Podcast #46 Ben Blum-Boukozba CEO and founder of Yofi.bio speaks with Andrew about plant-based dairy alternatives.
Yofi is your new go-to plant-based milk! Yofi is revolutionizing the game by spotlighting protein-rich superfood chickpeas. Their innovative blend combines velvety chickpea protein with the sweetness of oats and rice, offering two unique and equally delectable plant milk choices. Yofi isn’t just a brand; it’s a dynamic movement, with a commitment to benefiting animals, the planet, and your well-being.
Big Idea Ventures has launched our very own podcast “The Big Idea Podcast: Food”. Each week Big Idea Ventures Founder Andrew D. Ive will speak with some of the most innovative minds in the food space and talk about the exciting projects they are a part of.
To listen to the episode click the links below!
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To learn more about Yofi, check out the links below!
Episode Transcript:
Andrew D Ive 00:00
Welcome to the Big Idea podcast where we focus on food. Today we’re going to be talking to Ben, from Yofi.bio, a company based in France, who wanted to recreate the clean label, great tasting, organic, plant based milk that they see in other parts of the world in France.
Andrew D Ive 00:22
So he’s had a two year journey to get there. He’s about to launch a great product and let’s hear about the journey. So this is Ben, from Yofi.bio. Ben, welcome to the Big Idea podcast where we focus on food. How are you today, sir?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 00:43
I’m doing good. Thank you, Andrew. Nice to hear from you.
Andrew D Ive 00:46
Amazing. So you are on video and on audio for people who are listening, there is a video on our YouTube channel that they can go watch. I recommend it because Ben, Ben is a good looking man. He’s one of our good looking founder …… I’m just kidding……. So you know, there are videos around this interview this discussion so if people want to watch the video, as well as listening to it on podcast, it’s available. So Ben, tell me tell me all about your company and what are you up to?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 01:20
Well, I founded Yofi two years ago now and we are a French food tech startup. We are developing a range of organic alternatives to dairy products., and in our recipe, we are using one of the greatest superfoods in the world, the chickpea and we plan to launch in October of this year.
Andrew D Ive 01:52
Okay, so Yofi is the company name yes?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 01:56
Exactly.
Andrew D Ive 01:57
You’re based in France.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 01:59
We are based in France, and we are starting with a range of organic plant based milk.
Andrew D Ive 02:06
Okay, incredible. So what’s special about your product? I mean, you’ve already mentioned the chickpeas so tell us tell us why the chickpea, what made you decide, okay, we’re going to create a plant based milk, and we’re going to do it using chickpeas?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 02:22
Sure. So, back then, two years ago, when I did look at the offer, of course, there were already many brands on the shelves but I realized there was nothing in France that has a source of protein except soya milk and soya milk has a kind of bad publicity advertisements now. So I was looking for alternatives to it, to be honest, I am not against soya milk, I think it’s a good project, but I wanted to find an alternative for people that want to reduce their consumption of soya, so I made some research on where could I find a source of protein.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 03:03
I’ve checked in the US in the UK, and I did see that there are already projects using yellow pea protein and so I thought it was very interesting to dip into this subject. From there I start working and I thought okay, I’m going to do a project with very clean ingredients, no additives. I already wanted to do organic as well, I think it’s important and with a source of protein so I looked at different sources, different ingredients and I used the chickpeas mostly because of the taste.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 03:42
Because we got some really great tastes from it that we didn’t find with the yellow pea or the protein. Also because I think it has a good image with the public as well. It’s like a healthy ingredient.
Andrew D Ive 03:59
I remember some very early discussions with you where we were talking about your choice of ingredients, or chickpea, you also had an emphasis on the source of where you’ve got the chickpea from. You wanted it to be a very recognized organic, clean source of chickpea, etc. Is this French are you sourcing from France? Or are you finding other places to get the chickpea from and what are some of those considerations when you’re making the choice of where to source your ingredients from?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 04:38
Of course there were many parameters we took into account for the decision of the supplier. We’ve tried many chickpeas and should be put in as well in France in Europe in Italy especially, and to be honest, we didn’t succeed to obtain the grade tests and the factor number when we made the test.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 04:59
For now iwe use chickpeas from France because they come from Canada, but it’s not comparable in terms of taste and the company is planning to open a factory in Europe as well. So for the sourcing of European companies that will be much easier. But yeah, for now, we wanted to focus on taste.
