Rosey’s Mark is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with the co-founders of Rosey’s Mark, Rositsa Paunova and Ina Abadjieva, to learn more about how this Bulgarian startup is combining scientific innovation and culinary art to develop rose-based edible and functional products that heal from within.
Hi Rositsa and Ina! Tell us about Rosey’s Mark, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
Rositsa: Ina and I are sisters, and we’ve been working with the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose for more than 10 years. We’re focused on the less known edible side of this flower, which is considered a national symbol of Bulgaria; we develop functional foods that use the powerful elements of this rose as a base, combining its interesting floral taste with its medical herbal characteristics.
Ina: We are officially classified as an innovative enterprise, as all our work relies on innovation. To create our products, we apply the latest scientific research available that corroborate the health benefits of Rosa Damascena.
How would you describe your entrepreneurship journey so far?
Ina: We’ve been on quite a long journey! We started when we were just graduating from our masters degree, and we thought that in five years we would be rocking the world… but now we know that to build a successful company it takes much longer than that, especially when you’re starting from zero, developing a new market and acquiring all the knowledge you need.
Our journey has been filled with lots of learning and continuous development. We’ve progressed hugely since we started 10 years ago, but there’s still a lot more to experience and conquer!
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
Rositsa: Right now, our business is in its second stage. After finishing our maternity leaves, we are now back stronger and with much more knowledge. Our products have been very well received in different markets; we sell mainly in Bulgaria, but also in Japan and Saudi Arabia, so now it’s time to scale up and continue growing internationally, which is why this acceleration program is very important for us.
What are the key ambitions for Rosey’s Mark? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
Rositsa: In the next 5 years years, we see our business blooming, literally! As we said, we want to grow our market reach and also enter the e-commerce space, which should also help with our international development goals.
Ina: When somebody asks me “how do you imagine your business in 5 years”, a few milestones come to mind right away; first, we will be already over 1 million euro revenue, and second we will have spread our rose power products to more than 100,000 people, helping them feel better every day.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you share with a fellow entrepreneur looking to launch their own startup?
Ina: My advice is to think wisely about two things: first, the motivation behind the initiative. What keeps you moving? Why are you doing this? Is your drive strong enough? Because there are going to be obstacles along the way, and your motivation is what will get you through them.
My second piece of advice is to think about your audience, your clients. Is your project, your solution truly valuable for them? Does it really help them? Make sure you’re creating something with value for people, so that way you will have enough clients to develop a sustainable business.