Rong Wang, co-founder and CEO of EGGXPERT, explains.

"We believe skincare is not only an experience to express yourself, but also a way to connect with nature. From ingredients to packaging, our design takes into account the earth and the well-being of its users. Our goal is to establish harmony between man and nature and create beauty for both."

Extraordinary biological functions  "The egg processing industry produces millions of tons of eggshell waste every year. Especially industrial (large) bakeries, restaurants and food (egg) processors. This goes to the landfill or they pay to have it collected, for example by municipal waste management. This not only means extra costs, but they also throw away a huge hidden value. Because eggshells and eggshell membrane have extraordinary biological functions. A shame!"

Forgotten treasure "We therefore decided to revive this forgotten treasure of valuable ingredients. By combining scientific evidence with traditional wisdom, we develop eggshell membrane into rich facial care products. We transform bio-waste into rich care products."

Awareness goes a long way  At LIOF, the feelers stand up positively when an intelligent start-up pays genuine attention to sustainable entrepreneurship. Niek Theunissen, business developer at LIOF: "The team at EGGXPERT knows how to convert bio-waste into high-quality personal care products. Not only does it offer a sustainable product, but it also makes its users aware of the possibilities and advantages of a sustainable lifestyle. We are happy to support that." 

From masks to serums Rong Wang explains how LIOF helped them. "We received Proof on Principle (POP) subsidy from the LimburgAgrofood program for our first project 'Towards skin care with biomass eggshell membranes'. In this, we use eggshell membrane proteins in face masks. We also received an innovation grant for the project 'REVEAL the robust value of eggshell membrane'. This makes it possible to produce liquid serum based on eggshell membrane for multiple products. Aimed at more end users and a larger market. We still have so much to develop!"

Important doors are opening The senior researcher in regenerative medicine is happy with the support from LIOF. Rong Wang: "Of course, the grants make it financially possible to continue our journey. But I am also very grateful for the enormous support we received in so many other areas. In grant writing, in shaping our business, in knowledge sharing and not forgetting networking. This opened so many important doors." 

From Frisian eggshells ... "Thus, we have built a complete value chain for our business. For example, with our supplier DEPP B.V., a subsidiary of Frisian Egg B.V. We also collaborate with Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM) and Chemelot Innovation and Learning Labs (CHILL). In addition, in the area of marketing and promotion we work closely with Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and Cube Design Museum, actively including young creatives in our product design and marketing team."

... to second skin Rong Wang looks ahead enthusiastically. "We are proud of our first biobased face mask SCND SKIN. This product is now in the production phase and is expected to hit the market in the summer of 2021. In addition, we are eager to develop more sustainable products from eggshell waste."

Don't wait to become an entrepreneur! In closing, Rong Wang is happy to share a few words of wisdom. "Wanting to become an entrepreneur and being an entrepreneur are two different emotions. Enjoy the journey and benefit from networking along the way. You will experience successes and reach milestones. But you will also face frustrations and rejections. Learn from these and, where necessary, choose new paths to reach your sustainable goal. This is how you will grow into a better entrepreneur." 

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