Contxto – The Not Company—better known as NotCo—is on the move once again with another trick up its product-placement sleeve.
It didn’t set off a PR-led fireworks show, mind you. However, it is an interesting divergence in its distribution strategy.
Picking your distributors
Giuseppe may be the AI chef behind NotCo’s creations, but the startup’s leaders have always been strategic when cooking up distribution channels for its plant-based products.
In the past, it’s partnered with fast-food chains like Papa John’s and Burger King in its native Chile. It also aligned with supermarket chain Santa Isabel to sell its NotBurger and on the digital front, this same product can be found on e-commerce site, Jumbo.
When it comes to Argentina, the startup buddied up with Simpleat to offer its NotBurger— complete with mushrooms, tomato, and caramelized onions. Drool.
Then there’s Brazil, the third Latam country in which NotCo edibles can be found. Shoppers can find its NotMayo and Not IceCream on the shelves of supermarket chain Pão de Açúcar. Likewise, they can order these goodies via Rappi or marketplaces like Magazine Luisa.
But now the foodtech is serving up another savory strategy: its own e-commerce site for the residents of São Paulo. Consequently, shoppers can now buy its vegan ice cream, milk, and mayo online.
Evidently though, its NotBurger is missing from the list. This gives me reason to believe that meat-free meat, the startup is taking a different route altogether. For one, it opened a delivery-only restaurant last month where consumers can order and feast upon NotBurgers.
Not in Brazil, but a NotBurger in the US?
Earlier this week, Brazilian foodtech Fazenda Futuro announced it raised ~US$21 million and was planning to launch its plant-based meats into the United States. Within this market it would also be competing with companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat
And not too long ago, NotCo had also stated that its next destination was the United States. But would shoppers be seeing its NotBurger on shelves in local supermarkets? NotYet.
“The North American market continues to grow in meat alternatives in the frozen foods sections,” the startup had told Contxto in written correspondence.
“It’s a market we’ve always observed but we still don’t have plans to launch our NotBurger into the North American market.”
No two ways about it. Regardless, burgers still need mayonnaise and for that NotCo will be there for consumers in the US.
Related articles: Tech and startups from Chile!
-ML