Andrew D Ive 05:23
Okay, but you’re focusing on taste, which is obviously the way to go because people are gonna love the product first and foremost and you’re still focusing in on organic, and those are the key characteristics.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 05:38
Yeah, we are still focusing on organic. We are using the organic chickpea for the recipe and all the drinks are only organic ingredients. So for now, we have two projects that are ready to launch. First one will be oat and chickpea and second one will be rice and chickpea and both rice and oats are organic, and our sunflower oil that we are using is organic.
Andrew D Ive 06:04
And this is something from a consumer perspective, you understand they want? Are people wanting an organic version versus just a regular product?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 06:20
Yes, we did some research in France, organic as like a very important market share right now. It’s growing and growing and I think in the coming years, it will be the case that more people will look for organic produce in their foods and beverages. So I think organic for now is the cleanest label you can have, of course you can have as well, non GMO, no pesticide use, but when it’s organic people know it is respectful for the earth as well as for the health.
Andrew D Ive 07:01
Perfect. When you put the formulation together for this plant based milk how did you think through what needed to be included as an ingredient and what didn’t? So I know when people started developing plant based products, whether it was five years ago, 10 years ago or whatever, to hit that taste target, they were prepared to add pretty much anything to the ingredient list. You’ve always talked to me about keeping it as simple and as clean as possible. So how did you make those choices?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 07:39
Yeah, so jwhen I started this project, I was sure about two things. I wanted the drinks to be source of protein, and we found that thanks to the chickpea, and we wanted them to be with no added sugar because people are more and more complaining about sugar now that is in the current PLANT BASE drinks.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 08:00
As I really think that there have been like three waves in the development of these kinds of projects. So first wave was with like soya rice milk, which was doing the job of alternative plant based milk, then we had a lot of other alternatives such as oats and other nuts, which were like really great in taste, but often with a lot of sugar to obtain this great taste. I think the generation will be like cleanable projects with la great taste, and I want to be part of this wave.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 08:35
Sugar is one of the ingredients that people want to avoid the most. Of course it is used for the taste, but I think we can obtain a great taste without adding some sugar to the drinks. So I really wanted to keep the list of ingredients simple, too. For example, for the oats and chick pea version, we only have chickpea, oats, water, salt, and sunflower oil. I added oats to the chickpea because the results we obtained was kind of neutral in terms of taste and I think people still like a bit of sweetness in their drink. So we use natural sugar from the oats to obtain the good taste.
Andrew D Ive 09:21
So basically, when you say it has oats in it, itobviously does have oats in it, but it’s the oats that bring the sugar versus you needing to add a second ingredient?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 09:30
Yeah, exactly. It’s naturally occurring
Andrew D Ive 09:33
Out of interest, and I should know the answer to this question before I ask it, but how many ingredients do you have in each of the products?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 09:40
So we have five ingredients including oats and chickpeas in the drink and for the rice we have six ingredients.
Andrew D Ive 09:53
Amazing. That’s actually amazing. That’s probably why it’s taken two years to develop
Ben Blum-Boukozba 10:00
Yeah, exactly. It was a long way until there. I mean, you can love doing great jobs, but then you have like 1000s of ways of doing the milk. At the beginning, I thought it will be much easier. I thought. because I was doing it at my kitchen, but then when you want to scale up, it’s much more complicated, you have many parameters.
Andrew D Ive 10:22
Let’s talk about that because I’m sure there are people listening who are considering starting a company or wanting to do a plant based, apart from the “don’t do it” response that you may have, I don’t know if that is actually your response, but apart from don’t do it what are some of the challenges you’ve had, or some of the you mentioned, for example, developing the original product in your kitchen, and then having to scale it, which was a completely different experience, give us one or two things that came as a surprise to you as you started and grew your company.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 10:59
Yeah, so I don’t have an engineering background, I come from a business background so one of the challenges was to find the right developer for the projects. And, to be honest, if I have one piece of advice it would be to have a great team, to work with great people, that’s, I think, the most important, you will not do anything by yourself.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 11:20
You will make mistakes, of course, and I made some mistakes in the development of the projects as well, but the important thing is to get back on your feet and continue the project. The most challenging part was to find the right people to work with, I think that is priceless. Also to understand that even if you are not going to become an engineer in one year, to understand the work that the others are doing, get integrated into it to be able to have discussions and to know where you can maybe improve things. So to be interested and curious about everything, even if you’re not in charge of this part.
