First up is Nouri, a California-based company with a mission to advance the world’s transition to proactive health through gut and immune products.
We caught up with Caroline Beckman, Founder and CEO, who gave us her thoughts on where the industry is heading towards in the next few years.
NutraIngredients-USA (NIU): Nouri has been around for several years now – has your company mission changed or evolved over that time?
Caroline Beckman (CB): Nouri’s mission has been the same since day one: to advance the world’s transition to proactive health through gut and immune products. How we achieve our mission evolves continuously—we’re constantly looking for new opportunities to serve consumers and figuring out how best to anticipate and navigate market changes through research, product development, and customer relationships.
NIU: You started off with the capsule within capsule approach and recently launched the inner immune beverage – that’s a significant transition for a small company. Can you explain the rationale and some of the challenged associated with that?
CB: We listen to and learn from our consumers. Our customer feedback indicated demand for additional product form factors. Nouri’s stick pack and beverage lines are our response to growing consumer demand for functionality beyond that of our capsules.
With every new product launch there are start-up costs and challenges. The Nouri team has dedicated great time and energy to ensure formulation, supply chain, sales and marketing success across each of our product lines.
NIU: How would you describe how your approach or ethos is treading a path or direction that no other firm has gone before? How do you weigh up the risks and benefits here?
CB: Nouri’s focus is to make the best microbiome science accessible to everyone. Since Nouri launched in 2019, we have been committed to innovation that is incrementally beneficial to consumers as compared to current market offerings.
We work to ensure Nouri’s published research, communication, pricing, and distribution are accessible to every consumer. Internal margin compression and large research investment (for a start-up) are risks.
NIU: In the probiotic, prebiotic and microbiome space, what would you say is the next research area that the industry needs to keep its eye on?
CB: Cognitive health and development—specifically gut and brain development during the first 1,000 days of life (conception to year two) and how that connects to gut health into adulthood and old age. There is quality research being published on the topic and we anticipate more industry interest in the brain-mood-microbiome connection in the future.
NIU: Finally, what is the significance for Nouri of being named one of our 2022 Probiota Pioneers, and how do you think it helps your profile in such an innovative, ever-changing industry?
CB: NutraIngredients has been a world-class partner since Nouri’s genesis—they’re coverage is honest and thorough. We view being named a 2022 Probiota Pioneer as confirmation of Nouri’s dedication to research, innovation, and execution within the industry.
IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas
The 2022 IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas, June 1-3 in Washington, D.C., will feature world-leading experts to present the latest scientific, technical and market insights, and opens with presentations about the potential impact of probiotics on COVID-19 outcomes. Other key themes include: e-commerce markets across the Americas; Microbiome modulation to improve sleep and manage stress, the Tech Showcase; updates from the regulatory field, tips and tricks on working with influencers to communicate with consumers, insights from leading start-ups, and our Future Focus panel, which asks “Where Next for the Industry?”
For more information and to register, please click HERE.
