The UAE-based company started out selling keto-friendly bread, jam, ice cream catered to diabetics in the online space, on its e-commerce store as well as Noon Daily, Kibsons, and Shop Kitopi.
Run by founder and CEO, Radhika Sil told FoodNavigator-Asia: “When we started Thrriv, it was important to us to engage with our customers who will be able to offer feedback on our products.
“We initially launched on our own e-commerce platform for a few months, before expanding into other e-commerce platforms. Business grew quickly, shortly after, we move into HORECA supplying to hotels and restaurants.
“We planned to launch in retail in Q4 2021, so the entry into Choithrams in September was earlier than expected.”
According to Sil, it is looking to expand in modern trade and exporting to the GCC region.
“One of the reasons we started Thrriv was to provide healthy eating to everybody, and we hope to take our products into GCC whether its in retail or HORECA.”
Hear from Sil as she shares Thrriv’s journey from online to HORECA and retail.
Niche offering
Thrriv started off catering to a niche market, the keto and diabetic populations with its low carbohydrate products.
While such products are not new to UAE, Sil said most keto and diabetic friendly items are in the desserts and meal plans space, “no one is really catering to pantry staples.”
Thrriv has a range of shelf stable products including sauces and jams, in addition to breads, ice cream, ice lolly and pizzas.
All of Thrriv’s products meet the nutritional macronutrient requirements of the customer segment, is priced affordable and only carry the ingredients printed on the label.
“We put out honest food so what you read on the label is what is in the product.”
Expanding product lines
The brand currently stocks around 26 SKUs and is planning to double the range end of the year. Some of these include new ice cream flavours launched recently, new range of breads, and plans to develop ice cream based on seasonal or festive flavours, for instance for Diwali or Christmas.
Sil pointed out these new products were not restricted to only keto or diabetic-friendly foods, “We also are looking to expand into other healthy eating trends or lifestyle choices like gluten free or vegan that are in popular demand at the moment.”
The firm sources all of the ingredients locally in UAE, and manufactures at its Dubai facility.
However, for the start-up that is growing rapidly, “We didn't imagine the brand would take off as quickly as it has and especially if we plan to cater to exports, we might need to start importing our ingredients,” Sil said.