Plant Prophets
00:03:46 · S3, Pranav Sood, S1
[00:03:46] S3: Very difficult. Yeah. So when I read [00:03:48] S2: that and heard about it, my first thought was a, there's probably no technology out there to manage this. And then b, technology can be the tool that can streamline this whole process and make it easier for licensed producers, but also make it more transparent and efficient for the end patients to get their product. And that's kind of how I got into it. I partnered with one of the largest licensed producers in Canada, which was at the time Supreme Pharmaceuticals. They then have had a brand called Seven Acres. They continue to be our collaborative clients as of today. But that was really our jumping point. We were able to get into their facility. We were able to see how they did all of their workflows. They were unique in that they were focused on the B2B side of the industry. So where most licensed producers in Canada were shipping directly to patients, these guys were actually focused on selling wholesale to other licensed producers. And then those licensed producers would sell to the patients. So that's kind of what got me into it. And that's where we really focused our platform is we like to call ourselves steep to wholesale. So we don't actually touch the consumer facing side of the technology. We mostly focus on the wholesale side. [00:05:11] S1: Got it. [00:05:12] S2: Okay. Then from Canada, once we started getting some traction, I got into an accelerator program in California.
00:05:12 · Pranav Sood, S1
[00:05:12] S2: Okay. Then from Canada, once we started getting some traction, I got into an accelerator program in California. [00:05:20] S1: Tell me about that. Is that... Tell me about the accelerate. And why did you choose to take that route? I really wanna know. Yeah. [00:05:27] S2: So so there were a couple things. One was we were looking for funding at the time. And, you know, there was a lot of buzz around cannabis, but there wasn't a lot of capital. Right. And one of the first connections that I made was with this accelerator. They were brand new in Oakland, California. So out of a whim, I just kinda applied online looking at it as a a funding source. And luckily, we got accepted. And so I moved from Toronto to Oakland to do the program. When I went to the program, they connected me with folks in the industry. We met our first, you know, customers in California through the program. We were, you know, introduced to investors, etcetera. So Yeah. It was a really good opportunity. [00:06:09] S1: So, Bruno, tell me now. So the name of the of the the Accelerate Program was Gateway. Right? Correct. Now Gateway... So now tell me the difference between that and what I would maybe call an incubator.
00:06:09 · S1, Pranav Sood, S3
[00:06:09] S1: So, Bruno, tell me now. So the name of the of the the Accelerate Program was Gateway. Right? Correct. Now Gateway... So now tell me the difference between that and what I would maybe call an incubator. [00:06:22] S2: I mean, they're... Those terms are somewhat interchangeable. Okay. Generally, incubators are a little bit more earlier stage. Accelerators are a bit later stage. So, you know, we already got our first initial investment prior to going to the accelerator. We had a... An industry partner that was a client. So we we already were able to show some traction, and accelerators are meant more to, you know, put fuel on the fire and really accelerate the results. [00:06:48] S1: Okay. So the concept is little... The business is a little more proven Yep. Versus an incubator verse... Versus an accelerator. [00:06:56] S2: Correct. [00:06:57] S3: Yeah. [00:06:57] S1: But you get the benefit of being introduced to money. And what else? You... So you got... You were introduced to money. That successful? And then what what else did the accelerator do for you? And how long did you stay associated with
00:06:57 · S1, Pranav Sood
[00:06:57] S1: But you get the benefit of being introduced to money. And what else? You... So you got... You were introduced to money. That successful? And then what what else did the accelerator do for you? And how long did you stay associated with [00:07:11] S2: Yeah. I mean, typically, money is is the number one. But for us, it was actually the connections to customers. So Okay. You know, me being a Toronto boy coming out to California Right. A brand new industry, completely different regulatory framework, That was the challenge when I came to California. So having a foot in the door was very important. And having that trust factor right away that, no, this guy's, you know, putting something together that's pretty legit. And and it gave me that, you know, presence to to be able to start working with folks in California. And then from there, we were able to tease out our platform. We were able to build additional features and really cater to the California market. [00:07:54] S1: Mhmm.
00:07:54 · S1, Pranav Sood
[00:07:54] S1: Mhmm. [00:07:54] S2: And then things started to take off. So right from there, we we are... One of our largest clients was Harborside. So that was one of our first clients. Then we got someone like Caliva. Then we got LoudPack. And so some of the largest operators in in the California market embraced us and just started working with us because I think we came to the market with a very different mindset. A lot of the other solutions out there really just focused on the regulatory requirements and compliance, and that's how they built their platform. We kinda took it a different approach. We were we were focused on what's your workflow? How do we make that workflow more efficient? And then just make sure that the data is translated appropriately for compliance. So Okay. Think people really embrace that fact that we... We're focused on making you a better operator, it easier for you to to operate as opposed to shoving down a compliance system down your throat. So Okay. [00:08:51] S1: I get it. [00:08:52] S2: That's how we we kinda got into it. We got big names and then we got introduced to Costa Verde who you mentioned earlier. Yeah. That was through the accelerator program. They were seeing the traction that we were getting and decided to lead our seed round. We raised the full round, which was about $2,000,000 And then we just kept growing from there and eventually got introduced to Akerna and then the acquisition happened. So, yeah, long story. [00:09:21] S1: No. No. That's great. That that that is great. Tell me more about your relationship with the plant.
00:09:21 · S1, Pranav Sood, S0
[00:09:21] S1: No. No. That's great. That that that is great. Tell me more about your relationship with the plant. [00:09:27] S2: Like personally? [00:09:29] S1: Yeah. [00:09:30] S2: Yeah. I mean, I've I've definitely used as a consumer. I'm a highly anxious person myself, so I find it to be helpful, especially being an entrepreneur. It's a it's a pretty stressful kind of environment. And... But more so, it was really around seeing other folks use the the plant and how beneficial it was. And Mhmm. And then seeing how regulations come on top of it to make it a bit more, you know, bureaucratic and a bit more difficult to operate in that environment. And those were the barriers that I really wanted to focus on removing to make it a more efficient supply chain and ultimately, you know, get patients the product that they need as quickly as possible and to the highest quality possible. [00:10:17] S1: Okay. Well, that's that's great. That is that is absolutely awesome. So we're gonna take a break, and then we'll come back and we'll dig into some more things there. Thank you for that overview. I really appreciate that Pranav. We'll continue our discussion with with Pranav Sood from Trellis. I'm Vern Davis, your host of Plant Profits fueled by Produce Global People Solutions. Thank you. [00:10:40] S0: Plant Profits will return so our sponsors can profit from these messages.