Achiever Foods Limited

Globally, WHO declared about 1.62 billion people in the world anaemic. Out of this, 570 million are from Africa. In my country Ghana, nearly 10 million people are anaemic according to WHO. In 2016, my wife Millicent (now my Co-founder) almost died from acute anaemia. Many people including pregnant women are dying on daily basis because of anaemia. Today, through Millicent's experience, we have developed organic food products from a plant that eventually saved her life, into various food blends that can be used to prevent iron deficiency anaemia. The products can be taken by everybody to keep a good immune system as well. In this era of COVID-19, our products have become the number one choice for many families in Ghana already.

In 2016, I almost lost my wife, Millicent (now my Co-founder) due to acute anaemia. At the hospital, the doctors advised Turkey Berry fruit to be included in my meals due to its high iron content. After adding the berries to her meals for 2 weeks, she recovered amazingly. Globally, WHO declared about 1.62 billion people in the world anaemic. Out of this, 570 million are from Africa. In my country Ghana, nearly 10 million people are anaemic according to WHO. Haven trained as a Chemist and my wife a Food Scientist, we decided to chemically investigate the turkey berry fruits to discover its therapeutic properties. After two years of our research, came out with amazing organic foods that are able to prevent anaemia, diabetes and obesity globally. This is when the Achiever Foods Limited was born.

We have developed iron, fiber and antioxidant rich foods that can prevent anaemia, diabetes and obesity called Daliha Foods. The products act as food supplement and comes in different blends including Teas, Juices, Powders and Spices. Currently, they are selling in hospitals, pharmacy shops, health stores and shopping malls in Ghana. 

Daliha foods helps in boosting the immune system, regulating blood sugar for diabetic people and reducing body weight for obese people. They are also good for stress management and in preventing other infections. In the current COVID-19 crisis, our products are a great option for many families.

1. Pregnant Women: Daliha Turkey Berry Teas are good supplements for pregnant women because it contains iron and vitamins which is very essential for their blood health and that of their foetus. The iron and vitamins helps in boosting their blood levels to withstand delivery demands

2. Anaemic Patients: Daliha Turkey Berry Teas, Powders and Juices are good food supplements for anaemic patients. They contain high iron and vitamins that helps in boosting their haemoglobin levels.

3. Diabetic Patients: Daliha Ginger Mixed Teas are good anti-diabetic solutions for people with high blood sugar problems. It contains iron, chlorogenic acid and antioxidants that are responsible for regulating blood sugar.

4. Obese People: Daliha Slim Teas are great natural formulas for those who wants to lose weight. It contains fat burning and appetite regulating properties to help consumers to lose weight organically without side effects.

5. Health Conscious People: Daliha Immunklin Teas are great solution to all who wants to build a healthy immune system to prevent viral and bacterial infections. This product is a great innovation that was recently released to fight against COVID-19

1. Iron Deficiency Anaemia: This is a condition caused by the lack of adequate red blood cells or iron. Hence our products contain enough irons and vitamins to help their restoration processes.

2. Diabetes: This condition is due to high blood sugar levels. Hence our Anti-diabetic formulas are rich in antioxidants, iron and chlorogenic acid to help in regulating the blood sugar levels.

3. Obesity: This is due to high body mass index caused by accumulation of fat. Most victims are addicted to excess food. Daliha Slim teas helps in suppressing their appetite and burn the excess fat.

The raw material (Turkey Berry) we discovered has been widely known for boosting blood for a long time. But the method has always been traditional in my country as well as most African nations. Currently, from our research, nobody is processing the plant into the formulas we have at Achiever Foods Ltd. The shelve life of the raw fruits which has been on the Ghanaian market over the years is between 3 - 5 days. Hence our ability to process the same berries to last for at least a year without adding artificial preservatives always wows our audience. As such, most of the hospitals after listening to our presentations engage us to educate their patients in the Maternity and Diabetic Clinics on healthy eating habit that can promote good health.

The core technology that gives us a competitive advantage is our drying and packaging technology. We have developed a drying process that retains the original nutrients of the raw materials in our finished products.  

Secondly, we are developing a Software called Daliha MLM App that can be accessed on mobile phones and computers to market and sell our products. This app will soon replace our traditional way of selling by 2021. The App will function like a Multi-Level Marketing tool targeted at placing about 60% responsibility of our marketing on satisfied customers. Currently, most of our sales so far has been based on referral (word of mouth) by users of the products. Hence, we anticipate the introduction of the MLM App will be a perfect decision to increase our traction.

For the past 2 years, we have increased our production capacity by 60% with the little mechanization we have available. We used to dry about 20Kg of the fresh berries in 2018 monthly. By 2019, we started doing 54Kg monthly. By 2020, we are currently drying 150Kg monthly. With the packaging, we employed 1 more permanent staff and 2 casual staffs in the last quarter of 2019 when the traction continues to increase with heavy demand on production. Our MLM App is currently underway, and we have set September, 2020 to roll it out

PROBLEM: Anaemia & Diabetes

SOLUTION: Organic Iron, Fiber & Vitamins Rich Foods

ACTIVITIES: Farming, Harvesting, Sorting, Washing, Crushing, Drying, Cooling, Packaging into Teas, Juices and Powders, Storing, Distributing = Sales

BUSINESS MODULE: B2B & B2C

CUSTOMERS: Consume products and experience increase in haemoglobin levels from anaemic patients, reduction in blood sugar levels from diabetic patients, total improved health by all consumers

KPI: Reduction in maternal mortality due to anaemia among our target population by 40% in 18 months. Reduction in the mortality ratio of diabetic patients by 30% in 24 months.

