The Berlin-based startup The Rainforest Company, which was founded in 2017 by Albana Rama, is expanding to the UK. From October 15 onwards the impact-drive company will offer its açai-based superfoods in all London stores of the world’s largest organic supermarket chain, The Whole Foods Market. With its expansion into the UK, The Rainforest Company is now entering the fourth European market, after Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, and already supplies a total of more than 8000 supermarkets.
The young company has been profitable since its first operational year and is on its way to generate €6 million in revenues this year, of which at least 10% go to socio-ecological projects in the Amazon region. In 2021, the startup plans to achieve a turnover of €20 million.
The Rainfores Company founder Albana Rama stated: “We are delighted to have gained a strong retail partner in Whole Foods, which represents our values in the UK market and spreads our mission to save the rainforest with superfoods. This partnership is a keystone to The Rainforest Company’s future expansion plans.”
From mid-October, the organic Açai Puree and the Açai Bowl To Go will be available in London’s Whole Foods stores as signature products by brand ambassador, influencer and model Pamela Reif. The organic Açaí Bowl To Go is the world’s first ready-to-eat fruit bowl that still contains all of the aliments’ natural vitamins and nutrients thanks to the High Pressure Processing (HPP). This product-friendly process based on cold pasteurisation, allows to preserve the natural taste and colour without the use of additives. This high-quality and sustainable production of the superfoods has been certified by the Zurich-based Eaternity Institute.
In the coming year, the startup aims to supply another 2,000 well-known supermarkets in the UK with the sustainable açai products. And in the next five years, the young company plans to become the world’s largest supplier of sustainably produced, vegan organic products made from fairly traded raw materials originating from the Amazon.
Albana Rama added: “We want to completely redefine products of the food and cosmetics industry and prove that their production can be good for the health of the consumer as well as the health of our planet.”
In its mission to protect the rainforest, the startup has already planted 2.5 million trees in the Amazon region and saved another 12 million from being cleared. In addition, The Rainforest Company launched an initiative when Covid19 erupted, with which it currently provides 300 isolated families in the Brazilian State of Acre with essential food and hygiene items. In its entrepreneurial endeavors, the startup sees itself as having a duty to bear social responsibility and use their business as a force for good.
