Nowadays, it is simultaneously difficult and easy to establish a successful vegan start-up. It’s difficult because there are already many competitors, and easy because (digital) information processing has never been faster and easier than it is today. What many founders want, however, especially in the critical initial phase, is personal exchanges with like-minded people and a strong network to help them scale up their ideas. These two things have now been brought together by the “vegan entrepreneurs network” (v-entrepreneurs for short) – a network by vegan entrepreneurs for vegan entrepreneurs. In an interview, we found out more about this exciting project.
Interviews
Naturli’: “Plant-Based Foods are the Future and the Future is Now.”
For a long time, the meat industry has effectively been plundering the world. Overconsumption of animal products has led to overfishing, unilateral land management and a huge waste of resources. One could almost say that the balance of the world has been destroyed. But change is happening. For example, the Danish company Naturli’ wants to use its plant-based products to bring the world back into balance. In an interview with Henrik Lund, we learned more about this mission.
PHW Group: “We Have Always Taken Unconventional Paths.”
Many milk and meat producers are aware of the growth of vegan products in the market and are adapting their ranges accordingly. The PHW Group has gone one step further and established a new business area called “alternative protein sources”, which includes involvement with SuperMeat and the distribution for Beyond Meat. We asked Marcus Keitzer – the new board member for alternative protein sources – about vegan developments within the PHW Group.
#MarkItVegan: Consumers 96% More Likely to Buy Clearly Labelled Products
One of the UK’s largest and most respected animal rights organisations, Animal Aid, released findings from a survey into labelling which show that people following plant-based lifestyles are far more likely to purchase products which are clearly labelled. We spoke with Animal Aid Campaign Manager, Tod Bradbury regarding the results of this study.
IKEA: “Our Vegetarian and Vegan Products are Becoming Increasingly Popular.”
Vegan foods have long been more than niche products which are banished to the darkest corners of the shelves. One could even say that veganism is becoming mainstream. This is also reflected in the fact that more and more companies are expanding their existing range with vegan products and “veganising” classic products. This is how the international furniture store IKEA does it. Beside vegan versions of popular classics, vegan furnishings and a vegan caviar substitute are also now available. We asked IKEA about the current status of vegan developments in the company.
Researchers Make Important Vitamin B12 Breakthrough
In this day and age, vitamin B12 can be notoriously difficult to come by on a vegan diet. But now, researchers at the University of Kent’s School of Biosciences have made an important discovery about how the B12 content of plants can be increased. Vegconomist spoke to Professor Martin Warren, leader of the team of researchers, to find out more.
Kale Invest: “A Little Effort Can Have a Big Impact on the World”
The Swedish entrepreneur and investor Måns Ullerstam is a real doer. After realising that there were no investment opportunities that met his ethical and sustainable standards, he quickly created one himself. That is how “Kale Invest” – an investment platform that invests only in plant-based companies – was born. But that’s not all. Ullerstam was recently trained by Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader in order to further advance his commitment to tackling climate change. That was reason enough for us to interview the young visionary about his investment project and the worldwide development of veganism.
Princess Maja von Hohenzollern: “I am open for collaborations.”
Princess Maja von Hohenzollern is a vegan and a modern, internationally renowned designer for interior and lifestyle, pets- and children’s products. Her collections are well established on the international market. Princess Maja von Hohenzollern is also a committed and internationally renowned animal welfare activist. The rescue and protection of stray animals is particularly important to her, as she has already stated before the EU – parliament in Brussels. Furthermore, Princess Maja von Hohenzollern is an ambassador for PETA and is involved in various campaigns for the rights and respectful treatment of animals.
Simply V: “Overwhelming development”
Simply V grew very fast since it’s launch. The CEO Caroline Zimmer is talking about details of this journey.
Dr. Oetker Offers Wide Range of Vegan Products
Because of the ingredients it uses, over 100 products from Dr. Oetker’s range are suitable for the vegan diet, including its processing aids where applicable. Currently, only one product is actively marketed as vegan, as Dr. Oetker explains in an interview.
