Whole Foods accelerator backs Buffalo startup

Out of more than 1,600 applications, a Buffalo startup was one of 10 to be named to an international grocer’s accelerator program.

Edenesque, a plant-based dairy company, has been selected for the early growth cohort of Whole Foods Market’s 2024 local and emerging accelerator program. That means educational programming, individual mentorship and being qualified for a $25,000 equity investment from a fund overseen by the Austin Community Foundation. The program has a 12-week curriculum.

“It really is validating, and it’s encouraging and motivating,” said Leslie Woodward, Edenesque founder and CEO.

After founding her startup in 2014, she relocated early this year to Buffalo to be closer to the business’ new contract manufacturing partner, Elma-based Steuben Foods, and its main distribution partner, West Seneca-based Sonwil Logistics.

The application process was strenuous and stretched over roughly four months.

The company’s growth after switching to a co-manufacturing model made the business ready to scale and grow, she said.

Edenesque, based at 701 Ellicott St. in University at Buffalo Cultivator space, did a year-long transition to a co-manufacturer model to improve the shelf life of its products. The artisan and handcrafted model had a product with a shelf life of 21 days.

Since switching models and the products going back in the marketplace in January, the shelf life is 12 months.

“Once we started to gain momentum, marketplace opportunities started to arrive,” Woodward said. “I thought it’d be prudent to transition to co-manufacturer.”

Within the first roughly 22 days of being back on shelves, the startup’s revenue from sales was about $5,000. Within the first six months of being back on shelves, revenue was over $50,000.

Currently, the business’ annual run rate is over half a million dollars.

That’s prior to the company’s launching a website in October that will enable ecommerce sales.

The business, which employs three, will start selling its products in Whole Foods statewide starting in November.

“Our hope is to get into Whole Foods and be successful there, increase our velocity and leverage that to expand our footprint in the Northeast,” Woodward said. “Meanwhile we are going to be focused on ecommerce … and we are really capitalizing on our food service opportunities.”