How to sell vegan foods to meat lovers
About this episode
Hiro Yamazaki discusses the challenges and strategies of selling vegan foods in a meat-dominated market.
It's tough to be a vegetarian in a world full of carnivores. It's even tougher to be a startup selling a vegan egg-substitute into a world full of carnivore-dominated market, but that's exactly what Umami United is doing. Umami United founder Hiro Yamazaki explains that the real diver for vegan-food adoption is not ethics or sustainability, but simple economics. The startup's market traction seems to show that he and the team are on the right track. We talk about the importance of keeping an open mind about product-market fit, Japan's unusual dietary habits and how to go global on a limited budget. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it. Show Notes Why are there so few vegetarians in Japan Overcoming the "vegetarian" stigma Why Japan has the world's 2nd highest per-capita egg consumption (really!) The different go-to-market strategies for Japan and overseas Why industrial kitchens want to move away from natural eggs The challenges in restaurant and home use Umami’s global expansion plans Why so many alternative food startups fail, and why Umami is different Why Japan is a perfect food tech market The future of food tech in Japan Links from the Founder Everything…
More episodes of Disrupting Japan
- The real Luddites would have loved AI
- What’s next for Physical AI in Japan?
- Why its hard for startups to use technology for good
- Corporate venturing as a path to innovation in Japan
- What everyone gets wrong about branding in Japan
- What role can startups really play in human longevity?
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Disrupting Japan podcast page.