonnes of rice straw are burned annually, releasing 190 million tonnes of CO₂. Chemical-intensive farming depletes soil health and biodiversity, while the foodservice sector often relies on inefficient supply chains (which generates 1.3 billion tons of food wasted globally each year) and nutrient-poor offerings. These disconnected systems lead to environmental degradation and a growing gap between production and consumption.

Our solution

MAI tackles this challenge with a fully circular model that transforms agricultural waste into nutrition. We upcycle rice straw - typically burned - into high-protein mushrooms through indoor regenerative farming that mimics closed-loop principles. The spent substrate becomes organic fertilizer, completing the cycle. These mushrooms are crafted into clean-label, affordable patties - sold at MAI House (considered the standard for restaurant of Tomorrow) and through retail partners - providing a delicious, nutritious, and sustainable alternative while minimizing waste across every step of the value chain.

Our Artist impression

Social media pitch