'Kanapu Hemp Foods Limited' co-founder, Isaac Beach (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rangitihi), is hoping to gain further funding for his gourmet edible hemp products.
A chance discovery while attempting to lower Māori housing costs, Beach, along with Simon White discovered the lucrative opportunity of selling gourmet hemp goods.
Beach stated, “In the process of discovering a sustainable building material, I came across hemp, and then throughout a process of in fact, years, the best pathway forward to utilizing the product was to create food”.
In a first step to achieving nationwide exposure and boosting sales, they have partnered with specialty distributor Chantal Organics.
Beach explained the versatility of hemp seed and its potential as a food source.
“The grain can be broken down to 3 different products. The first is a protein powder, which is 40% protein.... a de-hulled hemp seed which has the oil and the protein together, and then the oil which is dissolved form a cold pressing process”.
The young businessman met with an expert in the business world to prepare his pitch for possible investors at "Te Kōmaru" convention held by New Zealand Trade Enterprise (NZTE).
To help sell these products, Beach met with venture capital investor Lance Wiggs.
Wiggs believes that Māori have a support system that built into their culture that is an asset to be coveted in the business world.
"Having a really deep connection, a network, a whānau, a iwi to rely on and be part of and that’s something that Māori bring that us white people don't," he said.
The 'Dragons Den' like forum called "Te Kōmaru" will take place on October 10th 2019.