VoiGuat OG : transforming organic waste into high-quality organic products (business plan and marketing strategy)

Abstract

This thesis describes the startup journey of a novel process development, where high valuable consumer goods are produced out of organic waste. It shows a possible profitable approach of a process implementation within the food processing industry. In addition, several supplementary by-products and co-benefits will extend the existing value-added chain for the producer with a minimum of additional input of resources and money needed. The first part of the thesis elaborates on the development of the worldwide growing amount of organic waste and different avoidance strategies found in literature. The initial promoted takemake- disposal system is nowadays exchanged by several different approaches. Various waste circulating systems were developed since the early 90-s and were partly implemented into several national and international waste management systems. All of these strategies have the reuse or the upscaling of ingredients from waste in common. Within the second part, the business plan for this startup idea is laid out. Building on the described circulation waste management systems, where organic waste is transformed into high valuable organic products, the company VoiGuat OG was found in 2012. A process development for the vinery industry was the base for the first successful implementation of this concept. From the beginning on, the whole process concept has been proven and continuously improved with different partners. The sales experience from the first operation years was a helpful market feedback for a modified sales concept, described in this thesis. Finally, a promising business model based two major business directions is presented. For the first field of operation, the whole process concept will be transferred into small flexible units which can be easily adopted, combined and equipped for different sizes and raw material. With this approach the whole concept can easily be multiplied and will be a pillar for the future operation. These processing units will be sold or leased to a broad range of different producers. Around these process implementations, a sales concept based on B2B partnerships is described as the second business direction.