During her MBA exchange at MIT in 2013, the Russian Elena Shifrina has been trying to stay fit and healthy and was trying to avoid bad food choices. She ate the healthy snacks in the student cafeteria instead.
Elena got inspired by the little bars packed with energy and healthy ingredients and decided to establish her own company to produce them. She invested the capital gained through her former modelling career at the catwalks in Paris and Milan in BioFood Lab. The Bit bars come in 11 flavors. They all contain fruits, berries, nuts, and spices. No added sugar, syrups or preservatives, confirmed Elena. There is also a new line for kids called Bitey, and a line for athletes:
Our goal is to create all-natural bars that are 100-percent delicious and healthy. Some are designed for people looking to detox, and others for those who actively count calories. But we have succeeded in creating the most balanced, flavorsome and nutritious product on the global market.
Four years later, BioFood Lab is selling 2.5 million bars in Russia alone. It features 8,000 distribution points across the country. In 2014, the ambitious startup launched international expansion in 14 countries, including UAE, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. Elena opened the first online store with global delivery in 2016. The media compared it to Jessica Alba’s Honest which helped it penetrate the US market. The company will develop its US operations in the next two years, said Elena.
For the moment, she is focused on the Middle East, and more specifically on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE. Fascinated by the hard work of Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud to promote the healthy lifestyle among women and the female entrepreneurship, Elena said that Saudi Arabia is special for her.
BioFood Lab’s network in the GCC is expanding quickly. For now, its products can be found at the gas stations, healthy stores, cafes, and in some fitness centers.