The startup founder of Naanu, Julia Devecchi Mas, shares her experience of running the business through the pandemic.

Swiss foodtech startup Naanu creates vegan and gluten-free cookies with Vitamins B12 and D, Omega 3, Calcium, Iron and Zinc. And just like many businesses, it too faced a challenging 2020. The team took risks that resulted in both wins and losses.

Here’s what the year was like for Naanu as told by founder Julia Devecchi Mas.

We started our year with the challenge of rebranding from HappyBites to Naanu (natural and nutritious). We incorporated our new company name into a public limited company before our startup turned 1 year old in April.

Due to Covid-19, we almost called off our crowdfunding campaign. But with the help from our advisors, we launched anyway, hoping the Swiss economy wouldn’t take a hit and that people would still support small businesses. And our gamble paid off. We received some PR attention from vegconomist and Mic The Vegan that got 34k views on YouTube. We even over-crowdfunded at 129%.

To fulfil our new crowdfunding rewards and ongoing Naanu subscriptions, we partnered with eatbyAlex, a certified vegan kitchen in Zurich. There were a few mishaps in the new kitchen, but we quickly established a solution to our quality control issues.

After pitching a research plan in August for our innovative approach in vitamin development, we were granted 5,000CHF from Innosuisse. 

In October, we moved into an affordable 17.5m2 office because our former Logistics Center reached its capacity. Soon after, our new biodegradable labels arrived from Germany, but the import tax bill was rather painful.

We experienced some other highs:

• Our early adopters/customers reached their 12th month of subscription
• Launched our small Cookie Tin for on-the-go
• Made our first B2B sales and rethought our entire Business Model
• Featured on FoodHack’s Discovery Board and voted as the startup of the week among global companies with 114 votes 
• On the first page of a regional newspaper in Aargau

And some lows:

• Did not get accepted into Food-X’s accelerator program after two interviews
• I, Julia, developed an anxiety disorder

We also found some fun numbers:

417% – revenue growth in the last 6 months
25,955 – CHF raised through crowdfunding 
28,220 – Approximate amount of cookies baked
9 – Packages lost in the post
80 – current versions of our recipe
97 Million – Sesame Seeds processed

2020 is surely a year to remember for the Naanu team.

Find out more:

Naanu Food AG
Stadtbachstrasse 4
5400 Baden
Switzerland

For inquiries, you can contact them here.

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Swiss startup Mootral starts the transition to climate-smart agriculture to help farmers earn more money and reduce their impact on the environment.

The global livestock industry emits 15% of all greenhouse gases, with cows as the largest source of methane emissions. And this is a massive obstacle for farmers who are facing economic hardships and regulatory challenges. So to help the industry with a resolution, Mootral developed an innovation to reduce GHG emissions from ruminants. Mootral Ruminant is a natural feed supplement made from garlic powder and citrus extracts that significantly reduces methane emissions. These natural ingredients have antimicrobial properties and can improve rumen fermentation.

Launched by Thomas Hafner, the Mootral business model proves that sustainability and profitability can go together. Their innovative product results in better health and performance for the herd and makes ruminants climate-friendly. In summary, Mootral makes a significant contribution to animal health and welfare, climate change and farmer profitability.

This Swiss company is setting the foundation for the future through a solution that makes an impact today.

Find out more:

Mootral
Z. A. La Pièce 1, A5, Rolle, 1180, CH
+41 21 805 05 92

Or you can send them a message here.

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The EPFL campus has provided new vending machines filled with healthy, local and sustainable products to promote sustainability.

Students, professors, entrepreneurs and visitors can now enjoy healthy snacks through the innovative vending machines on the EPFL campus. Known for its groundbreaking work in science, technology and agriculture, this initiative promotes sustainability in the institution.

The products were carefully selected based on the following criteria: 

• Local – sourced from producers and businesses in the region
• Sustainable – met environmental standards
• High quality – ingredients and producers are VAUD+ certified
• Tasty – healthy snacks could also be delicious
• Affordable – snacks are reasonably priced for everyone to enjoy
• Healthy – a wide range of healthy and balanced snacks to accommodate all types of diets

Together with its partners Vaud+ and Dallmayr, the EPFL campus wishes to promote healthy eating and support the community’s well-being.

EPFL RESCO is taking part in this pilot project, which will last from January to August 2021. It’s currently rolled out at the Rolex Learning Center; SG building and Innovation Park will soon follow.

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