Our History

In 1990, Dharma Master Cheng Yen, the founder of Tzu Chi Foundation, urged all Tzu Chi volunteers to engage in environmental protection work with their hands used for applauding.

Ever since then, many Tzu Chi volunteers have joined in the environment protection movement. Besides actively promoting and engaging in recycling and sorting recyclables, the volunteers also apply the concept of environmental protection in their daily lives. 

In 2003, Master Cheng Yen encouraged a group of volunteers to research and develop food, clothing, housing, transportation, information and communication products which can be used in international relief missions. Thus, in November 2003, Tzu Chi International Humanitarian Aid Association (TIHAA) was formed.

TIHAA was worried about the impact of non-biodegradable plastic bottles on the ecology of the Earth. Therefore, in 2006, TIHAA started to gather vendors to set up assembly lines, using the recycled plastic bottles that Tzu Chi volunteers collected to produce eco-friendly textile products such as blankets. As of today, these blankets have been distributed to people in need during winter distributions and disaster relief missions around the world, benefitting more than 600,000 people.

In 2008, with selfless kindness in their heart and the concept of “Coexist with the Earth” in their mind, five TIHAA volunteer entrepreneurs set up a company named DA.AI Technology Co. Ltd. (“DA.AI”) to develop technology used to produce all kinds of clothes, blankets and daily-use textile from the recycled plastic bottles collected by Tzu Chi volunteers.

In 2010, five entrepreneurs donated 100% of DA.AI's stock ownership to Tzu Chi Foundation, making DA.AI a unique, socially responsible business. The new business was awarded Taiwan Corporate Integrity Album by MOEA the following year.

In 2011, after receiving the "Green Classics Services Award" and "Green Classics Product Award" from the first Taiwan Green Classics Award in 2011. DA.AI again received the highest honor from the Green Classics Award in 2012.

In 2012, DA.AI obtained a Cradle to Cradle® Silver Certification. DA.AI is committed to establishing a sustainable full recycling system, and gradually moving from "less" waste to "zero" waste within the life cycle of the products and services.

In 2013, DA.AI Technology was honored again with the “Taiwan Excellence Award “ and has become an exemplary “boutique enterprise” thanks to its multi-dimensional identities of ECO brand in Taiwan.

In 2014, being the three consecutive award winner, DA.AI not only received five more awards this year, but also was invited to participate in the EPIF 2014 International Green Classic Award Forum, showing the highest honor and recognition from the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs.

DA.AI was established due to the inspiration and encouragement from Dharma Master Cheng Yen. Dharma Master Cheng Yen encouraged these entrepreneurs to gather more people to apply their professional expertise in researching and developing technology used for producing eco-products, thereby benefiting living beings in the world. Thus, with their professional expertise and selfless loving heart, these entrepreneurs joined hands in applying the concepts of environmental protection and charity in the development and production of eco-products.