‘Indian nutraceutical industry is expected to reach $11 billion by 2023

Rajkumari Sharma Tankha

A Swedish-Indian wellness startup launched in October 2020, Nack launched two of its nutraceutical products – an Immunity Boost, an antioxidant supplement formulated with Natural Astaxanthin, and a Plant Protein Powder, formulated with Rice and Pea Protein in August this year. Both the products have been very well received by people.
Interestingly, the startup has nine co-founders spread across Sweden, India and Turkey. Their tagline – Born in Sweden and Raised in India – fits perfectly as its formulations come from Sweden while all the products are manufactured in India. Malin Petersson, Co-Founder and Co-CEO tells us more about it. Read on:

Tell us more about this unique Indo-Swedish collaboration.
We started Näck with one clear goal, to simplify the complex world of self-care and make it easy to understand, access and benefit from. We offer supplements based on gentle and effective formulas, with natural active ingredients, always backed by science. We also provide digital wellness and health services within fitness, nutrition and mental well being easy to access and utilize from the comfort of your home.

Bootstrapped or angel investors?
It is a 100 per cent bootstrapped startup. We are a passionate team of Co-founders who are all operationally active in the company and have invested our own capital.

Why call it Näck?
The Swedish word ‘Näck’ which translates to “Naked” originates from the Scandinavian folklore about Näcken – a water spirit who played enchanting songs on his violin across the Swedish forest lakes. And, he happened to play the instrument in the nude.
For us, it means that our foundation is built on transparency and honesty about all aspects of our business, from choosing ingredients, to supply chain practices and how the final product ends up in the jar. We will never make up claims or health benefits for an easy sell and we will never complicate things to mask the truth. We won’t add ingredients to formulations where it doesn’t make sense just so the product can be more marketable. And lastly, what is printed on our labels is what is in our products.

Immunity Boost with Natural Astaxanthin and Plant Protein Powder

Why chose wellness?
Our decision to venture into the Health and Wellness industry was a logical decision based on our extensive experience in the field coupled with the attractive growth opportunities we have witnessed in the last couple of years, especially in India. The nutraceutical industry in India is growing at a double-digit rate and is expected to reach $11 billion by 2023 and we see an even stronger growth within digital health services.  E-commerce sales of consumer health products have jumped considerably in the last couple of years. Young millennials are now driving the households, well versed with online shopping. Viable online payment solutions are in place together with good options for logistic partners.

How different are your products from the competitors?
We work differently. Instead of thinking about what more can we add to the formulation for it to sound exciting, our discussions focus on what can we remove to make it as clean as possible. We question every element thoroughly. Is there enough research behind this active compound? If yes, what is the research telling us about an efficient dosage? There’s no point in adding an active compound to a formulation if this amount is not aligned with the health benefits. And this is where we are different – we come across a lot in the market where ingredients are added but either they are not backed by science or the amount in the formula is just not enough to make a health claim.

Are these OTC products or do these need to be prescribed by an RMP?
Ours are food grade and do not need to be prescribed by an RMP. But we always recommend that you consult your doctor before starting any supplement routine if you are pregnant, lactating or have any known medical condition.

What are your future plans?
We have many products in the pipeline, not only within general health but also within the beauty and active segment. Our aim is not to be a brand with the largest assortment of products but rather have a limited range that we invest our mind and soul into, ensuring that they are properly tested, verified and ready for friends and family to use. We are also looking forward to expanding our expert offering where we offer services within personal training, nutrition and mental well being.