There is a little-known superfood grown right here in the Midwest: the Aronia Berry. This small, blue-black colored berry contains high levels of healthy antioxidants. However, there is a problem with the Aronia Berry; it is very bitter. Dr. Xiaoqing Xie and her team at the startup A+ Berry are pioneering products that feature the Aronia Berry, offering numerous health benefits, while still remaining tasty and non-bitter. Spun out of technology developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the I-Corps trained startup is creating innovative products featuring the superfood Aronia Berry across the Midwest and the country.
UNLOCKING THE ARONIA BERRY
A+ Berry’s products derive from cutting-edge University of Nebraska-Lincoln developed technology to produce food and beverage products using the Aronia Berry. The nutrient-dense superfruit is known for its exceptionally high antioxidant content, which outmatches popular counterparts like blueberry, elderberry, pomegranate, and tart cherry. However, the Aronia berry’s common name, ‘choke cherries’, reveals the problem with Aronia berries; their very bitter flavor has hindered consumer adoption. A+ Berry’s proprietary process neutralizes the bitter taste without added sugars or sacrificing health benefits, unlocking the berry’s potential.
“The aronia berry is one of the richest natural sources of polyphenol antioxidants, yet it’s still unfamiliar to many people. The main reason is taste: its very high polyphenol content makes it intensely tart and astringent. A+ Berry’s proprietary technology gently encapsulates these polyphenol antioxidants, so our products deliver the benefits of aronia without the harsh bitterness. With just eight ounces of our aronia juice, consumers can enjoy concentrated natural antioxidants and meaningful dietary fiber levels that exceed those of many other popular superfruit juices.” – Dr. Xiaoqing Xie
A+ Berry’s products include a cold-pressed Aronia juice, freeze-dried fruit powder for versatile ingredient use, and a freeze-concentrated recovery beverage designed to support athletes. All of these products deliver the incredible health benefits of the Aronia Berry, without the bitter taste.
The Aronia Berry is a small berry that contains high levels of antioxidants.
GROWTH THROUGH I-CORPS
Dr. Xie’s work with Aronia began well before A+ Berry and commercialization, starting back in 2015, and was shaped by years in academic research led by Dr. Changmou Xu at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Early initiatives sought to address persistent grower problems, particularly the challenges associated with Aronia’s limited market presence. A critical step in their journey was participation in the University of Nebraska I-Corps program. The entrepreneurial bootcamp program challenges participants to ‘get out of the building’ and interview key stakeholders and customers related to their innovation. Through these interviews, Dr. Xie and the A+ Berry team discovered key insights about how customers used Aronia products. In addition, I-Corps provided the team with the opportunity to form valuable partnerships and relationships, including with potential investors.
“The Nebraska I-Corps was a great program, and it allowed us to connect with industry members such as the American Aronia Berry Association. We learned that farmers wanted to grow and sell the berry, but there wasn’t a high-quality product utilizing the Aronia Berry. This led us to interview customers and discover their real needs. In addition, the I-Corps program connected us with valuable people and resources that helped our journey, including mentors, partners, scientists, and patent attorneys.”
LEVERAGING THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM AND GROWING THE BUSINESS
A+ Berry’s trajectory has been powered by Nebraska’s robust entrepreneurial ecosystem. After completing the I-Corps program, the company joined the Nebraska Innovation Campus and secured grants from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. In 2022, the company joined the NMotion accelerator program (gBETA). This accelerator is tailored towards high-growth, Great Plains startups and provides valuable investment and mentorship. Another key partnership was with the Midwest-based grocery store chain Hy-Vee. After winning the food and beverage prize at Hy-Vee’s Opportunity Inclusive Business Summit, A+ Berry forged a close partnership with the grocery chain and now sells their products in more than 100 Hy-Vee stores across the country.
For Dr. Xie, transitioning from University faculty to CEO has been an exciting change. Although daunting at first, Dr. Xie has embraced the new challenge.
“I was a researcher for many years; it was my comfort zone. At first, I was a little scared of leading a business, but I felt it was the right move to make. I was able to apply the skills I developed as a researcher to learn how to be a CEO. I also had great mentors and a community that helped me along the way.”
For A+ Berry, the future is bright. The company continues to grow and develop new innovative products. Recently, they have even been giving back to the University of Nebraska community, working with student-athletes to refine their Aronia Berry based sport recovery drink.
“Our technology was developed at a University, so we are excited that our product AroBoost can support the University of Nebraska student athletes. Many sports dietitians promote a “food-first” approach to managing inflammation, favoring antioxidant-rich foods and beverages, such as fruit and beet juice concentrates, over routine reliance on medication or unverified supplements. AroBoost aligns with this philosophy by offering a clean-label, aronia-based recovery drink that delivers natural antioxidants in a smoother, better-tasting format than many options athletes currently use, providing an effective and enjoyable choice to support post-workout recovery.”
A+ Berry’s AroBoost supports post-workout recovery with natural antioxidants.
A+ Berry and Dr. Xie continue to work to be the leaders in the superfoods industry. Their journey is a testament to the team’s hard work and how leveraging ecosystem resources can transform university research into impact.
Source: https://greatlakesicorps.org/a-berry-unlocking-the-midwest-superfood
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