Currently: Over 20,000

In the next 1 Year: Over 200,000

In the next 5 Years: Over 10,000,000

Next Year Goals

Within the next one year, we have targeted to; 

1. Secure equipment and migrate from manual production to a semi-auto production system. 
2. Launch and operate our Daliha MLM project to convert about 70% of local sales from the traditional marketing to referral bases.
3. Secure patent for our new product lines

Our Current Barriers Include:

1. Unavailability of equipment which forces us to operate manually about 85%.
2. Limited funds to invest in direct cost

In the Next Year

1. We anticipate to secure semi-auto equipment to increase our production capacity to match with the growing demand
2. We project to develop and launch our Daliha MLM project to shift majority of our marketing unto our customers 

In the Next Five Years

1. We project to have secured our international accreditation and licensing to sell on Amazon, UK, USA, Europe and other African countries
2. Set up in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea 
3. Employ about 50 more youth

Equipment

We have started discussions with the Food Research Institute Engineers in Ghana to build a drying Oven for us at the cost of USD 6,000. Our plan is to raise funds from sales and debt from Fidelity Bank in Ghana to purchase it

Daliha Farm

We are currently in talk with a company called 'Grow For Me' in the Eastern Region of Ghana to grow our raw materials for us. This is one critical area because nobody has the plantation in the whole of Ghana. But the plant grows in the wild in many backyards. However, we currently engage 5 farmers who harvest from the hinterlands

International Accreditation

This project demand that we secure enough market in foreign countries before registering. We therefore project to fund this project in our next 2 years (2022) with proceeds from sales

3 Full time staffs

1 Part-time staff

2 Contract workers

Bright Adoboe - Managing Director: Bright is a business development strategist, a simulation and communication expert with eleven years’ experience in growing Startups from idea level to a break-even point. He is a Chemist and a project management professional with 17 health projects to his credit benefiting over 50,000 people in Ghana at a cost of GHS 245,000. In 2019, one of his companies, Freedom Aid Ghana won AUD 37,000 grant from the Australian High Commission in Ghana to build a six-toilet modern facility for the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. Bright is also the Co-founder and Director of Business for Achiever Foods Limited.

Millicent Agidipo - Production Manager: Millicent Adoboe is the Co-Founder and Production Manager for Achiever Foods Limited. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Technology from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. She served as the Production Supervisor at Zalli Foods in 2017 and Production Manager at Provest Export Ltd in 2016. She has been trained by MDF West Africa on Building a Sustainable business between 2019 and 2020. 

Mr Isaac Yalley - Finance and Risk Manager: Issac is a Chartered Accountant with over 10 years’ experience in risk management and financing. Isaac obtained his master’s degree in Economic Policy Management from the University of Ghana Legon, master’s degree in Economics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Post Diploma Charter in Treasury and Financial Risk Management from the Institute of Chartered Accountant. 

Currently, we partner with the Food Research Institute (FRI) of Ghana in processing our raw materials. This is because we do not have all the equipment needed to process our products and have had to outsource for now. We initially process everything manually in 2018 when got established, but in order to minimize cross contamination, we had to outsource the critical control points of the processes. 

Our revenue model is currently engineered on subscription sales via order-and-delivery services, e-commerce sales directly from our website, direct traditional sales on cash and credit systems.

Subscription Sales: Customers subscribe to weekly or monthly supply of our food products. Our main customers include hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores, shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels and restaurants. 

E-Commerce Sales: With the current COVID-19 pandemic, we've just launched our e-commerce platform on our website. Customers can now purchase directly from the site using their credit or master cards and mobile money services

Order-and Delivery Services: We take orders via phone calls, email or at our location. We deliver in small packs, dozens, cartons and tracks to our clients.   

Direct Sales: Our sales team uses company vehicles to look for business from the open market. Social Media Sales: Customers access the products on our social media platforms to place order. Products are delivered to them after payment is completed via mobile money services or cash on delivery

Our primary source of revenue is generated from sales of products to grow organically. Haven started from the kitchen in our single room rented apartment, we've come very far growing organically. Thankfully, we are realizing an average of 35% contribution on the business and expanding production and traction looks good in keeping us in business. 

Secondly, we are looking forward to receive grants like this one, or a facility to secure equipment and increase our capacity. We already have received calls from some of our clients living in US, UK and Europe to start selling on Amazon. With external funding opportunities, we can grow more quickly than the organic growth we are realizing now to capture a larger size of the market in the next 2 years.

NOTE: With reference to the last question before this one, I would like to say we engage BOTH B2B and B2C modules

The main barrier is unavailability of equipment which forces us to operate manually about 85%. 

In the Next Five Years

International accreditation and licensing to sell on Amazon, UK, USA, Europe and other African countries

We need technology to expand. We have a serviceable market size of about 10 million in Ghana alone. But we are serving just about 1% of that currently. With technology, we can reach out to majority and generate about.

Secondly, we need funding opportunities to expand the market size, production capacity and control about 50% of the addressable market within Africa, US, UK and Europe

I would like to partner with MIT initiatives that support infant nutrition. Two of our products are doing well in helping improve infant nutrition in Ghana. The products are targeted at improving the appetite of infants, increasing their brain function and keeping them healthy

Secondly, I would like to explore the Solve Members for many opportunities to partner with them in different regions

My innovation is the first of its kind in my country and the whole of West Africa. Secondly, our products are everyday food products for every family. Thirdly, we have done extensive research to explore and diversify into orthodox medication in our next 10-year plan. That will need a good funding to explore. Fourthly, we are made of a team of experts from the appropriate fields working on the business. Fifthly, this innovation is our own story, which has been tried and tested and now doing very well in the Ghanaian market just after two years. Lastly, we were the only company that got selected to be awarded as one of the Top 100 Startups by Startup Turkey in Istanbul in 2018, 6 months after we started production.