In June 2017 Q'omer Bioactive Ingredients, housed in the University of Valemcia Science Park, worked exclusively for the cosmetic industry as a supplier of raw materials and natural, healthy, safe and sustainable ingredients. Today, after being one of the five Spanish firms that won the Crece Program of Unltd and The Edmond de Rothschild Fundations, "we have entered the food and nutritional supplements sectors", Juancho Escobar, CEO of the company, underlines.
"This growth explains that, at the billing level, in the first quarter of 2018 we have already achieved 90% of the total turnover for 2017. There is a good projection for this year," explains Escobar.
Juancho has arrived at the Science Park with the recognition that yesterday, April 11, the organizers of the program gave him in Madrid as a closing ceremony. This call "goes beyond financial support, is about creating a real strategy in the social impact", the director of entrepreneurship and health of the private banking group, Angelo Konian, explained. On the other hand, the director of programs of Unltd, Ana Ruíz, informed that all the winning projects "have increased 36% in turnover, 250% in financing and 50% in employment".
P. Wide range of business ...
R. This program has given us the necessary impetus to access the sectors of food and nutritional supplements. Until now, we have received requirements from these sectors, but we have not dared to develop these sustainable supply lines. However, with the advice and mentoring of David Hayon, we now distribute grains and flours of Andean cereals, including amaranth, chia, quinoa, as well as oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (omegas). Our clients have increased by 30% and we work with medium and large Spanish companies. In six months we have gone from billing kilos to tons and the trend is positive.
Q. What have you gained after doing the CRECE Program?
A. We have gained in strategy, networking and contacts, in addition to a non-refundable grant. We have learned to improve the reading of the business environment, assess the commitments we make to the producers and our customers to make the right decisions that reinforce the success achieved and allow us a totally different projection of growth. Additionally, it has also helped us to design Q'omer's value creation and communication strategy, for which we had the decisive support of Carlos Montalvo, a decisive strategist, and Ana Ruiz.
Q. What is that value proposition?
A. Our farmers use sustainable practices, are respectful of the environment, maintain a gender balance and do not work with children. These are elements that, in general, an entrepreneur does not verify. With the program we have included in our company the Theory of Change, which forces us to have this work methodology; that is, we can not work with any producer, I can not go to any exporter, we must verify the chain and know how they obtain their products and those social elements make us different. Q'omer has established an inclusive business model based on synergy with producers and scientific knowledge. This allows us to improve the efficiency of our processes and guarantee the quality of the products.
Social Responsability Company
In addition to the Crece Program, this year the company Q'omer Bioactive Ingredients S.L. is participating in the Xpande internationalization program of Cámaras de España; has been the winner of the Landing International program of the Agroinncuba-Cyted network, which has allowed it to establish networks in Colombia; and has been part of the missions of sustainable and inclusive value chains of the ICE Impact + Program.