Bulgarian entrepreneur tackles daily nutrition

Video by Xu Shuntian

In a fast-moving city, finding a healthy, convenient way to get daily nutrition — while cutting waste — can feel like a luxury. 

Matey Yordanov, a Bulgarian entrepreneur, has turned that luxury into a mission. Together with HKUST alumnus Francis So, he co-founded Food With Benefits to transform perfectly fresh but surplus produce into nutrient-rich, shake-and-go smoothies.

Their idea was born from personal frustration. As fitness enthusiasts who prioritized clean labels and whole-food nutrition, Yordanov and So couldn’t find convenient products that delivered real nutrients without added sugars or preservatives. 

They also confronted an uncomfortable fact: Hong Kong residents consume fewer than five servings of fruit and vegetables per day, on average (Hong Kong Department of Health, 2020-2022), while roughly 15% of global produce never reaches a plate. “We needed a solution that turns invisible waste into accessible nutrition for everyone,” they say.

Matey Yordanov introduces his smoothie products. Photos by Chang Zhipeng

Launched in Hong Kong in 2022, Food With Benefits sources oversupplied and cosmetically imperfect fruit directly from farmers and preserves it using advanced freeze-drying. Yordanov serves as head of R&D, drawing on a background in chemical engineering. 

The result is a lightweight, long-lasting powder that reconstitutes into a smooth, nutrient-dense smoothie. Each single-serve sachet delivers the equivalent of two to three servings of fruit and vegetables — a tidy blend of sustainability and convenience.

“We use optimized freeze-drying protocols, tailoring pressure, vacuum and temperature parameters for each ingredient,” Yordanov explains. “This preserves more than 99% of nutrients for over a year and allows us to optimize mixing ratios so vitamins and minerals are absorbed more effectively.”

The Berry Bomb High-fiber Smoothies developed by Food With Benefits.

The startup’s momentum was swift. In 2023, they ranked among the top 30 projects in the Qianhai Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Contest, besting 1,694 entrants. Alongside a 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) prize, they earned access to tailored support — from reduced or waived office rent to development guidance and affordable talent housing — should they choose to settle in Qianhai.

True to that plan, Food With Benefits opened a Shenzhen branch in Qianhai at the end of 2024 as they prepared to scale on the Chinese mainland. “Qianhai’s policies — from housing schemes that helped us settle to incentives for hiring international talent — have been crucial to our growth,” Yordanov says. 

He also praises the area’s robust protections for intellectual property: “The licenses and IP safeguards we acquired after moving here gave us confidence to accelerate our expansion.”

Matey Yordanov reads at a book store in Qianhai E-hub. 

Location matters, too. “Many Hong Kong peers are using Qianhai as a springboard to expand into the mainland,” Yordanov notes. “It’s remarkably convenient: from the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border it’s just a 15-minute taxi or shuttle ride to our Qianhai office.”

Looking ahead, Food With Benefits aims to use Qianhai as its operational hub for a nationwide rollout in China, beginning in the first quarter of next year. With a product that unites nutrition, convenience and sustainability — and a launchpad that offers policy support, connectivity and confidence — Yordanov and his team are poised to reshape how urban consumers nourish themselves, one sachet at a time.