As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, much like other crises which have occurred throughout human history, the current one we’re knee-deep in has become a proverbial warning sign and a trigger for change, pointing to the weaknesses and fragility of the global system and the inevitable importance of sustainability, health and environmental protection, which proved to be a good opportunity to kick off the BioCro startup, owned by Vicenco Matijaca and Jure Ivandic.
The BioCro startup is an international platform that offers the sale and purchase of sustainable products, circular economy services, sustainability schooling, seminars, education, investment in renewable energy sources and a wide range of innovations.
“It’s one green meeting place that guarantees a good price, quality and a shift to something better, something sustainable and cost-effective not only for the end user but for the entire business ecosystem and all users.
Imagine having a place that guarantees a personalised approach, excellent products that you’re sure are sustainable (from their production and their delivery to their very use) and where every transaction contributes to certain sustainable goals – from drinking water to building schools and donating for medical purposes,’’ say Matijaca and Ivandic.
Croatian cooperation with the Greeks and Canadians…
The BioCro startup idea has been under construction since back in November 2019, and six months later, in May 2020, they launched a startup based in London due to, they explain, “an administrative stalemate, bureaucracy and unjustified additional costs in Croatia.”
Vincenco is otherwise an environmental technician with a degree and a certificate from the USA for hotel management who has been travelling and working all over the world since the age of 18, and Jure has a master’s degree in finance and is the owner of the organic restaurant Pikanterija. This project was born from many years of experience and a commitment to sustainability.
So far, the BioCro startup has invested around 17,000 euros in personal savings to register, start and establish initial contacts between partners and customers, as well as for market research and basic marketing. Within the first few months of doing business, they had more than 30 partners from Croatia and from across the world.
“A consumer ecosystem has been created that is interested in what is happening with our business, when and how. We achieved MVP within the first two months of operation and performed more than 50,000 kuna in transactions through the basic sales model.
We have established contacts with some international schools of sustainability, national environmental agencies, and negotiated the installation of an energy park in Greece with one of our sustainable energy partners from Canada. We marketed some products and helped the sales for several Croatian family farms, negotiated the installation of electric delivery in Split, offered natural cosmetics products from domestic exhibitors from Croatia to the world and a few days ago had more than 1,000 kuna transactions within 24 hours.
We’re very pleased with what we’ve achieved so far, especially if we take into account that our main product (platform) is still under construction, and on which the Sisak company Maracom is working. We can do better and we can do it faster, but for that we need professionals in certain sectors and investors,’’, they point out from the BioCro startup.
They are also cooperating with another startup from Croatia, Ecolo food packaging, in order to realise the project of starting the production of certain sustainable products in Slavonia. In negotiations to start cooperation between certain environmental agencies and their programmes, and sustainability schools from no less than the beautiful Canary Islands.
The BioCro startup is cooperating with the opening of the Nefali Tours travel agency (sustainable family trips in Zadar County). They have already exported tens of thousands of kuna of domestic products to Canada, Great Britain and the EU, and recently they have been engaged in market research for the export of additional natural cosmetics products. They are currently trying to realise cooperation with the huge car company – Audi.
When it comes to the sales side, it all consists of all sizes of “green” entities with legal certifications and who have passed the personal verification system, and who trade, produce, provide services and educate. Their customers are all those who are interested in the environment, health, sustainability and quality – the millennial generation, organic food buyers, enthusiasts for a healthy lifestyle, organisations that want to become more sustainable and a full range of environmentally conscious entities,’’ said Ivanic and Matijaca.
After establishing initial contact through the platform or through various available channels with eligible individuals and companies, the BioCro startup enters into communication and personal verification of their products.
After review and approval, the products and services of the provider are listed on the website, advertised and offered to all customers and specially targeted groups depending on the product and service.
“There’s the possibility of lifelong free advertising if certain products are sustainable and in some ways avant-garde for our current society. We think that in Croatia, there could be a ‘green turnaround’, in terms of general education, a change of established attitudes and behavioral conventions with an emphasis placed on new generations. This is all needed because it is easier to define an individual from the start than to change later and thus ensure a ‘green’ future,’’ they concluded from the BioCro startup.
Find more news about Croatian innovation and startups in the TCN Made in Croatia section.
