Akash Shah (27) and Akash Dhoot (26), co-founders of Better Alt, are on a mission to take these desi superfoods global by combining them into blends and supplements that aid digestion, help increase immunity, and serve as brain boosters
Gut health is intrinsically linked to one’s overall physical and mental well-being, according to doctors. The American Gastroenterological Association estimates that 60-70 million Americans have gastrointestinal diseases and these have the potential to disrupt their daily lives, reported aboutamazon.in.
Solutions are available in Ayurveda and traditional Indian practices given the ready availability of inexpensive superfoods here — from Ashwagandha (Indian ginseng) and Moringa to Tulsi (Holy basil) and Lion’s Mane Mushroom.
Akash Shah (27) and Akash Dhoot (26), co-founders of Better Alt, are on a mission to take these desi superfoods global by combining them into blends and supplements that aid digestion, help increase immunity, and serve as brain boosters.
“Better Alt’s mission is to help people improve the performance of their minds and bodies through ancient Indian alternatives. We believe that sustainable wellness and nutrition have become very complicated; we need to go back to being simple and clean,” Shah told About Amazon.
In only two years of operations, the Mumbai-based startup has made inroads into the United States market. During the 2022 edition of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale (BFCM) on Amazon’s global websites between November 24 and 28, Better Alt’s parent company Azuretale recorded a 3.5x rise in sales.
“Our blend will have ingredients such as Ashwagandha and parts of the Arjuna plant, which a lot of people in the US do not know about. You can consume it before bed time and get a sound night’s sleep.”
— Akash Dhoot
Better Alt’s journey officially started in 2021, but the seeds were planted when the co-founders became friends five years ago. “The first time we met, we both introduced ourselves saying, ‘Hi, I’m Akash’,” quipped Shah. The founders’ personal journeys shaped their quest for alternative foods. Dhoot is an Ironman triathlon athlete but has an aversion to eggs for protein intake. Shah comes from a family of vegetarians who have relied on locally-sourced food for improving health over generations.
Customer feedback is a gift for young brands such as Better Alt. “We’ve read multiple reviews of people seeing improvement in their blood pressure levels after consuming our beetroot powder,” said Shah. He also talked about specific feedback in the early days that helped improve packaging for their bestselling Super Green Blend, a mix of 15 superfoods. The anti-bloating supplement didn’t initially come with a scoop but that changed after a customer’s feedback. Initially, the scoop was buried inside the blend, making it difficult for customers to discover, but the placement was modified following a customer’s review. These were instances of great learning and helped the startup’s 10-member team appreciate the detailing needed to shape every product, besides the importance of constantly listening to customer pain points. “Amazon has really played a big role in opening up communication between brands and customers. You can work quickly on what the customer demands,” Shah said.
Buoyed by the BFCM sale in the last year, Better Alt has plans to work with distributors and retailers to expand its presence in the US. Its Coffee Gift Box was popular with American customers during Thanksgiving and Christmas. “It felt really nice that people were gifting our products on such happy occasions,” Dhoot said. Going forward, the company also plans to start exporting to Australia and Canada.
On the product side, team Better Alt is researching on blends that solve sleep-related issues and help reduce stress and anxiety. “Our blend will have ingredients such as Ashwagandha and parts of the Arjuna plant, which a lot of people in the US do not know about. You can consume it before bed time and get a sound night’s sleep,” said Dhoot. The US National Institutes of Health estimates that 7% to 19% of adults reportedly do not get enough sleep, 40% reportedly fall asleep during the day at least once a month, and 50 to 70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders.
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