Recently 4Gold was named Antwerp 'Starter of the Year' by Unizo. A wonderful recognition for a young company! We are very proud to be able to contribute to their story. We would like to elaborate further with Brent Luyckx, former professional cyclist and co-founder of 4Gold.
BME: "Brent, tell me, who is 4Gold and what makes you guys so unique?"
Brent: "We are a Belgian start-up founded by cycling phenomenon Mathieu Van der Poel, professional motocrosser Axel Roelants and myself. We aim to bring out the best in every athlete by increasing the interface between science and sports nutrition. Innovation with respect for people and nature is central to this.
On the one hand, because of our background as elite athletes, we noticed that the quality of nutritional supplements often did not meet our requirements. As an athlete, small percentages often mean the difference between gain or loss. That's why with 4Gold we market scientifically based products. On the other hand, I had to say goodbye to cycling due to Crohn's disease. This makes it very important for us that our products are gastrointestinal friendly.
Finally, we work closely with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). This means that our products are checked per batch. So every athlete is not only sure of a doping-free product, but also of a product without residues of heavy metals, pesticides or antibiotics."
BME: "Recently you were named start-up of the year by Unizo Antwerp, to what do you owe this victory?"
Brent: "I think we won the award mainly because of the combination of some factors Unizo pays extra attention to. By that I mean:
- The focus on Belgian production and partners. We do this from an ecological principle, working for example with recycled pots and local ingredients, but also because Belgium is very highly regarded in terms of quality.
- The innovative scientific approach within nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics. A few weeks ago, for example, we launched a tool that can analyze genetic differences in order to provide tailored advice on supplements. Think for example about sugar processing, protein (proteins), metabolism, the action and breakdown of stimulants or the production of neurotransmitters needed for muscle contraction.
- The business model we choose. This is a direct model aimed at the consumer. The consumer pays for quality and what is effectively in a jar. The price is not driven up by too long a distribution channel."
BME: "How do you guys see the future? And how do you guys want to scale this?"
Brent: "With 4Gold, we pulled the card of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics. We strongly believe that everything should be looked at more and more individually and thus want to help every athlete achieve their dreams even better. As an ultimate dream, we would like to become the benchmark when it comes to quality nutritional supplements for athletes.
To be able to scale this, our choice was fixed from the beginning to partner with you. Because you completely took care of our logistics, from warehousing to shipping, we were able to very quickly offer our products throughout Europe and the US."
BME: "Can you compare entrepreneurship to a top sport?"
Brent: "Definitely and definitely. I think you can find several things in both (top) sports and entrepreneurship. For example, there is the discipline you need as a top athlete. As an entrepreneur, you also need discipline every day to execute your strategy. Moreover, as an athlete, you combine this with a very strong focus on your goal. Something that is completely the same in entrepreneurship. This ensures that you focus on your dream, but also that you handle setbacks."
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