In this episode Gerit Tolborg shared the exciting story about her journey of co-founding Chromologics, a biotech startup, which started as her PhD project at the Technical University of Denmark.
After working on a fascinating red molecule, she discovered a novel way of producing natural food colors through fermentation.
She and her co-founder Anders (Ødum) Odum raised funds, built a team and started the company and moved out from the University. Gerit shares some of the challenges they faced, including fundraising during COVID-19 and the transition from DTU to their own facilities.
In addition Gerit shares some insights on co-founder dynamics, importance of work-life balance, fostering a trusting and transparent company culture, and navigating the startup world with authenticity.
Chromologics is a Danish biotech start-up responding to the strong market pull for novel natural food colorants. We develop fungal fermentation solutions for the production of natural pigments. Our proprietary production process allows not only for a more sustainable production than existing solutions, but is also cost-competitive. Our pigments are produced by a non-GMO fungus, which makes them compliant with the dietary requirements of broad consumer bases such as kosher, halal, and vegan diets.
00:41 Who is Gerit Tolborg
01:54 The Birth of Chromologics
03:06 Challenges and Opportunities in the Food Color Industry
03:57 The Journey of Chromologics: From Idea to Reality
04:58 The Role of Fermentation in Color Production
06:23 The Discovery of a New Molecule
07:28 The Path to Founding a Company
08:35 The Challenges of Transitioning from Academia to Business
10:03 The Importance of Building Relationships
10:55 The Journey of Fundraising and Scaling
12:48 The Challenges and Successes of Hiring and Growing a Team
14:39 The Impact of COVID-19
16:15 The Role of Business Acceleration Academy in the Company's Growth
26:26 Securing Investments and Navigating Lockdowns
28:30 Building a Team and Overcoming Hiring Challenges
30:00 Establishing Company Culture and Values
31:47 Balancing Work and Personal Life in a Startup
34:17 The Dynamics of a Co-Founder Relationship
36:34 Lessons Learned and Advice for Future Entrepreneurs
46:00 The Importance of Industry Experience and Thinking
48:08 Building a Supportive Network in the Startup World
49:47 Current Needs and Opportunities for Collaboration
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Nehar Mortuza and Søren Spanner Bach