Jerky, aka 'sugar meat'

Beef jerky is a good option for people looking for a tasty protein snack. However, most American jerky is marinated with tons of sugar or chemicals to help re-tenderize the meat after being cooked for about 6 hours, which also cooks away most of the nutrients. 

As consumer demand for no-sugar, protein-dense, lifestyle-compliant snacks continues to grow, jerky is failing to keep up.

In fact, a recent study by NPD reported that 90% of surveyors read labels for ingredients and that Sugar is the #1 item Americans are looking to avoid.

Ayoba: premium, no-sugar, South African recipe beef snacks

Ayoba is a better-for-you snack company introducing the USA to more delicious and nutritious alternatives to gas station jerky.  We craft our products, Biltong & Droëwors, right here in the USA using our own Authentic South African Family Recipe and with premium ingredients like 100% Grass-Fed Beef.

We use a unique air-drying process for our beef, low and slow for up to 14 days, rather than being cooked in a commercial oven for ~6 hours like jerky. The result is a tender slice of beef with NO SUGAR, no chemicals, no soy, and no nitrates. Our unique drying process leaves more of the existing nutrients and muscle fibers intact, meaning more protein than jerky. This process is not easily replicable, resulting in a significant barrier-to-entry and competitive advantage.

A term used to express agreement & approval.

Biltong & Droëwors 

Convenient enough for an on-the-go, nutrient dense snack, yet premium enough to complement the fanciest of charcuterie boards

BILTONG (bil-toNG) Premium cuts of tender, air dried beef. Seasoned with natural spices to perfectly complement our chef selected slabs of Grass Fed Beef. Available in Traditional, Spicy and Limited Release Flavors like Rosemary Truffle (more coming soon).

DROEWORS (dru-eh-Vors) Premium handcrafted beef sticks. Instead of using weird fillers like beans, or paste-like "mystery meat," our beef sticks are crafted with coarsely ground Grass Fed Beef & lightly seasoned with natural spices like coriander, for a flavor and texture combination unlike any other "meat stick" on the market!

EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK

Available nationwide in 700+ retail locations, including Whole Foods

Strong DTC Business named one of only six finalists for Amazon's Small Business of the Year 2019! 

Ayoba has established partnerships with retailers such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, Erewhon, Wegmans, and more. Our products are distributed through USA's two largest natural food distributors, UNFI & KeHE. 

We're available online across the entire US, selling through platforms such as our own online store AyobaFoods.com, Amazon, Vitacost & Thrive Market. We've had strong DTC sales so far, as it currently accounts for over 65% of total revenue.

We’ve also been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, as well as on CNBC and ESPN.

Anyone looking for a delicious, protein-packed and healthy snack

Ayoba's Premium Positioning and Better-For-You Attributes, allows us to transcend the typical beef jerky demographic that tends to skew heavily towards younger males. 

Our audience is 45% Female / 55% Male, with ages ranging from 20-60, and the largest concentration being between 25-45. 

Our products have been met with incredible reception from thousands of customers across the US. All of our products are 5-star rated on AyobaFoods.com. We also have over 2,000 5-star reviews on Amazon.com.

How we got to $2M+ revenue in the last 24 months

Omni-Channel Success

With over 65% of revenue currently coming from our higher-margin channels (ie. E-Commerce), we are able to better support retail growth without needing constant funding. 

• Our products sell for $3-$40, depending on the product, packaging size, and sales channel. 
• Our gross margins range from 25% through distribution/retail to upwards of 65% DTC. We expect margins to increase significantly as we scale.

~ First To Market Advantage
~ Limited Amount of Direct Competitors
~ Premium Positioning
~ Private Label Market Ready
~ ONLY Biltong & Droëwors in Whole Foods

*Rebranded from Ayoba-Yo to Ayoba in April, 2020.

The fastest growing category within the $28B salty snacks market

The Meat Snacks category continues to grow without real innovation. Our Biltong and Droewors will experience outsized growth within the category due to our unique offerings and true innovation. Despite the industry's size, there is still a lack of innovation and brand loyalty. Ayoba is solving this and capturing market share as a result.

We are at the epicenter of three overlapping segments of the snack industry, providing access to a TAM that eclipses $28B+. 

M&A growth within F&B

Despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, M&A activity grew 8% YoY in 2020 within the "Health & Wellness" (ie. Better-for-You) industry. Of the 272 total M&A transactions, "Natural & Organic" had the largest share at 101 transactions.

Ayoba's winning formula:

Premium Ingredients + Better Nutrition & Taste – Sugar & Chemicals = Ayoba!

Ayoba Biltong vs plant based:

• NUTRITION: Many plant based jerky (tofu, mushroom, etc.) still contain sugar and have very little protein. 
• ENVIRONMENT: Ayoba sources Sustainable, Pasture Raised, Grass-Fed & Grass-Finished Beef. We are working towards sourcing mainly Regenerative Agriculture (which is not just better for the cows, but for the environment too!)

Ayoba Biltong vs other biltong brands:

• PREMIUM: Ingredients, Positioning & Branding (Authentic Brand Story).
• CERTIFIED: Only Biltong & Droëwors in the USA that is: Grass-Fed, Paleo Certified, Keto Certified AND Whole30 Approved!

Transparency & Authenticity

Ayoba's mission is to introduce more delicious and nutritious alternatives to typical meat snacks by focusing on:

Long-Term Vision

Although we are currently hyper-focused on becoming Market Leaders in the Meat Snack Category, we are always thinking forward to what Ayoba can become! The holistic future view is centered around combining two growing market segments: (1) demand for healthier/better tasting products + (2) desire for new cultural/culinary experiences. This is accomplished by:

1. Expanding on current website exclusive items
2. Maintaining a firm pulse on consumer trends
3. Continuously investing in our already healthy R&D pipeline.

Path to Exit

We have identified three main exit paths:

1. Big CPG
2. Strategic
3. Public Listing.

Invest in the Future of Snacking

What's fueled us so far:

For the first couple of years, the founders took no salary and rather re-invested all profits back into growing the business. Since then we've had one SAFE investment round and have received a couple of grants.

Our current investors include experienced founders, industry experts, and serial-entrepreneurs with a track record of successful exits. Including, but not limited to: 

From a hobby to a multi-million dollar brand

Ayoba was founded in our kitchen a few years after we moved to the USA from South Africa. What started as a Saturday morning hobby between a father and his sons, slowly marinated into Ayoba. 

Currently run by co-founding brothers & an all-star team of CPG / F&B seasoned vets.

Team Experience: 

• Wian | 5+ years of CPG and DTC E-Commerce. 
• Emile |  4+ years of CPG & 12+ of operations & sales.
• Matt | 8+ years of CPG (including an acquisition by PepsiCo)
• Evan |10+ years of F&B experience.
• Alan | 20+ years of CPG (including being CEO of two multinational brands. Negotiated investments from, and successful exits to, both Venture Capital and Big CPG)