Partnerships Are Key: Aimutis Shares Insight on MeatingPod Podcast

Bill Aimutis, executive director of the NC Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL), recently spoke with the “MeatingPod” podcast on the state of plant-based proteins in a tough economic market. In the episode You gotta have friends: Riding out the alt-protein financial storm, Aimutis says partnerships are key to survival for entrepreneurs.

The Power of Partnership for Entrepreneurs 

“We’re just trying to batten down the hatches,” Aimutis says. “A lot of small companies … are just fighting for growth and survival, and they’ve got to figure out how to work together.”

With venture capital harder to secure, he advises entrepreneurs with small- and mid-size ventures to look at their goals and consider what each party would bring to the table. “Start looking for where the synergies are,” he says.

Partnerships can be a means of building buying power and developing more economical manufacturing options through equipment sharing. Successful partnerships start with due diligence. “Every marriage can end in divorce, so make sure you have the proper escape clauses,” says Aimutis. “We’re not talking about getting married for years to come, we’re talking about surviving right now when the seas are rough.”

Find Out More 

To learn more about the state of the alternative protein industry and how NCFIL can help weather economic storms, listen to the full podcast. 

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