Andrew D Ive 12:04
Now, when you say find the right people, if I’m an entrepreneur out there starting to put my company together, I’m probably thinking to myself, how can I find the right people when I have no money. But I don’t think you mean necessarily just having employees, it could be advisors, or, you know, people who just want to help you in some way and input into the process. I’ve often found the food industry, and I’ve worked in a few, is one of the most collaborative, people are really wanting to help each other out and they don’t even necessarily need the money today. They’re sometimes wanting to help and just help.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 12:46
Yeah, exactly. I think especially in the plant based density low based area, where many people are doing it for the mission, think it’s a very collaborative world. I just added people on LinkedIn, and asked them for some advice if they have time to discuss about their experience. I had so many good meetings in that way without any like financial requirements, so yeah, definitely it’s a very collaborative area.
Andrew D Ive 13:21
I also think there are corporations, food companies out there who are so sort of aware that it’s entrepreneurs like you who are coming up with new products, new innovations, bringing things to market, which consumers can choose instead of their own, that they’re willing to partner. Engage, support. Invest, you know, corporates are increasingly becoming supportive of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and entrepreneurs themselves, right.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 13:56
Yeah, definitely. And I think we have a great example we spotnails have a big idea of and tools, such as a ruler and jugador. And they are very being like startups into developing great projects. So they are not only focusing on big companies, of course, they work as well with companies, but they’re as well interested in working with startups, that brings innovation to the market.
Andrew D Ive 14:26
Now I’ve noticed you have an accent. I’m sure everybody else hasn’t noticed. I’m sure this comes as a complete surprise to everybody, but how is the entrepreneurial and plant based category in France? Is it well developed? Is it new? Is it growing ?what’s happening in France right now?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 14:53
It’s currently improving a lot I think. We had a lack of plant based entrepreneurs. If you looked at the plant based restaurants, plant based offers, it was very tough as a vegan, to find places where you can get food without asking if there is nothing in the sauce or anything like that. But it’s really coming in and I think it will become big. I think there is always a delay with France compared to other markets such as the US, Germany, and the UK, which is more developed.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 15:29
But I think if we look at the market today, in the UK, for example, we have already an overview of what will be the market influence in like, three to four years, I think we will catch up on that on that day. So it’s not big yet, but we have big names that are coming up on the market. In a very interesting brand, I think especially in plant based meat.
Andrew D Ive 15:54
I think the fact that you guys started two years ago, and will be launching the product in France first and foremost, when it becomes, when Yofi becomes a recognized household name in France, France has such a strong culinary reputation that that will support Yofi in into other European countries, right. So if you can become a top performing plant based milk in France, hopefully, ideally that will support you into other markets across Europe.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 16:37
Yeah, I think France is a good place to start. The market is not huge yet, it’s only 5% of the milk market compared to like 15% in the UK, but I see this as an opportunity, because I think there will be as I said, a catch up, and we want to be part of this catch up and to grow the category of plant based that’s our goal, to grow this category.
Andrew D Ive 17:12
So from a from a Yofi France perspective, what chanels are you focusing on first? Is it grocery, retail? Or is it more food service restaurants and related?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 17:26
To begin with, it will be more retail. So we will be available online on ecommerce, we already have some discussion with big ecommerce retailers. And we will be as well in independent shops first in in Paris and in Germany, actually, we will launch in the two countries first. Then the idea is to sign deals with big retailers and that’s for the first part.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 17:57
Then we start working from September on the third version of milk that will be a barista version that will be really specialized for the coffee, coffee shops, for example. That will be more of a b2b strategy because I think thereis something to do there as well, in France yet, when you go to a coffee place, you don’t have so many alternatives if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk. So I really think there is a market to take there. So to begin with, it will be more b2c and when the barista will be launched it will be b2b.
