nir-vana innovation network

The newly founded Romanian apiarian company specialises in the production of different honey varieties, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom and apilarnil. These products are excellent dietary and health supplements, due to their inherent nutritional properties. Each one of the above-mentioned products contains particularly beneficial proteins, carbs, lipids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes or antioxidants which help boost immunity. Moreover, the company’s products can also be used in cosmetics. They aid skin repair due to their anti-bacterial properties, they are a natural exfoliator, as well as a powerful antioxidant and have antimicrobial effects.
The company produces: varieties of honey (colza honey, acacia honey, lime honey, sunflower honey, polyfloral honey and honeydew); pollen (it can be directly consumed in its crude form and kept in refrigerate state); propolis; royal jelly; bee venom; and apilarnil. All products are natural, in accordance to national and EU regulations, which prohibit sugar adulteration.
The harvesting process takes place in perfect hygienic conditions, in adherence to national and EU food safety regulations. Beekeepers regularly inspect their hives to see when the honeycomb can be removed, as well as to check the good state of the hive and prevent potential diseases.
In terms of production, the company does not own its own processing laboratory, but externalises instead these services. It cooperates with national, authorised firms that specialise in the natural processing of honey related products, either for nutritional, or for cosmetic end uses, which presupposes zero chemical treatments. The propolis is naturally dried out and sold as such.
The company does have, however, its own storing spaces, where products are kept in perfect hygienic conditions. Products are stored in stainless steel containers, in accordance with national and international sanitary regulations in force. They are available for commercialisation in glass or food plastic containers.
The company would like to distribute its products on foreign markets. It is interested in collaborating with distributors for the sale of its products in the nutritional and beauty sectors. As a result of the cooperation with foreign partners, the company hopes to enter new markets segments, promote its natural products abroad and grow into an internationally oriented business.

Advantages & innovations

All company products are locally and seasonally collected. The key attraction is that the honey and the associated products come from a native honeybee population, i.e. Apis mellifera carpathica, a peaceful, particularly well-adapted species to local, natural surroundings. This honeybee type is extremely appreciated due to its high margins of productivity and mild behaviour. A further peculiarity of the products refers to the natural environment where the beehives are strategically placed. The hives are taken to rural areas, where there are extremely low or no air pollution indicators at all. This ensures the high quality of the end products, the good health and survival of bee populations, and the avoidance, as far as possible, of the pollinator decline. The beehives are moved to different areas from the South-Western region of the country, depending on the kinds of flowering plants and trees and their blooming periods. All company employees are highly qualified individuals whom the company trains to do little or no damage to the hives. The company invests in the life-long training of their staff. By learning new, up-to-date techniques, they manage to optimize the harvesting process, whilst also adhering to the natural order of things.

Stage of development

Already on the market

Partner sought

The company seeks to conclude a distribution services agreement. It is interested in collaborating with experienced sales partners with thorough knowledge of the organic market and health sector for the commercialisation of honey products. They are specifically interested in finding medium or large partners from the nutritional and beauty (cosmetics) industries, who wish to diversify their product portfolio and sell new honey varieties, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom and apilarnil on their own markets.