Bifidice, the probiotic ice cream startup, has reached a significant milestone by securing shelf space in Jumbo, a leading Chilean supermarket chain owned by Cencosud—one of Latin America’s largest retail conglomerates.

Anastasia Gutkevich, CEO of Bifidice, emphasized the importance of this achievement, marking the company’s transition from a direct-to-consumer (B2C) model to a business-to-business (B2B) approach—an evolution that has come with its own set of challenges.

“Our relationship with Jumbo began some time ago when they first showed interest in our products. However, the onboarding process wasn’t immediate,” Gutkevich shared. “They initially reached out before the pandemic, but we weren’t able to close the deal at that time. I delivered the first samples in February, and by March, we had entered the evaluation stage.”

One of the biggest hurdles in this expansion was packaging adaptation. “Our original packaging wasn’t suitable for individual supermarket sales, so we had to develop a new, more appealing and functional design,” she explained. Alongside this, operational challenges such as production certification and price adjustments had to be addressed to ensure profitability in this new sales channel.

To support its growth, Bifidice reinforced its team by hiring a new production manager and industrial process specialists. “We now operate three production plants: one dedicated to Jumbo, another for our website, and a third for our smaller products, like BifiDrops,” Gutkevich detailed.

Securing financing was also crucial. “Thanks to a bank providing us with a line of credit, along with investors who participated in our Seed investment round, which we successfully closed last year, we were able to scale production without compromising our financial stability,” she said.

“The guidance of Matías Rotthammer, our Senior Portfolio Manager at The Ganesha Lab, has been key in this growth phase, providing essential strategies for entering the supermarket chain”, stated Anastadia.

Looking ahead, Bifidice aims to establish strong demand for its products and position its ice cream as a healthy and delicious option for families. “Many parents are moving away from traditional ice cream due to concerns about ingredients. Our goal is to change that perception by offering a dessert that’s both enjoyable and nutritious,” she explained. “After all, no one can resist ice cream—and we believe happiness is a key part of overall well-being.”

With its successful entry into Jumbo and a firm focus on the local market, Bifidice is paving its way in the health food industry—confident that its growth in Chile will serve as a launchpad for future global expansion.