This Start-Up Claims to Offer a Miracle Cure for Hangover!

Alcohol – the cause and surprisingly the solution to several of man's problems has always brought a kickback of reality along with it. Generations after generations have struggled to fight the infamous hangover afterwards, from home remedies to naturopathy to supplements. Of course, the scientifically established cure for a hangover is universally simple – to drink less (and hydration helps), but that advice is rarely followed by passionate drinkers. Whether you binge drink on weekends or an occasional beer knocks your socks off during a weekday, even the toughest drinkers are affected by a morning of pure hell at some point in their lives. Sleepiness, lethargy, sick stomachs and impaired motor skills, poor decision making skills, mood swings, indigestion and a throbbing headache can be some of your symptoms.

Entrepreneur India

Addressing some of these dysfunctional side effects of alcohol consumption is a startup titled Morning Fresh, which claims to provide a solution for the same. Mitali Tandon, CEO, shares some isngihts on her journey to launch one of India's first claimed exleiers's for mankind's oldest problem

Conception of the idea

We started doing research of Morning Fresh in 2014 and got into the market in end 2015. Our parent company; Sericare, founded by my father, are pioneers in the field of sericulture and using silk as a bio-material. Our research found that certain amino-acids in the silk protein resembled a particular naturally occurring liver enzyme. I was quick to gauge the gap in the market, as binge drinking is on the rise, there is a proliferation of bars and restaurants in the city and youngsters are increasingly leading a fast-paced life. We developed Morning Fresh as the only post-drinking solution to help relieve customers from the after-effects of alcohol consumption. Most people rely on home-remedies/informal methods. Our target audience is also very health conscious and we were particular about keeping the product natural, portable and easy to consume.

Funding

We are currently self-funded; however we might explore the possibility of being funded in the near future.

Team spirit and culture

We have a total of 20 people in our team including all departments. Our office culture is young, focused, scientifically inclined and witty. We love to stay current and make sure we know what's happening in the world around us. We are big fans of brainstorming, cricket, Game of Thrones and are all closet foodies! Our favorite thing to do is day dream of wildly creative ways to build the brand and truly offer a unique experience to customers. I would love to give you examples, but we don't kiss and tell! But we do have some seriously interesting things coming your way shortly!

Research and testing for hangovers – by drinking!

Initially while we were in our developmental phase, we conducted a pre-clinical trial on rats to test for product efficacy and to ensure it was non-toxic and non-allergenic. Our studies showed extremely positive results, following which we found several occasions to include our friends, family and well-wishers to join in on the fun part of research by doing anecdotal studies at weddings, house parties and local pubs/restaurants. 8 out of 10 of our customers were thrilled with the response and said that they woke up without a hangover and would use the product again! They are now our loyal customers and brand ambassadors.

Being a woman entrepreneur

I think being a young, woman entrepreneur in the F&B space has been challenging. Women in business are judged too quickly. I remember visiting the first liquor outlet that we started stocking Morning Fresh at and I spent an entire weekend, along with sales promoters, talking to customers and selling the product. All the staff at the store where male, including the promoters and they were shocked and found it odd I think, like I was out of place. Then when customers started coming into the store to start asking for the product themselves, things settled down and they realized that I was there for serious business.

I think you just have to be determined and believe in yourself. If you have got both those set in your core, you will always find a way to stay focused on the positive things and find a way to make it work. Challenges then become part of your every-day working routine and I mean, if you aren't challenging yourself at every level – how will you grow?

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DISCLAIMER : I tried to test the drink myself but couldn't find it in Delhi NCR though it is available online. All claims mentioned here are unverified. The product will not lower your blood-alcohol level and excessive alcohol consumption would still cause damage to your health.