My big idea: Born Maverick foodtech

‍Hi Azhar! What's the Born Maverick elevator pitch? ‍

Born Maverick is a forward-thinking biotech company pioneering in the field of food science, with a particular focus on creating affordable, clean-label food products using proprietary fermentation platforms.

By leveraging innovative fermentation processes, Born Maverick aims to enhance the nutritional profile of food, making it not only healthier but also more accessible to a broad consumer base. The company’s mission is rooted in the belief that nutritious, high-quality food should be both sustainable and available to everyone, bridging the gap between advanced biotechnology and everyday food choices.

‍Explain why we need a “food revolution”?

For sustainability initiatives to truly impact climate change, they must reach a broad consumer base, not just the affluent. As inflation pressures increase, it’s even more vital that sustainable food products remain affordable and practical. Otherwise, they fail to serve the larger population that ultimately drives demand and production in the food industry. 

Many sustainable food products, like lab-grown meat or complex fermentation techniques, require complex manufacturing processes. For these innovations to reach more consumers, the industry must streamline production methods to lower costs, which is very difficult. 

Sustainable solutions need to fit within the economic realities of the average consumer, especially during periods of rising inflation. Companies should focus on adapting sustainable products to fit familiar, widely accepted price points. Hence, we at Born Maverick are persistent in bringing technology that can be easily adapted. The combination of food grade strains and substrates can help us achieve great results so that we reach consumers faster through strategic collaborations.‍

Why does the market need Born Maverick? 

Born Maverick is driven by the power of collaboration, working with strategic partners who bring expertise in their respective areas. This approach allows us to accelerate our market entry, ensuring consumers have access to healthy and sustainable alternatives for meat, cocoa, and fish, along with legumes that deliver high nutritional value.

Our focus is on meeting the fundamental needs of everyday consumers, rather than catering solely to niche segments like vegans or flexitarians. By making sustainable choices more accessible to the masses, Born Maverick aims to foster a broad shift toward healthier lifestyles and a more sustainable planet.

‍Where is the business today?  

Born Maverick has developed four unique biotech platforms, each designed to deliver innovative, sustainable food solutions. These platforms have successfully moved beyond the prototyping phase, and we are now seeking strategic partnerships to bring these breakthrough products to the market:

• REVIVE: Transforms carbohydrates, cellulose, and hemicellulose into digestible proteins. The result is a clean-label product with minimal ingredients, engineered to offer a meaty texture that appeals to health-conscious consumers.
  
  
• W’ish: Focused on recreating the texture and nutritional benefits of seafood, this platform provides fish-like alternatives that offer similar nutrition to seafood, supporting a sustainable and nutritious choice for consumers.
  
  
• E-Leg-Nt: Designed to enhance the versatility of legumes by breaking down oligosaccharides, allowing for a wider range of applications in food products. E-Leg-Nt increases the value of legumes by making them more digestible and usable across diverse food categories.
  
  
• No-G-Co: A cocoa alternative, No-G-Co utilises industry surplus substrates, addressing both sustainability and health concerns. This platform prioritises the nutritional profile, offering consumers a chocolate-like experience with enhanced health benefits.
  

What's your biggest strength? How does your background make you stand out in your field?

I’m a biotech scientist driven by a passion for simplifying complex food challenges. With an extensive background in advanced biotechnology, I excel at transforming innovative concepts into practical, consumer-focused solutions.

My commitment to groundbreaking food projects is matched by business expertise, thanks to an International MBA from Queen’s University Belfast. This unique blend of scientific knowledge and business acumen enables him to bridge the gap between science and business, leading Born Maverick in creating impactful, sustainable food solutions for a broad consumer base.

What is the secret to making the business work?

At Born Maverick, we’re fully aware of the challenges facing companies that aimed to capitalise on the plant-based trend without addressing critical aspects like sustainability, cost-effectiveness, nutrition, taste, and texture. The rapid decline in demand for many such brands reflects a misalignment with consumers’ expectations and the reality of sustainable practices. Over-reliance on heavily processed ingredients, stabilisers, and gelling agents has led to ingredient lists that undermine the goals of health and transparency, forcing approximately 60-70% of these brands out of the market.

Our approach is different. At Born Maverick, we are committed to transparency and to providing real, accessible solutions that consumers can seamlessly integrate into their everyday lives. We prioritise eco-innovative methods to ensure our products don’t compromise on taste, texture, or nutrition, while maintaining affordability. We believe sustainable living shouldn’t be a privilege, and our mission is to make high-quality, sustainable choices available to everyone, without straining their budgets.

What is the Born Maverick business model?

Born Maverick takes a customised approach with each of our proprietary platforms. Rather than building out multiple brands independently, we aim to collaborate with companies that have already established their supply chains and market entry strategies. This partnership-based approach allows us to accelerate our impact by leveraging the strengths of organisations with proven routes to market.

While we are actively developing No-G-Co as a sustainable, health-focused cocoa alternative brand, we envision strategic partnerships for our other platforms. By teaming up with industry leaders, we can bring our innovative solutions to market more swiftly and effectively. This approach not only enhances our agility but also aligns with our mission to deliver sustainable and nutritious options to consumers on a larger scale

What funding do you have? Is it enough?

Born Maverick has reached this pivotal stage through a bootstrapped approach, strategically funding our research through a combination of grants, licensing, and consultancy fees. This approach allowed us to concentrate on developing our platforms and refining our solutions without immediate external pressures. By prioritising internal funding, we have been able to fully dedicate ourselves to groundbreaking research and ensure our readiness for market entry.

Now, as we prepare for the next phase, we’re seeking not only investments but also partners who share our vision. For us, it’s about more than capital; it’s about aligning with individuals and organisations that are equally committed to sustainable, accessible food solutions. We are excited to welcome strategic collaborators who bring both resources and a shared passion for transforming the food industry.

How do you market the company?

Born Maverick primarily operates as a B2B company, dedicated to partnering with organisations that seek next-generation, sustainable solutions. Our goal is to be recognised as a benchmark of food innovation – delivering solutions that resonate with mainstream consumers while remaining cost-effective to develop. We take on the complexities of R&D, allowing our partners to bring straightforward, nutritious options to consumers with ease.

Our commitment goes beyond sustainability; we aim to make sustainable, healthy living accessible to all by ensuring our innovations meet high standards of affordability, scalability, and consumer appeal. Through our solutions, we empower our partners and their customers to embrace a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle without the added burden of cost or complexity.

What is your vision for the future of Born Maverick?

Our vision is clear: Born Maverick will be a pioneer of the food revolution that our planet and society sorely need – by simplifying food science and delivering truly sustainable, affordable, nutritious food to the masses. To accomplish this, we seek strategic partners and investors who share our vision.