Andrew D Ive 18:40
Got it sensible? So you mentioned B to C initially. So retail direct to consumer via e commerce and ultimately other channels. It’s expensive to produce large quantities of product. What’s the shelf life of your product? And how have investors responded to the Yofi concept for the French market? Are they heavily supportive? Actually as the business grows, you’ll always need more capital. So, talk about that a little if you wouldn’t mind.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 19:25
Yeah, sure. So to be honest, when we talk to investors, often they say that we have already Danone, France and that the market shelfs of plant based milk didn’t increase that much in the last years and that’s still small compared to the milk section. Then I explain to them how big it is in other countries in Germany in the UK, and explain what we bring to the market to the consumer, that people are more looking now for the greatest good for the environment, and for the animals as more people are aware about that.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 20:12
I convince people to volunteer. So now we have like, of course, you in the launch, we have as well, another business angel that just invested capital in the company, and by the taste as well. When we make some deputation with the investor because, of course, it’s great to have a pitch deck on the table. But I think there is nothing comparable to prove someone that the project is going to be mainstream that by organising a testing session.
Andrew D Ive 20:50
I mean, the great thing is, you’re in a market, which, as you say, to some degree follows some of the bigger markets. So US, Germany, UK, in that sense, but invariably, they do follow. So those markets are a really good indicator of what’s likely to happen in France over the next 3 to 4 years. As one of the first differentiated, good tasting, plant based milks in France, you guys are in a perfect place to be part of that growth.
Andrew D Ive 21:26
If I was an investor, well, that’s a silly, silly thing to say, because I am an investor, and we did invest. So kind of kind of crazy that I say that, but I was gonna say, if I was not me, but a different investor, I think that’s a really strong argument I would be looking at, if I could be involved in a company that is a one or two or three percentage points of a significant market that’s grown over the last two to three years. That’s quite a result.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 21:54
Yeah, exactly. As of today, we can see it as a witness that the market is not so big yet but we can as well see it as an opportunity for the coming years compared to the other market. So I think people are convinced.
Andrew D Ive 22:09
I think what’s going to drive that and it’s what you said, right? In the beginning is taste. You guys are focused on a product, which tastes very, very good. You’ve even gone outside of the norms of pea protein and soy and found a new ingredient that brings that taste profile that people are looking for, and aren’t often finding in the plant based milks that are there today.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 22:36
Yeah, exactly. And another thing as well that we are using oat on rice, for example, is to not to disturb too much people by saying we are only doing chickpea, I think that will be kind of restrictive because some people will like more rice some people will like more oats and some people will like more elements. So I think we use the chickpea of course for the taste because it really brings like a mouthfeel and a great taste to it but we want as well to use as a base oats and rice, for example.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 23:08
I think in the coming months and years, we will be using a base that people know already because it kind of like safety area for them to still consume what they are aware about. We update those projects thanks to better nutritional values. Thanks to the chickpea. That brings many other things as well, but the protein is the most important.
Andrew D Ive 23:33
And the name Yofi, what made you pick that name above any other when you started the company?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 23:43
Yofi has a beautiful meaning. It means great, amazing, beautiful in the Hebrew language. So when I was a kid every time you have a good news in Israel, people tell you yofi, yofi, and I think it has a beautiful meaning and it’s easy to say in every language. So I want people, when they try my project, to say Yofi. So it means it’s good. It’s beautiful. We worked a lot on the packaging as well on the design, too. So I think it looks as good as it tastes.
Andrew D Ive 24:31
Fantastic. Interestingly, as you were talking about your product, I was thinking about Israel because chickpea is a pretty strong ingredient or natural ingredient in Israel. So you know humus and various other things are driven by the chickpea.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 24:53
I’m sorry, can you repeat the but what was your question?
Andrew D Ive 24:58
There wasn’t a question there. Actually it was a statement. I was just saying it made me think of Israel because a lot of Israeli products are based on the chickpea so ….
