Plant extracts are becoming increasingly popular in various industries like the pharmaceutical space, cosmetics industry, food, and beverage, etc., to produce multiple goods that are highly beneficial to human and animal health.
Companies are trying to include more plant extracts in their products after discovering the numerous health benefits of doing so. The various natural and healthy properties found in different parts of the plant have the potential to completely transform an individual’s health.
Recognizing this potential of the plant extracts, Natac came into existence. The company is a prominent researcher, developer, manufacturer, and marketer of natural ingredients that contain bioactive compounds beneficial for humans and animals. These naturally obtained vital components are extracted from plants like Olive, Saffron, Rhodiola, Echinacea, Artichoke and are used in food supplements, functional food, and much more.
In the following interview, Antonio Delgado, MBA, Co-Founder and CEO, and Jose Carlos Quintela, Ph.D., Chief Scientist Officer of Natac, share with us the insights of their industry and organization.
Please brief our audience about Natac, its mission, and the key aspects of its stronghold within the nutraceutical solutions niche.
Natac is a company in the natural ingredients business that researches, develops, manufactures, and markets botanical extracts with a clear mission, “to transfer scientific knowledge to industrially viable and sustainable projects that create value and improve people’s lives”.
From the beginning of our establishment as a company, we’ve completed dozens of projects that make the industry more sustainable, and in doing so produce added value ingredients with unique health benefits for the end consumer. Sustainability and health are the ultimate goals for a company that aims to take “Science to Market”.
Tell us more about the products that have built your company stronghold as a major player in the global industry?
Natac has a strong focus on European plants, mainly those key players in the Mediterranean diet such as Olive, Saffron, Artichoke, Grape, Pomegranate, but also Rhodiola and Echinacea, to name a few. These plants have traditionally been used for their healthy properties, but a growing body of scientific literature has confirmed what many ancient civilizations have known about their benefits.
As a seasoned business leader what is your opinion on the effects of the pandemic on the nutraceutical space, and what were the challenges that your company came across?
The pandemic has put a spotlight on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. People are more aware that healthcare must be a priority. The healthier our body is, the better it will be able to defend itself from external aggressions that may jeopardize our lifestyle. We also learned how connected our lifestyle is to our mental health. Natac was an example of leadership and proactiveness during this pandemic.
On the one hand, we continued to see increases in demand for our products, but we also had to be creative about keeping our team safe, and healthy. While other companies struggled with their supply chain and their ability to ensure their employees’ safety, Natac was able to support our clients with an increased production and distribution capacity, while our human team quickly adjusted to new safety procedures and protocols.
Our employees and the company culture we had built before the pandemic proved to be our key to success in navigating such an unprecedented crisis. For the industry as a whole, it´s been difficult to meet and connect with each other, but we´ve managed to continue sharing ideas and experiences through virtual conferences and digital communication.
Once again, the sense of community that we have among our client base has really held us together through a time when many companies are losing their connections.
With the implementation of technologies such as AI and ML, what is your prediction about the future of the nutraceutical solutions niche?
This is more a reality than a prediction. We are strongly implementing tools such as ML and AI in general to personalize nutritional advice and product development. These tools will allow precise solutions for specific health needs which will result in an improved lifestyle and life’s quality. On a different level, ML and AI are already being used to improve production which positively affects efficiency, new product development, and sustainability.
What would be your advice to the entrepreneurs and nutrition enthusiasts aspiring to venture into Healthcare Services?
Perseverance, resiliency, and a lot of work hours. Find the right human team, people that believe in your idea, your project, and the rest will follow.
How do you envision scaling your company’s operations and offerings in 2021?
Natac has just completed the construction of a new manufacturing site that is the most sustainable, efficient, and modern in the industry. This will allow us to triple our production capacity, resulting in a larger capability to reach a greater market scope. We´re already seeing the ripple effects of this huge step, as researchers, partners, and investors have reached out to collaborate with our work in various ways.
We´re really excited about doing the work we do on a larger scale, with greater impact. For those of us that are committed to sustainable solutions and health, a larger capacity allows us to apply our scientific and technical expertise in ways that weren´t possible before. Provide us details regarding the awards and recognition that your company has achieved thus far since its inception.
Spain Start-up & Investor’s Summit 2013 Award, in the category of Science & Biotech. However, Natac’s most regarded recognition is the 98% customer satisfaction that our clients awarded us in the last survey conducted in 2021
About the leaders
In 2010 Antonio Delgado, MBA, and Jose Carlos Quintela, Ph.D., joined forces to create Natac, a company in the natural ingredients sphere that aimed to create new products under the philosophy of bringing ‘Science to Market’ through botanical ingredients that improve people’s lives and fully utilize natural resources.
Antonio Delgado has more than 25 years of experience in the Executive Management of food and pharma companies, with a strong ability to identify business opportunities, and viable innovative projects. Dr Quintela holds more than 24 years of experience in the R&D of new healthy ingredients and medicaments produced from plants.
Together, they started a project that would become one of the most innovative and thriving companies in the botanical industry. Today, Natac is a multi-disciplinary team of 100 professionals at the forefront of the industry.
