What does 1960s NASA technology and 100% natural crunchy cheese have in common? In this episode of Start Global Insights, host Dmytro Shvets sits down with Vadym Gryshyn, co-founder of the Ukrainian brand snEco.

Vadym shares the remarkable story of how he and his brother Philip built a patented food-tech business and navigated the highly strict EU regulatory systems to get their products on shelves across Germany, Poland, and Sweden.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• The NASA Connection: How snEco adapted NASA technology to create a 100% natural, shelf-stable cheese snack with a 24-month shelf life.
• The EU "Traces" System: The complex process of becoming the first company in the region approved to export animal by-products to the EU.
• The Danger of Non-Focus: Why attending international trade shows without a target market resulted in zero Spanish clients.
• The Swedish Retail: Why Sweden’s decentralized supermarket model requires a completely different sales strategy compared to central-buying markets.
• B2B Growth Hacks: Creative ways to get the attention of busy category managers and distributors.
• The Nordic Timeline: Why you need patience, country-risk risk mitigation, and a 3-year horizon when selling to Northern Europe.

Episode Chapters & Timestamps:

00:00:23 Introduction to Vadym Gryshyn and snEco.

00:01:11 The origin story: Transitioning from non-food backgrounds to patented cheese tech.

00:02:11 Reinveting NASA-inspired microwave vacuum drying.

00:04:36 Re-building the business and relocating the factory during the full-scale invasion.

00:07:07 Navigating EU animal by-product regulations.

00:10:26 Lessons in focus: Why starting with Europe isn't always the easiest path.

00:12:40 Adjusting product packaging.

00:14:26 Trade show realities: The truth about building trust vs. closing immediate sales.

00:17:18 Active export markets.

00:19:33 Supporting your distributor: Why selling to the warehouse is only half the battle.

00:22:00 Multi-channel sales approaches.

00:31:30 The patience game.

00:32:43 Final takeaways and tips for exporters.

LinkedIn profiles:

Host, Dmytro Shvets: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dshvets/

Guest, Vadym Gryshyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vadym-gryshyn-sneco/

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