The Munich-based startup YFood Labs GmbH is developing a drink called 'YFood'. The 'meal replacement drink' concept originated in the US and has gained significant popularity there in recent years. The Munich-based company is the first of its kind in Germany and claims to market "the best-tasting ready-to-drink meal in Europe." The founders answer our 7 questions.
1. Who are you and what do you do? Please briefly introduce yourself and your product!
We, Benjamin Kremer (28, Business Administration at the University of Mannheim and London Business School) and Noel Bollmann (24, Economics at the University of St. Gallen), are a young founding team from Munich who lead YFood Labs GmbH. We know each other from Munich and have previously worked together on several projects in the startup sector.
Together with renowned food technologists, we've developed a drink called 'YFood' that's a delicious, healthy, and affordable replacement for a full meal. YFood contains everything your body needs, satisfies hunger, and provides consistent energy throughout the day without feeling heavy on your stomach.
YFood as a meal replacement drink for Generation Y
YFood is tailored to the needs of Generation Y, who have less and less time — and a generally lower disposable income — but at the same time want to eat healthier.
2. But that's been around for a long time!
No, indeed, there isn't anything like that yet. The market for meal replacement drinks is still in its infancy and is only just beginning to take off in Europe. While there are already meal replacement powders available in Germany that allow you to mix your own, which we find rather cumbersome, we are the first German company to develop a premixed—and therefore much more portable—meal replacement drink.
Challenging: The complex development
3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
The biggest challenge was definitely the development process. It was anything but easy to create such a complex beverage with a long shelf life (12 months without refrigeration) coupled with exceptionally good flavor.
Only with the help of renowned food technologists and a highly competent manufacturer were we able to combine all these important properties in our final product.
Customers in the subscription model
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
Although we have only been on the market for a few weeks, business is going very well.
We sell through our Online store We ship throughout Europe and now count customers from over twelve countries. Driven by the high quality and great taste of our product, we see high repeat purchase rates and have already won numerous customers for our subscription model.
Through targeted online and offline marketing, as well as word of mouth, our customer base is constantly growing.
Our potential market is very large because we consider anyone who is short on time but still wants to eat healthily and affordably as a potential customer. This is especially true for young professionals, programmers, gamers, students, and sales representatives. YFood is also an interesting nutritional source for athletes because it is rich in essential amino acids and contains over 33g of protein.
Ideal breeding ground for a flourishing startup scene
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Munich is both our birthplace and remains the center of our private lives. Despite extended stays abroad, we have both always returned here. With its numerous global corporations, elite universities, and forward-looking research institutes, Munich offers the ideal breeding ground for a thriving startup scene.
We recently moved to the Accelerator of the LMU which, among other things, promotes the exchange of Munich startups and supports the members with important contacts and coaching.
We will also be present at numerous Munich startup events (Cashwalk, Leading Entrepreneurs, etc.) in the future and will sponsor them with our drinks.
With cold coffee on the way to becoming a unicorn?
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
We are currently ramping up our marketing activities and expanding our retail presence to better reach the mobile impulse buyer. We are also expanding our product range with two new flavors: Cold Brew Coffee with caffeine, an ideal breakfast substitute, and Alpine Milk Chocolate (both released in November 2017).
We are also expanding our product portfolio to include a powder product for more price-sensitive consumers such as students and power bars for mobile consumers who do not want to miss out on the chewing aspect.
7. Pork knuckle or fish on a stick?
Preferably, of course, a delicious and healthy YFood! 😉 But if that's not possible, I'd rather have the lighter fish on a stick.