Ben Blum-Boukozba 25:10
I know, when you say chickpea, a lot of people will think about humus, which is Mediterranean food as well. Of course, it’s well developed in those countries on the Mediterranean Sea. But I really think it’s a great super food, because it’s like sustainable food doesn’t need a lot of water to grow and it is characteristic. The main point why it was not developed yet by big industry, I think, a plant based chickpea milk is the taste, because as I said, I made many trials before finding the right supplier and you can have a strong taste but that’s how we succeed and this is where all the added value is.
Andrew D Ive 26:03
Understood. Do you have a package with you? Or are you nowhere near your product at the moment?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 26:09
Yeah, yeah. Actually, I can show you if you want, right now.
Andrew D Ive 26:13
Put it up on screen if anyone’s watching. I’d love to see the new packaging.
Andrew D Ive 26:17
You want me to get it?
Andrew D Ive 26:21
Yeah. So for those listening, Ben is grabbing a product package. If you want to see this. It’s on the big idea ventures YouTube channel. So
Ben Blum-Boukozba 26:34
I only have the right direction right now. Okay. This is to Google no issue see, well,
Andrew D Ive 26:40
yeah. So it’s quite elegant.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 26:44
Yeah, thanks, and so otherwise, you can find it on the website. It will be launched, actually, tomorrow. So you can find the design there and on Instagram as well.
Andrew D Ive 27:01
So give me give me the domain name for the website.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 27:04
So it’s yofi.bio
Andrew D Ive 27:14
Okay, so yofi.bio is the website. Amazing? And can people place orders there?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 27:29
So no, not yet. The ecommerce website will be launched in October. We are now having an industrial trial. So we have the projects but we are following the shelf ife for example. And sorry, I didn’t reply to your questio but it will be around 10 months shelf life. Yeah, so that’s great it’s ambient project. It will be available in October and just in France, Germany, and the UK.
Andrew D Ive 28:07
That’s great. And just so people understand that’s a 10 month shelf life, not because you’ve added weird and wonderful things to the ingredients, right?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 28:18
No preservatives, not the way we worked on the on the projects with the sterilization. So the heat treatment prevents any bacteria but we don’t have any added ingredients in it.
Andrew D Ive 28:32
Yeah, you really have followed the kind of goals that you had in the beginning of the company to make it as simple and as clean and as clean label as possible. I really appreciate you doing that.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 28:44
Yeah, thanks. Yeah, it’s really something that was important to me and, of course, that’s why it took that much time as well in the research and development. Because my developer was kind of freaking out. Sometimes when I say I want this and this and this. This is when you cannot have everything you want but at the end, I think we almost have everything we want.
Andrew D Ive 29:09
But honestly, the interesting thing is there are corporations out there with many millions of dollars, who still take two years to produce the product and bring it to market with all of their resources and all of their money and you haven’t had any of those resources. You’ve had very little money, and you probably delivered it to market in the same timeframe or maybe even sooner. So you should be very proud.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 29:35
Thank you, Andrew. Thank you. It’s thanks to you as well, you’re part of it.
Andrew D Ive 29:44
Well, thanks to the team in Paris for sure and I know that the Big Idea Ventures team outside of Paris have really been supportive as well. So what do you see in the next two to three years for yofi, what’s going to be the focus for you?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 30:07
So until the end of the year, we will focus on the first two drinks and the development of the barista version, then we will try to be sold in main retail shops in France, Germany, and we will want to go to the UK as well. From next year, we will start working on different projects because, as I said, I don’t want to stop on the plant based milk. I want to be used in yoghurts, for example, ice cream.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 30:45
I want to too dip into other dairy products, like butter, I think there is a market there. So when we start working on other projects, we want to get a oneness around the brands. But the values of the brand must be sustainable, we will not have a long list of ingredients that people don’t really evenderstand when they read with them. So the values of the runway will remain the same, but I think we will go towards other projects as well.
Andrew D Ive 31:21
So that’s great. One or two things to think about as you go through that process, if you haven’t already. One is obviously what are the bigger markets, what are the consumers looking for, but one thing that’s also important to consider is velocity. So I’ve invested in the past in products, which you know, where people will buy one product and they’ll keep it in the refrigerator for three months and then will use a little bit every day. An example of that is ketchup or sauce.
