South Africa - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

eusporia is a medicinal mushroom extract company, we use medicinal mushrooms(non psychedelic) that are grown off of agricultural waste products to create natural, holistic medicines.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Eusporia is a medicinal mushroom extract company, thats current focus is on developing safe, natural and holistic products from our various medicinal mushroom extracts. Then entire process from growing to extracting is extremely energy efficient, the growing of the mushrooms uses less than 1/100th the water plants require, the extraction process is efficient and runs completely off electricity nd all aste material is compostabke or can even be turned into packaging or building materials. Eusporias extracts have next to no negative side effects, (the only known side effects being allergic reactions). Mushroom extracts have also been found to be safe for children. W ultrasonic assisted extracts(UAE) in tincture form, making the extracts verstile in its applications. The extracts can be used in teas, coffees, smoothies, yoghurts, water, directly under the tongue etc. Because the extracts are water soluable.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

We have 3 problems we would like to solve: 1. The issue of unsafe medicines - pharmaceutical drugs are known to always have lists of negative side effects and eusporia believes no one should have to worry about what their medication is going to do to them in the future, the idea of natural medicine has thankfully been gaining more attention 2. Preventing waste products- mushrooms have the ability to upcycle or repurpose waste material, from being able to break down cigarette buds and plastic to being growin on agricultural waste products, eusporia aims to reduce waste through creating safe, natural medicines &/or food in the form of mushrooms. 3. Upcycling/recycling and regenerating - mushrooms not only break down organic waste materials into safe quickly combostable organic materials but also have the ability to create packaging & building materials out of the medium they grow on. We plan to repurpose or use 90% of the companies waste in the form of mycomaterials or compostable mats.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

Eusporias medicinal mushroom extracts have been scientifically proven to have

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Men or woman age 22-66 that are open to alternative/natural medicines. People who enjoy outdoors or are happy to learn. People who have diseases/ailments that are open to alternative/natural medicines. People who exercise and would like to improve their preformance. Middle to upper class people open to trying natural/alternative medicines

01.05 When was your company established?

2024-05-03

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

1

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

0

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

The other owner is Ethan Smith, he is a semi professional golfer and a

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://eusporia.co.za/

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

f) Healthcare (healthcare equipment and services)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Eusporia hopes to create jobs and educate/train unskilled underprivilaged labourers

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

6

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

The excess mushrooms or mushroom grow bags will be donated to underprivilaged communities inorder to provide safe nutritious food for those who cannot afford it or struggle to afford it, we also plan to do free course on how to grow your own mushrooms at home for underprivilaged communities.

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

Eusporias medicinal mushrooms extract tinctures will supply customers with safe, healthy/medicinal products that can/will improve the customers wellbeing.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

5

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

through social media amd both free and paid for talks, eusporia will educate the under privilaged and those who can afford our paid for talks - with this we will educate people on how to affordably grow their own mushrooms, how safely identify mushrooms for foraging and eating to allow more people access to afe nutritious foods.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

we have no biases towards genders, I Callum Smith the owner was raised by a single mother and understand the struggles mothers/woman face and plan to do whatever we can to allow and empower other woman & mothers to take their health, their kids health into their own hands in affordable ways and educate under privilaged families on methods to get free safe foods. We also have no biases on employees and would welcome woman into he company and empower them to work their way to the top.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

4

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

4

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

eusporia will create job opportunities during its growth, with the hopes that employees will also be educated enough where they can host courses, or grow their own mushrooms and create their own sources of income if they choose the leave the company.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

5

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

a byproduct of eusporias growth will innovation and application of sustainable infrastructure, such as using spent growing medium to create insulation or sustanaible, comostable mushroom packaging all made from waste products.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

5

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

with our course free course that we will give to the under privilaged or through he education we supply on our social media pages we will reduxe inequalities through food security and instilling a sense intelectual confidence

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

doing projects like group foraes or mushroom course, educating through social media nd working towards creating sustainable building materials or packaging we will inevatably create sense of community where patrions will spread the word as well and create awareness around unsafe nd unsustainable practices. Our products also will improve wellbeing and are made sustainably and reduce waste in and around cities/communities.

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

eusporias products are made sustainably and the mushrooms that are extracted are also grown using waste products and use a fracation of he water plants use, eusporia also plans to minimize inhouse waste and at the moment our waste products are compostable nd used to regnerate soils.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

The entire process from growing o extracting has a very small carbon foot print, the growing of mushrooms require little energy and water, it grows of agriculturals waste material nd the mushroom extraction process also recycles the water and alcohol used to extract the benefical compounds in the mushrooms. The waste material, is compostable and the entire process can be run on electricity.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

Mushrooms can be used to mycoremediate land, and all the spent mushroom growing material can be used to make compost, the extraction waste can lso be made into compost, the mushrooms soent growing medium also promote life, the growing medium will attract insect, then birds, then seeds from the birds. Mushrooms substrate or mushroom waste extraction material can be used as mulch to promote micrbiology in he oils regenerating and promoting soils and soil health. The use of agricultural waste as a growing medium reduces the amount of material going to landfills. The low carbon foot print also reduces pressure put on the enviroment surrounding the facility.

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

4

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

eusporia is big proponent for partnerships and would love to team up with local or international companies/NGOs/NPOs to create new products, courses or sustanable projects.

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

4

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

4

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

5

06.08 Justification for my startup

products similar to ours do exist ut not the level that we plan to take our products to, other companies do not engage with customers like us, do not innovate like us or do not plan to be as sustainable as eusporia. We do market research nd create better and unseen products in the future. Our tinctures are merely the starting point. Our extraction methods are unique nd our markting of the products are unique. Our full cycle sustainable business model is innovative and unique amongst competitors.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Our main competitors are: Aether Apothercary Soaring theraputics Harmonic mycology But eusporia views BIG pharma, johnson and johnson & phizer as our potential competitors because e are trying reduce the amount of people using their products, the others mentioned could be potential partnerships in he future

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?