Botaniline leaders were convinced they had a market-leading technology when they started the company in 2018.
Now they’ve built a business model to prove it.
The startup, a spinout from Buffalo-based Wardynski & Sons Meats, transitioned last year from selling ingredients and recipes to using its technology to develop a brand.
When added to ground protein (such as hot dogs, hamburgers and sausage), Botaniline’s potato-based additive creates products with significantly less salt. They also have no allergens, gluten, lactose, soy, preservatives or MSG.
The plan is to introduce Botaniline proteins into populations that need healthier alternatives, such as the K-12 market.
“Major companies have been rebuffing the school nutrition push for quality, cleaner labeling,” CEO Mark Celmer said. “They’ve been saying, ‘We need these things. We need soy.”
Celmer continued: “That might have been true five years ago. It’s no longer true.”
Celmer has been building the business with director of marketing and business development, Heather Ryan, who is set to own equity in the company in the coming years.
Wardynski vice president Dean O’Brien, who invented the potato-based additive technology, works closely with the team.
Around the same time it pivoted into products last year, Botaniline signed an agreement with National Food Group, a distributor with salespeople who cover the U.S.
They’ll introduce Botaniline products to potential customers in numerous markets, especially targeted customers in the K-12 industry, nursing homes and hospitals.
“We have created a healthier product line that is lower in sodium and has a cleaner label than any alternative,” Ryan said. “Now we can distribute it nationwide. We are also considering other food innovations based on plant-based proteins.”
The company expects to handle a major influx of orders as a result of the National Food Group partnership, and is establishing relationships with contract manufacturers around the country to ensure reliable shipping and delivery. Celmer plans to add a handful of internal employees in the next year or two in sales, customer service and operational roles.
The company is considering a new round of funding to support its growth, and Celmer said he’d prefer to find new financial backers. Previous supporters would be welcome to contribute as well.
“We expect our growth over the next twelve months to look almost like a hockey stick,” Celmer said. “We have a tremendous amount of momentum.”
