How Lower Austrian investor Heinrich Prokop helps young food companies grow.
The Lower Austrian investor Heinrich Prokop, known from the TV program “2 Minutes 2 Million”, supports local food start-ups in their expansion with an innovative idea. His company Clever Clover, based in Amsterdam, has the cooperation project “startupticket.at” running in Austria with Billa’s parent company Rewe and Erste Bank.
Prokop: “It is a working group: Clever Clover advises young food brands on topics such as supply chains and pricing. The first is responsible for financing. And Rewe then puts the products – for example at Billa or Bipa – in the range.”
Neoh is already established on the market
For example, the Viennese brand Neoh, which specializes in sugar-free sweets such as chocolate bars and in which Clever Clover owns more than five percent, has already established itself on the market. Prokop: “It is the most successful Austrian food start-up!” Tennis star Dominic Thiem and rapper RAF Camora are also invested.
The Salzburg company Ketofabrik is following a similar path with its high-protein “KETO on the go” bars. The young Viennese company Tulipans, which has developed, among other things, crunchy muesli with up to 85 percent fewer carbohydrates, is also focusing on the subject of high-protein snacks. On the other hand, the start-up Hakuma, also from Vienna, scores with vegan, organic ice teas and other drink innovations.
Prokop estimates that the companies in which his company Clever Clover or he himself is directly involved, “make about 35 million euros in annual turnover”. The aim is, where possible, to make the new food brands from Austria internationally known.
But since there are also young entrepreneurs in other countries who are tinkering with hip food and drinks, Prokop is now planning collaborative projects abroad similar to the ones he has in Germany with Rewe and Erste: “The start of these is planned for next year.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
