Using the innovation programme to transform an idea into a unique product

Fermentation, science and locally sourced ingredients can be combined to create a unique, internationally competitive product. Latvian company Fermentful is an excellent example. Founded in 2020 based on an idea for a healthy alternative to dairy products, today Fermentful produces fermented beverages from green buckwheat, organically grown in Latvia. These plant-based kefirs are available in Latvia and Estonia at such major chains as Rimi, Narvesen and Stockmann, and the company is planning to soon enter other export markets as well.

Anda Penka, founder of Fermentful, explains that the idea to make a fermented beverage was born from her personal desire for an easy-to-use plant-based product that would also be health-promoting. The basic ingredient of the product – green buckwheat – provides a wide array of nutrients and is completely in line with the company’s vision of sustainability. The beverage recipes were developed in collaboration with experts from the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies through the innovation voucher programme of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA). This allowed the company to create its own technological process for fermentation and develop a science-based product that is not only completely natural and delicious, but also rich in gut health promoting probiotics and prebiotics.

Over the course of four years of operation, Fermentful has not only won the hearts of customers in the Baltic market but has also been recognised internationally. The company has taken part in such international acceleration programmes as EIT Food FAN in Finland and MassChallenge in Switzerland. Last year, Fermentful’s classic plant-based kefir was nominated for the innovation award at the international food exhibition SIAL Paris. In addition, Fermentful has been featured in articles by such international industry media as The Ingredient Network, Food Navigator Europe, and New Nutrition. 

Anda Penka highlights that state support tools have provided an important boost to the company’s development. In addition to the innovation voucher programme, which helped in the initial stages of product creation, Fermentful is still actively using other opportunities provided by the LIAA business incubator and state support for taking part in international exhibitions. “If you don't have extensive start-up capital, you need to use it very carefully, so state aid can be the decisive factor in your growth. The key is to select and combine the best instruments available and use them as effectively as possible. Fermentful’s experience is a perfect example: we started out with just an idea, which, thanks to the voucher programme, was transformed into a unique product,” she explains.

This article has been produced with financial support from the European Regional Development Fund.