The WNWN Revolution: How this Startup is Creating a Win-Win Innovative Approach that is Benefitting Producers, Consumers, and the Environment

In a world where traditional production methods dominate the value chain for cocoa, coffee, and tea, alternative start-ups like WNWN are working hard to change the game. Through traditional fermentation techniques and a focus on regenerative farming, they are leading the charge toward a more sustainable future.

It was an absolute pleasure to chat with them on the Foodtech Junkies podcast and hear about their inspiring vision for disrupting the industry. As FoodTech Junkies, we love nothing more than hearing about innovative companies pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo. WNWN is one to keep an eye on!

About The Founders

Ahrum Pak is the CEO of WNWN (win-win) and a former investment banker and management consultant who worked in the U.S., Europe and Asia to bring IPOs to life. She’s also a fermentation enthusiast raised in a home where the refrigerator was stocked with traditionally home-fermented Korean foods. After earning her MBA, her growing ambition to address food waste and sustainability, and a fortuitous Instagram message, led her to her cofounder Dr. Johnny Drain. Ahrum has been named one of 12 women building sustainable food systems by Green Business magazine and one of 20 Food Heroes by international food standards organization V-Label.

Dr. Johnny Drain, the CTO of WNWN (win-win), is a leading global expert on fermentation who grew up a stone’s throw from the world-famous Cadbury chocolate factory in Birmingham. Johnny has brought scientific insights to some of the world’s finest restaurants and bars. His R&D work on behalf of top brands includes setting up in-house fermentation labs, creating novel ingredients, and working with the world’s first zero-waste restaurant. He earned a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Oxford.

About WNWN

WNWN (win-win) Food Labs was the first in the growing alt-chocolate space to bring cocoa-free chocolate to market. The London startup developed a proprietary fermentation process that transforms sustainable, widely available ingredients like cereals and legumes into premium dark chocolate that looks, smells, tastes, melts, snaps, and bakes like the real thing. In 2022, WNWN was awarded "Best Finished Product" at the World Confectionery Conference in Brussels and this year was named one of the 50 Most Impactful Companies to work for by Impact Fifty. 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wnwn-food-labs