Pontus Protein has entered into a consulting agreement with Sting Organics, a B.C.-based corporation farming stinging nettles. Sting is hiring Pontus to use stinging nettles to develop products and market research effectively. This is the first step in their feasibility test to help Sting produce Urtica Dioica in a biosecure, aquaponic, automated, sustainable vertical farm utilizing Pontus' IP.
Seva Roberts, Sting's CEO, commented: "Stinging nettles are a leafy green vegetable that has a long history in soups and curries. We need to develop how to use the product and dried ingredients and research and educate the modern population. We were attracted to the team and experience that Pontus has amassed. I am confident working with Pontus that we will have a range of products and recipes, plus research for our go-to-market strategy. "
Chef Shahni, Pontus' Culinary Director, additionally commented: "We will explore the various possibilities of providing nettle in its fresh form and dehydrated powder that can be used for pure nutrition and taste. With Pontus technology of enclosed growing, we can supply the market all year round compared to nettle being a scarce seasonal product. Stinging nettles taste like spinach but are more nutritious than broccoli. Like Pontus' water lentils, Sting can take their nettles and wash and dehydrate them to create a pure, nutritious powder with 29% protein. This is a real challenge to the highly processed pea isolates from a nutrition and flavor point of view."
The consulting agreement includes a monthly fee to Pontus for the services provided. This aligns with Pontus' strategy as a technology company to provide consulting and licensing opportunities to leverage CEVAS and the current technology stack the company owns. In turn, this will allow Pontus to do further research and development on using CEVAS to grow all different types of crops and create a branch in the company specifically to service companies looking to use CEVAS for their operations worldwide.
Connor Yuen, Pontus' CEO, added: "This is a huge step forward for Pontus being able to generate revenue ahead of our start of production in early 2022."
For more information:
Pontus Proteins
www.pontuswaterlentils.com