Capazeta is a food cybersecurity platform from Córdoba (Argentina) that allows you to show the traceability of food products through a QR code and also activate alerts in case of health events.
Its founders are Eduardo, Manuel and Ignacio Casanovas, father and sons respectively. Eduardo brings more than 30 years of experience in IT team management, Manuel more than 15 in team management in multinational companies, and Ignacio 12 years of experience in entrepreneurial development and corporate consulting.
We spoke with the latter, Ignacio, to find out what the innovative solution of this Agri-Food Tech startup consists of, which has been co-invested by the Córdoba Innovar y Emprender Agency and accelerated in Spain in La Nave, innovation center of the Madrid City Councilwhere they have participated in their Softlanding Europe Program.
How did the idea come about and what was the trigger for you to decide to start a business as a family?
The idea arose during the pandemic when my brother, our father and I had to change our work paths. During that same period we discovered celiac disease, which changed our eating habits forever. So, when we combined all our strengths to undertake, we decided to co-found a startup that had to be born to have a positive impact on the food industry. For us, the “gluten-free” seal began to be a matter of health and trust in the food we bring to our table. With that same imprint, we decided to create a seal with 4.0 technology so that all food companies can share the quality of their products and the sustainability of their processes with the blockchain guarantee.
How does the solution work?
It is a technological platform for circular food traceability. Thanks to Capazeta, food companies can incorporate a QR code on the label of their products that, when scanned, allows them to share key information about the origin and sustainability practices, safely.
Who is the target audience?
Companies in the food industry that want to share the quality of their products and processes in a transparent and reliable way.
What type of information can the consumer find who scans the QR on the product label?
You can view the validated history of the product, from its origin to its final packaging. As a transformative revolution in food traceability based on historical information, thanks to Capazeta, companies can also activate alerts that are communicated in real time regarding health events to the specific products that correspond. In addition, the sustainability practices of food companies can be visualized, linked to the circular economy and certified with the blockchain guarantee.
Can you give us an example of a client or product that is already using the solution?
This solution is being used by the most important Beef Processing Plant Group in the country (Argentina) in its premium line of vacuum packaging at source.
Do you think that society is aware of the safety and quality of the food we consume enough for your solution to establish itself in the market?
Our value proposition points to three major current pain points for food companies: generating trust in their consumers about the quality of the food they offer, disseminating the value that their sustainability practices add, and improving recall management, a key measure in food security.
In this context, having a solution like Capazeta’s allows food brands that are pioneers in the adoption of this technology to differentiate themselves and put the customer at the center, making key information about the foods they offer securely and transparently available. they take to their tables. At the trend level and given that it is an innovative solution, we believe that awareness will increase at exponential rates, as a key factor in purchasing decisions.
From a technological point of view, what use do you make of blockchain?
Blockchain serves to ensure that the information that companies will share about their products and processes remains secure and transparent like a notarial seal of the digital world. At Capazeta we are part of LACchain, the consortium led by the IDB lab that is positioned as one of the most successful blockchain networks for projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Are there any cybersecurity risks?
In the digital world there are always vulnerabilities, that is the reason for the use of technologies popularized for their robustness in terms of cyber security, such as blockchain. Our team is led by a cybersecurity expert and the development protocols are aligned with international practices and standards to reduce risks of this style as much as possible.
How has the internationalization process been?
In 2023 we went through the III edition of La Nave’s Softlanding Europe Program, which, added to the in-person participation in South Summit Madrid, meant that the immersive mission on the part of the 3 co-founders to explore the Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem has been extraordinary. The program was ideal for understanding the market, the entrepreneurial and fundraising ecosystem aligned with our objective of landing in Spain in the most optimized way possible.
What have been the main benefits that being part of innovation programs and ecosystems like La Nave has had for you?
The content of the sessions, the mentoring, the bonus tracks, the invitation to the South Summit… added to the networking and the advantages of being part of the LN Community, configured the multiplier effect that allows us to dream of expanding the frontiers of our impact. Although it is something difficult to measure, we can compare it with our journey in Argentina, where we are repeating the formula of being where things happen, because appearing on the map is the key to earning a place and growing.
In 2022, participating in the incubation program at FIDE (Foundation for Business Incubation) and then the pre-acceleration program at the Founder Institute Chapter Córdoba, trained us to arrive in good position at the Meet-The-Companies event organized by Endeavor , where networking led to an Ángel co-investment program with three key references from the national food industry who, together with the support of the Córdoba Innovar y Emprender Agency, committed to pushing us to pursue our purpose of adding value to the food industry with technologies. disruptive.
What are the next steps you are going to take and your short-term objectives?
Several months have passed since our first mission to Madrid in which we were selected as one of the 10 finalists among dozens of Latin American startups that applied. We celebrate having won the Demo Day of the III Softlanding Europe Program of La Nave before a jury that evaluated the degree of innovation, scalability and applicability of the solution to the Spanish market. This first place gives us a direct pass to the LN Meeting 2023, which is held in November, where we will be able to present ourselves to the most important investor community in Spain.
Along with the support of our current investors, the president of one of the most important aluminum recycling companies in Argentina joins us and we will seek to strengthen our value proposition in more companies in the industry.
We were also selected for the Madrid II Talent Bridges Program where we will make the most of the 8 weeks to continue our landing and integration into the Spanish ecosystem, where we seek to raise capital to operate and expand. Madrid is one of the best cities to start a business and we are going to focus all our forces to be a witness to the sustained and exponential progress that we dream of for Capazeta.
