Developing a new consumer product and exporting it into a growing market is an exciting prospect for any entrepreneur. But for Aki Kaltenbach, founder and chief executive officer of Save da Sea Foods in Victoria, moving quickly into the United States with her plant-based seafoods also comes with challenges.
The products are made from minimally processed whole foods meant to convincingly mimic the taste and texture of seafood. There is smoked salmon based on carrots, with a second variation that includes dill and capers, and tuna salad made from jackfruit, vegan mayonnaise, lemon and pepper. As she looks to a U.S. launch next spring, Ms. Kaltenbach has lined up experts to help her navigate such processes. She raised some seed funding and, at a pitch event in early 2021, was paired with a U.S. mentor named Eric Schnell, a CPG veteran who co-founded the world’s first plant-based seafood company, Good Catch.
“They are your feet on the street, the sales force that is out there knocking on doors, speaking to buyers, presenting the brand, managing distributors,” he says. “There’s no rush to go to another country unless you’re really prepared. Rushing causes mistakes, and those mistakes are always super costly,” he says.
The TCS has given the company a CanExport grant to help it expand into the new market, which will pay half of the cost of designing and printing new packaging, trade-show registrations and visits by Ms. Kaltenbach to major retailers. The TCS has also asked the company to participate in the Canadian Taste Makers Virtual Accelerator Program, which helps innovative Canadian brands launch in the U.S.