Claire Smith: “Sustainable Investing Has the Power, if Enough People do it, to Significantly Impact the Future Prospects of Companies”
Oftentimes we might think that our decision don’t change the world. Claire Smith is arguing that we may have more power than we think through “green and sustainable investments”. The founder of “Beyond Investing” will take you on a enlightening journey to vegan stocks, current developments in the stock market and the power behind it.
Vegini: “Our Next Innovation Will Be Vegini To-Go! Products”
In order to produce many vegan meat alternatives, ingredients such as soy, gluten or mushrooms are used. But not so with vegini. The Austrian company bases its products exclusively from peas, and wants to make the value chain shorter and more sustainable. We asked Lukas Wischenbart, responsible for Marketing & Sales at vegini, what the plans were for the German market.
Ms. Ultrafrisch: “Practical, Tasty, Quick to Prepare and Simply Excellent!”
Ready meals and snacks have a bad reputation. This is particularly due to the fact that in the past they were filled with additives, preservatives and flavour enhancers. However, Janina Otto – founder and CEO of “Frau Ultrafrisch” – proves that ready meals and a tasty, healthy diet are not mutually exclusive.
Ankerbrot: Vegan Range has a Stable Share in Total Sales
Ankerbrot GmbH & Co KG is one of the leading manufacturers of bakery products in Austria. This traditional company, which was founded in Vienna in 1891, has proven that tradition and modernity can go very well together.. The result is their first all-Vegan store. In a quick interview with Managing Director Lydia Gepp, we talked about this Vegan development.
Lizza: “A Steep Learning Curve is Imminent…”
Pizza and pasta have long been regarded as real calorie and carbohydrate bombs. Now, two young founders have tackled this topic, breathing new “low-carb life” into the two universally popular classics. Their combination of flax and chia seeds has resulted in revolutionary products which delighted the investors Frank Thelen and Carsten Maschmeyer in “Die Höhle der Löwen” the equivalent to The Shark Tank. That’s how “Lizza” was born. We interviewed founder Marc Schlegel about the current state of affairs and the future of low-carb pizza.
Vivera: “We are Making the Change to 100% Plant-Based Production”
Today, the range of vegetarian and vegan products on offer is enormous. But what was it like in the 90s? In those days, consumers often had to resort to plain tofu because there were few alternatives. Luckily, some pioneers such as Vivera put an end to this monotony and helped to shape the product landscape early on. Now, Vivera wants to go one step further. We spoke to Gerben Vink from Vivera about their latest collaboration with Tesco and the new vegan steak.
Ethical Fashion Show: Vegan Labels are on the Increase
The fashion world is generally said to be short-lived and fast-paced, at least when it comes to trends. However, long-lasting vegan fashion is desirable when it comes to living consciously and conserving resources. We interviewed Olaf Schmidt – Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies – about the Ethical Fashion Show, the sustainability trend and upcoming developments in the fashion industry.
From the Homeland and Out Into the World – An Interview with Heimatgut
Potato chips and popcorn are well-known to us Germans. Surely there’s not much that can be improved or redesigned? But that’s the mission of the dedicated team at Heimatgut. The dynamic new company works on “healthy snack alternatives” and strives to develop products that make “snacking without regrets” possible every day. This is definitely a trending topic; that’s why vegconomist asked Heimatgut for an interview to talk about the company, its current range and future developments.
Sunflowers on Your Plate – Interview with Oliver Schenkmann
Soy, seitan, lupines, green spelt and the like have been on everyone’s lips for a long time as bases for meat alternatives – in the truest sense of the word. Until now, however, products based on sunflowers have been relatively unknown. Not only do they look good, but they also supply the raw material that the company “SunflowerFamily” transforms into meat alternatives. This has resulted in various products, all of which, according to the company, are ‘enjoyable, plant-based and sustainable’. We asked Mr Oliver Schenkmann – one of the founders of this new enterprise – to briefly introduce the products and the business model in more detail.