Andrew D Ive 31:58
What you really want to be getting into are products which people consume every single day and send their kids off to school with an are consumed often and regularly. Those are the ones that you really want to be getting involved in if you can. Ice cream is a horrible category to be a part of because the supply chain is so challenging, getting it into market and getting it to retail is tough. And also when people buy ice cream, they buy it, you know, a large decent amount, they put it in the freezer and they have a small amount every few days, every week, sometimes they forget about it.
Andrew D Ive 32:40
So it’s not a fast moving item. Unless someone’s depressed and then they go eat the whole thing in one go and start again the next day but that’s not usual. So you know, I think the yoghurt is a great idea, but you know, this is obviously all over to you, you’ll figure it out. I’m just sort of talking through some of the things I’ve seen in the past.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 33:04
Yeah, thanks. I just want to bring a lot of plant base to develop the plant base category. I think it’s important to gain market share. So yeah, everywhere where we can be, we can offer like a great, delicious product. We will try of course, it will be financially viable, but maybe we will be the next Magnum….
Andrew D Ive 33:32
The next Magnum WhatsApp
Ben Blum-Boukozba 33:34
If you don’t have this in the US Magnum. Maybe it’s on a European brand and it’s like very popular. You find them in every theater for the movies. Everybody’s buying Magnum. It’s like a new pan.
Andrew D Ive 33:58
I remember so Magnum over here in the US is like an ice cream covered by chocolate with a stick.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 34:04
Yeah, exactly. It’s not so popular in the US then.
Andrew D Ive 34:09
It’s not big. Yeah, it’s more of a European Spanish thing. Sorry, Got slightly off track there. Everyone’s gonna be listening saying what’s going on? Okay. So Ben, we know what your focus is on for the rest of the year. If someone’s listening, how can they help you? Whether if they’re in France, how can they help you? If they’re outside of France? You know, what kind of help are you looking for? Just to sort of spread the word to get your brand out there and get people knowing about yofi or is there more they can do for you?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 34:45
To be honest, Andrew, I think anyone that thinks they can be helpful for the brand, they are more than welcome to contact me. If someone has a great idea, I think every person can can bring something and I really believe in the power of community. I think it’s kind of funny to say that as a solo founder, but I really believe that we should work with people and listen to advice. That’s what I do every day. I asked a lot of advice from other people on LinkedIn and I’m free to talk to people if they need some feedbacks on my venture.
Andrew D Ive 35:52
So if there are people who are, for example, in France, who want to come up and bring you an idea of a new product or something, they should do that. If someone is an entrepreneur, you’d be prepared to give them some advice as well as take them through some of your learnings as well.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 36:10
Yeah, sure. Definitely. I would be happy to help.
Andrew D Ive 36:14
And what about on the funding side? You mentioned getting some investors on board already. Are you still? Are you still interested in talking to new investors or not for the moment?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 36:26
Yeah, as you say that the brand new and as a company, we are always raising funds, we always need to to fund the growth of the company. So now, we have enough liquidity for the launch of the brand and to start going into different markets. As I said, the b2c and b2b I think we will make another race beginning of next year I will be happy to talk to investor if they are willing to join us on this trip.
Andrew D Ive 37:10
And let let us know as well at Big Idea Ventures if you want us to help out and be involved in that, so you know, keep us up to date on that,
Ben Blum-Boukozba 37:18
Sure, I will.
Andrew D Ive 37:20
Alright, Ben, thank you so much for your time today, I really appreciate how you’re always smiling. That’s the first thing, every time I’ve met with you, you’re happy and you’re smiling, and you’re a very positive person, which is great. But you’ve held to your goals and your objectives. With Yofi, you set out to build the best tasting product, but to do so in an organic, simple, clean way, a product that you could be proud of. And I think you’ve delivered on that so I appreciate you sticking to your objectives.
Andrew D Ive 37:58
I’m sure it would have been easy halfway through the process to, I don’t know, cut corners to take ingredients that were cheaper and not so good and you’ve never you’ve never done that, you’ve always wanted to get the best possible product to market. So you’re almost, you’re almost there. Don’t quit, keep going. You’ve almost launched that great product.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 38:21
Thank you very much, Andrew. I really appreciate it.
