Innovative Health Food Startup Chimp Treats Announces Launch of Fruitful Smoothies - 2020-04-02
Peterborough-based innovative, health food startup, Chimp Treats, has launched their next lineup in their innovative food product line. The startup is excited to announce Fruitful Smoothies – a healthy, sustainably-packaged and shelf-stable smoothie sold exclusively online and delivered directly to the consumer. As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads and social distancing becomes the norm, the startup will also give back to their community.
Brooke Hammer started Chimp Treats while she was a student at Trent University in 2016. Hammer’s Nicecream product is currently sold coast to coast in retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Loblaws and Healthy Planet. The product was developed using an innovative manufacturing process that allowed the company to create Nicecream, the fruit-only frozen dessert on a large, commercial scale.
The new innovative product, Fruitful Smoothies, which is manufactured in the region and sustainably-packaged will be sold exclusively online and delivered directly to the consumer by the Chimp Treats team. The smoothies are shelf-stable for up to six months. Chimp Treats will be offering free deliveries within 20km of Peterborough to help people in isolation or practicing social distancing and to alleviate the normal shipping charges. The company is soft-launching in Ontario and focusing on the Peterborough region initially.
“We are excited to see this local, innovative food product launch from one of our fastest growing natural food brands,” says CEO of the Innovation Cluster, Michael Skinner. “The direct to consumer approach is innovative and extremely topical in the current market.”
Following suit with their flagship product, Nicecream, the new smoothies will be made entirely from all natural ingredients and dairy free. Consumers can expect the same high-quality ingredients, no added sugars or artificial ingredients with three flavours including Beach Vibes, Green Glow and Soul Shine. Normally consumers have to choose between price and sustainability or price and healthfulness – this product eliminates that trade-off. Shelf-stability and selling direct to consumers allows Chimp Treats to do all three.
With more people paying attention to the ingredient list of their groceries, Chimp Treats values themselves on providing transparency to their products, a consumer demand that Forbes says is driving the food industry. According to Allied Market Research, the Global Natural Food & Drinks Market was valued at $79,137 million in 2016, and is estimated to reach $191,973 million by 2023.
The Chimp Treats team had been working on launching Fruitful Smoothies for months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a small business owner, it is important to me that I give back to my community wherever possible,” says Brooke Hammer, Founder and CEO of Chimp Treats. “We will do everything we can to help our community during this trying time. Not delaying our launch allows us to get this great product into the market and it allows our small business to keep running and for my team to keep working.”
Chimp Treats will be donating products to Kawartha Food Share during COVID-19.
To place an order online and learn more head to: www.chimptreats.com
Location-based Mobile App Mamasoup Helps Moms Connect to Their Community to Reduce the Emotional Impact of Social Distancing - 2020-03-26
Joanne Ilaqua, the founder of Mamasoup, an app that is a support network for mothers, is working hard to provide online information and tools for women feeling the impact of social distancing.
Ilaqua launched the app in 2018, after having 20 years of experience as a nurse, doula and Lamaze childbirth educator supporting new mothers. Ilaqua is just one of the Innovation Cluster clients based in the City of Kawartha Lakes leveraging the current COVID-19 situation to help the community through their company.
“Social distancing is hard for most of us, but the physical, emotional and financial toll of caring for children during a global pandemic is a bigger problem than ever for moms,” says Ilaqua.
In 2016, Statistics Canada reported there were 444,700 stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 years old. Various studies have found stay-at-home mothers are more likely to experience worry and depression due to lack of interaction with others outside of family. With the current pandemic, these experiences are likely to increase. Mamasoup helps counter this by providing a mobile community of support.
Mamasoup is available for free download on iOS and Android. Mothers can stay anonymous to encourage sharing whatever is on their minds, while a location-based feature allows them to connect with those in their community if desired.
When social distancing is over, Ilaqua says mothers can use the location feature to meet up with their new friends in real life.
Courses are also available on the platform. Due to the pandemic, many women are unable to get to their prenatal classes. Mamasoup is offering free access to their online course: Your C-Section: Before, During and After until April 2nd, 2020, and will be offered at a 30% discount for the remainder of April 2020.
To encourage new users, Mamasoup is also running cash giveaway contests during March and April for women who download the Mamasoup app and create posts.
Visit www.mamasoup.ca
COVID-19: How Innovative Startups Will Leverage This Fast-Changing Environment - 2020-03-23
Now is the perfect time to pivot
As COVID-19 leaves no choice for many people but to stay home and self isolate, many companies, small and large, are left with having to act suddenly with a business model change. Many businesses will move their offerings online, some companies will instantly thrive, while others are left to search for a new path to success, and fast.
Startup companies are always faced with a certain level of uncertainty, and this is another bump in the road. Not to say we take this situation lightly (you can find all of our resources on COVID-19 for startups HERE), but if your company can get through this turn of events, it will be ahead of the digital disruption game for decades to come.
COVID-19 will enable new categories of business.
Although COVID-19 is a new issue, pandemics are not, and there is at least one thing that all pandemics have in common: they spark a new wave of innovation. These events disrupt normal lifestyles and force us to change how we think and act, causing a need for new solutions.
We are in a new age of innovation compared to previous pandemics, and that means most solutions needed at this time of isolation, if not all, are digital-based.
People are flocking to their devices, so certain businesses thrive without needing to make significant adjustments, such as mobile apps, online subscriptions, streaming services and the online gaming industry.
Other businesses are able to pivot their service to stay relevant. Educational classes and workplaces have turned to video conferencing, so platforms like Google Classroom and Zoom are able to increase their user-base. Location-dependent businesses, such as tourism and events, are starting to turn towards virtual and augmented reality. Restaurants rely on their partnerships with Skip the Dishes and UberEats, and grocery stores have implemented mobile pick-up options. Now is the perfect time for meal subscription boxes like HelloFresh to step up.
This situation also provides an opportunity for completely new innovation, as never-before seen problems start to arise in communities.
So how do you get ahead of the game?
The changes you need to make at this time are changes that you inevitably would have had to make in your business anyways. If you haven’t yet utilized the digital marketing side of your business, now is a sign to do so. In the next decade, we will see businesses of all sectors shift online in one form or another. This situation is just accelerating the process.
If you are providing a service that can be done online, there are many existing platforms that can make the transition easier for you to reach your customers. Tools like Facebook Ads will likely be taken advantage of while more users are spending their time online. Businesses that are selling a product will need to have an impeccable online presence and online store. If there is a way to angle your product to be beneficial during this pandemic, even better. And if you have an idea for a solution, now is the time to make it happen.
Marketing messages have also changed significantly. Companies will need to find new and innovative ways to connect with their customers while not breaking the bank. It is important to be mindful of the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and remind your customers that you are here to help. For example, email marketing can be an effective and low cost way of reaching your customers. Brands that are aware and understanding of the situation will be the ones who will likely bounce back quickly in the aftermath. Be lean and market efficiently. Now more than ever, share of wallet is being tested. Potential customers are are being more careful with their spending since for many people the future is uncertain.
As this situation has only just begun, businesses first need to ensure the health and safety of its workers and partnerships. In the long-term, the way businesses operate and compete will change for years to come. Correct your strategy now, and stay successful in the long run.
If you are looking for support, please visit our COVID-19 resources page and apply to become a client of our incubator including one-on-one coaching with our Innovation Specialists.