This article is part of a blog series introducing the startup teams of the EIT Food Accelerator Network Helsinki 2024 programme.
According to WHO, 2 billion people around the world suffer from iron deficiency. Insufficient iron levels lead to fatigue, focus issues, headaches, heart palpitations, learning disabilities, and depression. Lack of iron not only impacts women and girls but also the elderly, children, vegetarians, vegans, and those with chronic illnesses. This, mainly female, problem can affect performance levels and cause productivity and income gaps between men and women from an early age in life.
Dr. Nélida Leiva Eriksson
I am Dr. Nélida Leiva Eriksson and I’ve learned the hard way that I was one of countless women suffering from iron deficiency and found myself in desperate need of what I was dedicating my life to research on – blood.
Oh, the irony.
However, the iron pills available were a major disappointment. Not only did they upset my gut, but my body couldn’t absorb the iron, and most of it went through anyway. I thought I had to come up with a better alternative.
That’s why I founded Ironic Biotech – to empower women and put an end to the tiredness and fatigue caused by iron deficiency.
We will solve this problem once and for all!
My team and I have discovered a new kind of highly bioavailable iron ingredient that can be added to food without affecting taste or texture. It can, of course, also be taken as a stand-alone additive.
These compounds are not magic; they are simply the result of many years of robust research. They come from common edible plants, where they are found in tiny quantities. They are produced in an energy-efficient manner using precision fermentation.
Our product will not only improve the health of millions of people who suffer from iron deficiency, but it will also contribute to equality between women and men. It will offer better opportunities for intellectual development to children.
The climate crisis is also a food crisis. We will be forced to eat less meat, and many people are already now seeking a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. But a diet without meat often must be complemented with iron supplements, and here Ironic iron has another important role.
The Ironic Biotech team
We would like partners and investors to join us in our journey. In the autumn of 2024, we will open our seed round for investment. Also, we are always looking for new partners in the food and ingredients industries.
Written by Dr. Nélida Leiva Eriksson, Founder of Ironic Biotech
Read more about Ironic Biotech here, and follow their journey on LinkedIn. Learn more about the EIT FAN here.