Andrew D Ive 38:25
All right, then I’m gonna say thank you one more time, and then I’m going to press pause and we’ll be done my friend. Oh, I didn’t ask. I didn’t ask the normal question. I always ask, Where can people find you? Aside from yofi.bio? Like, how can people get ahold of Ben? How can people you know, engage with you?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 38:50
I think best ways would be on LinkedIn. So my name is Ben Blum-Boukozba on LinkedIn. Not sure I have to spell it right now. It’s a bit of a complicated name.
Andrew D Ive 39:03
Because I’m not sure people are gonna get all of that. So do you mind if I spell it?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 39:09
Of course I can. I can spell it.
Andrew D Ive 39:12
Now I’ve got Ben Blum, which is Blum, hyphen, Boukozba. So and it’s hyphenated, double barreled it for your for LinkedIn. And also if they type in yofi.bio, will that come up on?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 39:46
Yeah, on Instagram. It’s yofi.bio. Yofi and then Bio. My email address is ben@yofi.bio.com No sorry, that will repeat it again. So it’s been ve n at your fi, y o si.dl. B I
Andrew D Ive 40:13
Now I just typed in to LinkedIn, yofi.bio and you were the first on the list, Ben. So Benjamin Blum-Boukozba came up immediately, a lady called Angelica Gottlieb came up as a freelance strategy person, for you. So, either you or Angelica is probably a really good way to connect with you if people want to have conversations. Yes?
Ben Blum-Boukozba 40:46
Definitely and we’ll be more than happy to have talks with people.
Andrew D Ive 40:51
Amazing. Ben, thank you so much. Ben’s a great guy, I really do recommend you reach out to him and engage. He’s a pleasure to spend time with. Thanks very much.
Ben Blum-Boukozba 41:04
Thank you, Andrew. Have a great day.
Andrew D Ive 41:06
You too. I hope you enjoyed the conversation between myself and Ben from yofi.bio. If you want to reach out to Ben, please do so by going along to LinkedIn or to yofi.bio. That’s his website address as well.
Andrew D Ive 41:25
If you want to reach out to me, I’m on LinkedIn, Andrew, middle initial D, last name Ive. I’m the founder of Big Idea ventures and we’re focused on solving the world’s greatest challenges by supporting the world’s best entrepreneurs, scientist and engineers. So want to reach out to me, please do so. Same thing for Ben. And apart from that, like, subscribe, reach out. Come next week and listen to the next week’s podcast. Thanks very much. Have a great day.
Andrew D Ive 42:00
Bye
About:
Yofi
Yofi is your new go-to plant-based milk! Yofi is revolutionizing the game by spotlighting protein-rich superfood chickpeas. Their innovative blend combines velvety chickpea protein with the sweetness of oats and rice, offering two unique and equally delectable plant milk choices. Yofi isn’t just a brand; it’s a dynamic movement, with a commitment to benefiting animals, the planet, and your well-being.
Big Idea Ventures
Big Idea Ventures is the world’s most active investor in FoodTech – our goal is to invest in the best Food and Agri-Tech companies globally. The company has contributed to the development of the growing alternative protein industry since its inception and has become a global leader in food innovation. BIV is backed by a strong network of strategic partners including AAK, Avril, Bühler, Givaudan, Temasek Holdings, and Tyson Ventures, and is partnering with governments around the world working on food security and new food ecosystems. The firm has offices in New York, Paris, and Singapore and has invested in more than 100 companies across 25 countries.
Big Idea Podcast: Food Host
Andrew founded Big Idea Ventures to help solve the world’s biggest challenges by supporting the world’s best entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers. Andrew is responsible for investing and building companies across alternative protein, food tech, and agtech sectors. Andrew works with investors, corporations, and governments to invest and build the most transformative companies and ecosystems around the world. Serving on the Tufts Nutrition Council advisory board, and a Friedman School Entrepreneurship Advisor, Andrew is a Harvard Business School graduate and Procter & Gamble brand management trained. Andrew has invested in more early-stage / pre-seed food companies than most other investors worldwide. Big Idea Ventures has teams and offices in New York, Singapore and Paris.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewive/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefundingguru
© Big Idea Ventures LLC 2021