Rens Original is a sustainable fashion startup co-founded by Jesse Khanh Tran and Son Chu, two Vietnamese young men studying and living in Finland. (Photo: Rens Original)Established in 2019, Rens Original wants to reduce theimpact that sneaker production has on the environment by using residual coffeegrounds and recycled plastic as raw material for shoes, the first time everthat it has been done globally.
The Helsinki-based startup launched its first coffeesneakers the same year and raised over half a million USD in less than 24 hours,making it a global phenomenon.
The Vietnamese-born duo made it into Forbes’s 30 Under 30Europe and Forbes’s 30 Under 30 Vietnam in the following year.
In August this year, the brand went one step further bylaunching a brand-new sneaker model – Rens Nomad. It only took them two hoursto successfully secure new funding.
Rens Nomad, the first ever performance sneakers made fromcoffee grounds, feature the company’s latest innovation, the SkyStep PerformanceMidsole. “Precision air intakes placed at the heel and sole increaseventilation and breathability while maintaining total waterproof protection,”according to the brand.
Jesse Khanh Tran and Son Chu have become a role model foryoung people who are keen to start an entrepreneur.
Jesse Khanh Tran has been invited by the Ministry ofScience and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to join the “Supportingthe National Innovation Startup Ecosystem by 2025,” or Project 844, as an advisorwho shares his experience and contributes ideas to support the startupecosystem in Vietnam./.
VNA
