Yopla’s journey with IQONIC
In a time where the impact of our daily choices on the environment has never been more crucial, it’s the ideas that matter. With Yopla, Purvi Sankhla combines the timeless desire for sustainably sourced food with a very contemporary concept: she uses AI to create her digital tool that empowers food services- cafes and caterers to build a sustainable food future and inform diners about sustainable choices. All the ingredients are recognized and evaluated by Yopla, which makes it insightful to see the carbon footprint per ingredient per meal and actions to take to reduce the impact.
The start of a journey
Purvi's journey started slightly unusual, perhaps. In India, she was working as an aspiring chartered accountant. However, she always felt inspired by the rural environment that she grew up in. “My rural upbringing in India inspired me to start Yopla”, she explains. “Surrounded by nature and the simplicity of sustainable living, I became aware of the environmental challenges we face. Yopla was born out of my desire to bridge the gap between traditional wisdom and the fast-paced urban lifestyle, empowering food service businesses to make sustainable food choices and to see the impact of those choices in real time.
Tilburg University Challenge
After the seed was planted, Purvi started to look at possibilities to achieve her dream, which resulted in her coming to Tilburg University to pursue a Master’s degree in Strategic Management and Sustainability. During that time, Yopla started taking shape during her participation in the Tilburg University Challenge where she won the Ideation Award.
IQONIC having supported my idea is one of the main reasons why I could pursue my entrepreneurial dreams Purvi
Support from IQONIC
“It’s very hard to see all the details when you’re first getting started as an entrepreneur. That’s why it was incredibly handy to work with IQONIC. I could ask all my questions, and especially business developer Karen Lanning, who was kind of a mentor to me, helped me a lot. We would literally sit for hours and work out all the details. From the initial phases and brainstorming sessions, customer validation, idea validation, then later on by connecting with businesses and business partners outside the University and connecting me with possible investors so i could pitch my idea."
"IQONIC having supported my idea is one of the main reasons why I could pursue my entrepreneurial dreams,” Purvi explains. “To work full time as an entrepreneur and being sponsored by the University, while getting funding and support of IQONIC and the University, has been very valuable. Now we are at the stage where IQONIC’s help is also a very nice stepping stone and -let’s say- a sign of credibility when we are presenting ourselves to national and international platforms; it helps a lot to get a foot in the door if you have backing like this.”
Entrepreneurial visa
After obtaining her master’s degree, Purvi wanted to stay in The Netherlands to work on her dream. That meant changing her visa status from a student’s visa to an entrepreneurial visa. For that, she got also help from IQONIC, she says. “IQONIC helped me a lot with my entrepreneurial visa. As Yopla got incubated at Tilburg University's incubator center, IQONIC acted as a facilitator and provided support and guidance throughout the visa application process. Their assistance made it possible for me to focus on building Yopla and pursuing my passion for sustainable food choices.”
Second place in AI Challenge
As Yopla had taken shape, it was time for Purvi to put the word out. Together with her team members Oscar and Manisha, she joined the provincial Data AI Challenge and secured second place. Purvi and her team are looking back on the challenge with big smiles. “The challenge provided a platform to validate our ideas, connect with potential partners and investors, and gain recognition in the sustainability solutions space. Winning the second place in this challenge was a great validation of our efforts and motivated us to keep pushing forward with Yopla.”
However, Yopla joining the Data AI Challenge didn’t only provide validation. It also put their platform out into the world while strengthening their dream. Purvi: “It provided us with a platform to showcase our platform's capabilities and potential, attracting interest from potential customers and investors. The experience also strengthened our belief in Yopla's mission and motivated us to continue working towards a more sustainable future."
I would like Yopla to be an internationally recognizable concept where people can easily identify restaurants and cafes that prioritize sustainability Purvi
The future of Yopla
The future of Yopla looks bright. Ever since the idea took form, the plans have slightly altered, Purvi explains. “Initially, we were only focused on the consumer market, aiming to provide personalized grocery recommendations to individuals. However, as we delved deeper into the sustainability landscape and received feedback from experts and potential customers, our approach shifted towards catering to the food service industry. However, our platform is still available for free for consumers, it’s the companies that pay for the service."
At the moment, Yopla is launching as a pilot in The Netherlands. For the future, Purvi and her team want to look further as well. “I would like Yopla to be an internationally recognizable concept where people can easily identify restaurants and cafes that prioritize sustainability. The aim is to reduce the carbon emissions from food by at least 10% by empowering food businesses with a powerful tool around climate data and analysis that helps building and communicate a sustainable food journey effortlessly.”
Read more about Yopla: A Spotify for your groceries: 'Food is also medicine'
