Scottish functional drinks business skyrockets sales after securing nationwide supermarket deal

About the business

The Prebiotic Company is the brainchild of three friends, Alyssa Reid, Mohsin Laginaf and Jay Curthan, who had all experienced gut issues and turned their health around with prebiotics.

Recognising that 91% of people aren't getting enough of the lifesaving superfood, fibre, in their diets, the trio conducted extensive research and launched ió fibrewater - the UK's first prebiotic fibre-infused water that’s backed by science, in May 2022.

How Business Gateway has helped

Armed with an idea for their product, the trio made use of Business Gateway’s Planning To Start tool to help test out its business potential, and were then connected with a dedicated business adviser, who provided one-to-one support.

Business Gateway Clackmannanshire also signposted the trio to Interface, which connects businesses with leading academic expertise. This allowed Alyssa, Mohsin and Jay to work with world-class academics from Glasgow Caledonian University that proved ió fibrewater feeds friendly bacteria (probiotics), making it the only bottled water brand in the world that is scientifically proven for this health benefit.

Through Business Gateway, Alyssa, Mohsin and Jay also benefitted from Scottish Enterprise support, which helped with their plans to expand internationally. The trio also received digital support, including a design grant that helped improve their product design and digital presence.

Alyssa Reid, co-founder, said: “We knew from our own experience and our research that there is a rising trend in health-conscious consumers, particularly those interested in prebiotics and probiotics. We just needed the practical support to help us on our business journey, which we received from Business Gateway.”