Mais Mu – the Brazilian consumer brand, founded by Otto Guarnieri and Antonio Delli Paoli Neto – offers a portfolio of healthy snacks and supplements. Their mission is to improve customer preconceptions about whey-based products and educate them on healthy eating. In 2023, Mais Mu received investment from BTV and partnered with Souza Cruz (BAT Brasil) to accelerate distribution and points of sale for its products across the country. It’s a very exciting time for both the company and BAT. We sat down with Otto to talk about putting the fun in food.
Hi Otto, for those who haven’t heard about Mais Mu before, can you give us a bit of background on the brand and products?
“Sure thing! We’re a Brazilian start-up focused on developing healthy snacks and delicious supplements. But what makes us who we are isn’t just what we do, but how (and why) we do it.
It all started with the mission to make whey protein (a combination of proteins isolated from whey, the liquid part of milk that separates during cheese production) a more appealing and tastier product in Brazil. Something that could be sold at any kind of retailer and in a variety of formats, such as bars and ready-to-drink beverages. That’s because in Brazil there was an immediate association of whey protein and anabolic steroids (man-made hormones that offer similar health and wellbeing properties). People were afraid to take their protein and, as teenagers, we were forbidden to take them by our parents. Our name, Mais Mu, is the same as ‘More Moo’, which reconnects whey with its milky roots and disrupts the negative association.
Our mission soon outgrew the whey protein segment and we started to see ourselves as a company that makes healthy eating fun, accessible and tasty. Everything we do is an expression of this mission. If healthy eating should be fun, then our Instagram and TikTok content should also be fun, as should all of our brand and marketing strategy.”
What are you doing differently from other healthy snacks and supplements in terms of the science?
“The main challenge in getting more folks to eat healthily isn't about the science; it's more about changing everyday habits. So instead of diving deep into complex science, we're all about making tried-and-true ingredients, such as whey and creatine – a natural substance that helps your muscles produce energy – fun and tasty to eat. This way, more people can get into healthy snacking without missing out on the good stuff.
In our opinion, healthy eating should be made as tasty as junk food. That’s a characteristic of a great product like ours combined with great marketing, packaging and distribution.”
As CEO, can you tell us your story, from conception to launch, and where you currently are on your journey?
“I see myself as a very lucky individual. That’s because Mais Mu is my first entrepreneurial experience and I’ve been fortunate to learn a great deal and build an excellent team along the way with my co-founder.
Neto and I created the brand and company when we were 21 years-old. We were two undergrads with the usual mix of courage and naivety that entrepreneurs have. We were naïve enough to think we could change an industry and courageous enough to try. Luckily, it is working out!
Nine years after Mais Mu was founded, the challenges the company faces are different to those experienced in its infancy. I used to see the entrepreneurial journey as a marathon. Now I see that it’s not – it’s a relay race. As a co-founder and CEO, I need to evolve alongside the company, and the motto of Mais Mu today is not the same as our motto from the early days. As entrepreneurs, we have to pass the baton down to newer versions of ourselves and that’s a very interesting journey.”
Why did you choose BTV as your partner?
“We see BTV as the perfect partner. That’s because a good partnership happens when both parties want it. We want BAT’s global distribution, capital investment and knowledge pool to make Mais Mu reach its full potential. I believe BTV wants our unique brand, targeted distribution and start-up know-how.”
Can you tell us about the distribution partnership with BAT Brazil and how it’s going?
“It’s both challenging and rewarding. For example, it took us nine years to reach 10,000 points of sale. In only three months, we reached more than 3,000 points of sale in the distribution partnership’s pilot with BTV. At the same time, it's not a simple plug-and-play distribution arrangement. It demands a lot of effort from both parties to take it off the ground and a continuous effort to round the edges. But it’s more than worth the effort and we’re very excited about it.”
What’s next for the Mais Mu brand?
“The focus for Mais Mu is to increase efficiency. This might sound boring, but we strongly believe that more dreams are lost by indigestion than by hunger. That said, you can hope for some exciting product innovation in the next couple of years and a more intense international marketing rollout.”
To find out more about Mais Mu, visit lojamaismu.com.br
