What is capital for a starting entrepreneur?

For an entrepreneur, capital is that “thing” we use to produce that “other thing”. When starting a venture, you’re not yet sure what’s that “other thing” going to be, you just know you are willing to write a new story with what you’ve got in you, that’s your capital; knowledge and experience to build a vision, a network to make it happen, drive, self-motivation, and probably a unique operating software in your mind making you going towards problems to solve, rather than away from – no, that’s not insanity but not far from it.

What kind of capital problems did you face as an entrepreneur ?

Problems that matter for you. They matter a lot. They matter so much that you are willing to live with them day and night, while having dinner with your wife or playing with you kids. Mine was about feeding people. Spark was the 2009 announcement by the FAO: we need to produce 70% more food by 2050 to feed people. Well, that’s a huge problem. And that’s an even bigger opportunity. Luckily, I had listened to my mother and studied food and agricultural engineering. “We’ll always have to feed people” she said, she couldn’t be righter.

What’s the most important capital we need to feed the world?

A livable and cultivable environment. We need to produce more with less arable land, and an increasing pressure on the agri-food system due to global warming. We must preserve this capital before all. The way Novolyze’s team contributes to it is by helping food processors produce safe food while reducing the resources they use. Better food, less energy needed to produce that food and, above all, less waste.