Context
Algo is the story of three young Grenoble students who met during their studies. They share a pronounced taste for entrepreneurship and became good friends. Their idea was to use the trend around well-being, especially seaweed and their benefits by imagining and producing the first range of algae-based drinks.
Project
Today the brand offers three different juices, three formulas: "Ino well being", with grapefruit, orange, lemon and wakame (or sea fern), a product that is "appetite suppressant" and "antioxidant", and which is supposed to stimulate growth and improve blood circulation. A second formula “Ino sport” promises recovery and endurance with its grape, blueberry, spirulina and agar-agar cocktail. The third formula "Ino essential" is made from strawberry, raspberry and dulse, a variety of red algae. It stimulates the immune system, fights against anemia or fatigue, promotes glowing skin, prevents wrinkles or dark circles and has a high energy intake thanks to the vitamin C content.
They opted for 100% organic made in France. For this reason, they approached Le Clos des Cerisiers, a jam making company in Charente-Maritime which manufactures their fruit juices using the high pressure technique to preserve all the properties and flavors. It is also in Charente-Maritime, in Saintes, that the blending takes place.
The seaweed are harvested mainly in Brittany, and come from organic farming. After being dehydrated naturally, they are reduced to a powder and then mixed with the fruit. Thanks to the benefits of these seaweed, you can fill up with essential nutrients every day!
For the sake of eco-responsibility, they mainly buy fruit of French origin. However, as you can imagine, depending on the season, it is sometimes difficult to find products from French organic farming. If the fruit is not French, it will nevertheless be sourced from European organic farming.
The juices are sold all over France in various organic stores. A map of points of sale is also available on their website https://www.algo-bio.com/
“Indeed the idea came to us following the writing of a marketing project as part of our Business / Marketing Degree at Grenoble Ecole de Management where we had to study the student market and imagine the launch of a product ( food) based on seaweed. By analyzing the expectations and needs of the students, we realized, one that they also corresponded to a majority of the population, and two that they were in perfect harmony with the virtues proposed by seaweed as well as the benefits that they offer. The idea of a drink based on seaweed then came about naturally when we managed to release the potential which flowed from the concept / product, and this is how Algo was born. Initially we created the first range of seaweed juices: INO - Fruits & Algae. Very recently, we created a second range of products whose commercial launch, An’KA: gourmet and nutritious seaweed snacks composed of a naturally energizing bar and a chocolate bar. ”
interview with Kevin Buisson for "To feed tomorrow"
If someone wants to replicate an initiative similar to yours, what would you advise them to do or avoid?
“Do not hesitate, just get started! You are young and have very little to lose, if not money, but you will have a lot to gain. Even if it fails, it will bring you invaluable experience and a network! As a piece of advice, I would suggest that you take time for reflection before action. Your actions will be all the more powerful if they have been accompanied beforehand by in-depth reflection. ”
What are the key success factors for a business like yours?
In my opinion, the key success factors for a company like ours are speed of execution, innovation, the ability to pivot and adapt.
The Little Extra
The founders won the Jury's Favorite Award in April 2018 during the Moovjee National Young Entrepreneur Competition.
Written by Claire Caillaud, LFC volunteer - May 2019.
Last modification : 13 May 2020.
Algo-bio
Algo is an agrifood company, launched in September 2017, which first developed the first range of seaweed fruit juice, an idea developed by Kévin, Jérémy and Benoît during their studies at the Grenoble business school. , which was launched in 2016.