Current economic conditions are limiting funding opportunities and increasing competition, says PROHEMPOTIC CEO

Meet the CEO: PROHEMPOTIC CEO, Jamila La Malfa-Donaldson

Tell us about yourself.

Jamila La Malfa-Donaldson is the founder of PROHEMPOTIC, an agri-food business dedicated to developing nutritious and delicious food and drinks made with innovative hempseed ingredients. During her PhD at Aberystwyth University, Jamila developed testing, cultivation and processing methods for hemp. In her final year, she started her business to share the impressive health and environmental benefits of hempseeds.

How would you characterise 2023 in your sector so far? 

So far in 2023, the food and beverage industry has faced many challenges. Food inflation peaked, pushing up the price of ingredients, and higher energy prices have significantly increased production costs. The volatility of the market and subdued investment has stunted innovation and productivity. However, market conditions are beginning to stabilise and, with support, the sector will improve.

What are the key opportunities you are gearing towards as a company? 

Despite the setbacks, the need to build sustainable and resilient food supply chains to support the economy has become increasingly important. Although climate change poses a risk to food security, there is an exciting opportunity to develop new products and systems to support consumers in shifting to healthy and sustainable diets.

My company is dedicated to developing innovative processing methods to produce hempseed food and drinks that meet consumer demands for taste, nutrition and performance. Growing hemp not only provides a plant-based source of protein, fibre and fatty acids, it also sequesters more carbon dioxide than trees and supports local biodiversity. By increasing the demand for hempseed food and drinks, we can provide local farmers with an opportunity to diversify their income and help to meet net-zero targets.

What are your biggest challenges? 

As an early-stage startup and solo founder, the biggest challenge I face is working with limited time and resources. So far, I have been very fortunate to have received awards and grants to set up my business. However, further funding will be required to continue to build on the momentum from initial R&D efforts and begin commercial production of my products, for which I

will also need a team. Thankfully, there is a lot of support for businesses in Wales and I’m working on a plan to establish a route to market.

Another challenge I face is the persistent negative stigma around hemp/cannabis. Unfortunately, the misconceptions have prevented me from accessing support and resources for my business. However, perceptions are changing and I hope to leverage my academic background to help close the education gap and introduce more people to the benefits of hemp.

How would you analyse the economic conditions that are influencing those challenges? 

Unprecedented economic conditions are limiting funding opportunities and increasing competition. When applying for grants, I’m now up against larger and more established businesses. The competition has challenged me to lean into my innovative ideas and I have gained a lot of clarity from the process.

What projects or developments are you most proud of? 

My first year of business has been very exciting. I’m very grateful to have been supported during this crucial stage of my business by Innovate UK’s Young Innovators Award, which included funding and mentorship for a year. Taking time to work ‘on’ my business has helped me gain much more clarity on the problem I’m trying to solve and who my problems are aimed at helping.

Together with the AberInnovation team and Aberystwyth Univeristy academics, I’ve also been having a lot of fun testing out new products and processing ideas. The highlight of my year was making the first batch of my hempseed drink which has already had positive feedback. It’s a great feeling to see an idea come to life.

What are your goals for the future? 

My goal for the rest of this year is to plan and execute the launch of my D2C hemp food brand, Akene. The initial product line will consist of UK-grown hemp seed protein powder, hemp seed oil and hemp hearts. Each product will be packaged in sustainable packaging that can be reused/refilled/recycled and labelled with seed paper you can plant to grow wildflowers.

The e-commerce site will be live by the end of the year, so look out for the free samples. Whilst growing the brand to generate initial revenue, PROHEMPOTIC will continue to be dedicated to developing innovative new products to generate IP, differentiate my offering and attract new customers. I also look forward to graduating within the next few months and dedicating more time to my business.

What would be your advice for budding entrepreneurs? 

As a leader, I feel a great sense of responsibility to use my skills and experience to help solve our most pressing challenges. I decided that starting a business is the best way for me to make a real change. To create an impact, you must allow for time and effort to understand the problem you are dedicated to solving. Then, craft a compelling narrative to effectively communicate how your solution solves the problem to the people who would benefit from it the most. The food and beverage industry is highly competitive. Dare to be different and own what makes you special. When you find people who support your mission, hold on tight and involve them in your journey. Otherwise, cut out the noise and stay focused.

Website: prohempotic.com

Ecom site: akene.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jamila-l-d

Email: contact@prohempotic.com