Serving Up Healthy Meals for All

Healthy Asian ready-to-eat meals for the young and old

Food innovators, Green Capsule Organics, worked with IPI’s Innovation Advisors to market and effectively position their uniquely Asian ready-to-eat meals for babies and the elderly.

Breaking into a market already dominated by big name brands is no easy feat—especially for an SME. This was one of the major obstacles that faced Green Capsule Organics in their bid to enter the baby and elderly food industry over the last year.

To expand beyond their roots as an importer and distributor of organic food products and personal care items, Green Capsule decided to take advantage of a gap in the Asian baby food market and establish their own brand of baby and elderly food that can cater to local tastes.

Founded by Alice Foo and Lam Soo Sing in 2013, the SME has since promoted numerous products that abide by its “Eat well, Feel well” principle. According to the company website, Alice, who faced kidney failure at only 19 years old, was inspired to form a company with a mission to provide organic and healthy food products that can empower people to take charge of their health and well being.

However, successfully competing in a highly-saturated market demands a unique selling point. With the help of IPI’s Innovation Advisor (IA) Programme, founders Foo and Lam were able to work with IAs Brigitte Zeller and Ramachandran Rajamanickam to lay the brand foundations for two of their product lines: Deliciously Bib and Recipe with Love.

Having worked in Asia for 25 years with global companies like Unilever, Nestle, and Fonterra, IA Brigitte played a crucial role in the process of refining the Deliciously Bib's brand story and architecture. "We chose to work with IA Brigitte as we find her expertise in marketing, branding and innovation to be a good match to our needs to develop a new baby food brand," said Lam.

IA Brigitte also shared her expertise in package design, product pricing, and market research, providing Foo and Lam with a scoring framework to identify priority export markets based on each country's qualities. The power of a brand’s narrative, according to IA Brigitte, should not be underestimated. “It is important that the new value proposition has a clear and consistent story to be understood and trusted by consumers,” she explained.

As for Recipe with Love, Green Capsule’s ready-to-eat meals for the elderly, Foo and Lam decided to work with IA Ramachandran for his rich background in the functional food industry, having worked as Abbott Nutrition’s VP for Asia Pacific. Adopting IA Ramachandran's insights on the nutritional needs of the elderly, the company is currently in collaboration with the Food Innovation & Resource Centre to develop a new range of elderly food products. Apart from assisting in packaging designs, IA Ramachandran also helped Green Capsule fine-tune their sales channels—advising the start-up to focus on connecting with doctors, clinics and nursing homes on top of increasing supermarket exposure.

More than anything, Green Capsule and the IAs underscore the value of team chemistry in their success—something they all enjoyed throughout the programme. “Green Capsule was also willing to take a step back and look at the big picture versus being ‘locked’ into what they have always been doing—so it was an enriching experience,” shared IA Ramachandran.

Green Capsule also lauded IA Brigitte who proactively conducted market research for the start-up. “It gave us a really good overall insight into the export baby food market in Asia without having to travel there personally. She did this without us asking. She understood and anticipated our needs,” said Lam.

Green Capsule is set to assimilate Deliciously Bib and Recipe with Love under the overarching brand of Organic7days—a project they have also decided to pursue with the help of IPI’s IA programme.

According to Green Capsule, they are incredibly grateful to IPI for introducing them to industry veterans who saved them from hefty consultation fees and supported them through steep learning curves. Looking ahead, Green Capsule has started working with strategic narrative specialist IA Mike Amour to rebrand Organic7days. So far, IA Mike has helped the team sharpened the company's current brand purpose as well as refining a mission statement to create a more focused brand story for customers.

“Having a coach means we have external deadlines, accountability, or ‘homework’. As SME owners, it compels us to focus on longer-term objectives which are often lost within our daily grind of things,” they shared.

Sub Title

Green Capsule Organics partnered with IPI’s Innovation Advisors to successfully position and market their uniquely Asian ready-to-eat meals for babies and the elderly, overcoming the challenges of entering a saturated market.

Impact Title

Building Distinctive Brands for Market Success

Sub Title

Building Distinctive Brands for Market Success

keywords

FOOD & NUTRITION

Innovation

Brand Development

Product Development

innovation advisors programme

Featured image

Legacy ID

150674

Sub Heading

Empowering healthy eating for all ages with IPI's expert guidance.

At a glance

Green Capsule Organics

Client

Food & Nutrition

Industry

Innovation Advisor Programme

IPI Service

Ready-to-Eat Meal Innovation

Key Technology

Add Impact

With IPI’s support, Green Capsule Organics established distinctive brand identities for Deliciously Bib and Recipe with Love, setting them apart in a crowded market. The advisors’ expertise in branding, marketing, and narrative development enabled the company to create clear, compelling value propositions that resonate with their target consumers.

Brand Differentiation

Through tailored market research and a scoring framework provided by IPI’s Innovation Advisors, Green Capsule identified and prioritized export opportunities in Asia. This strategic approach positioned the company to enter new markets more effectively and efficiently, expanding their reach beyond Singapore.

Strategic Market Expansion

Collaboration with IPI’s advisors and the Food Innovation & Resource Centre enabled Green Capsule to develop new ready-to-eat meal formulations that meet the specific nutritional needs of babies and the elderly. The advisors’ insights into packaging, pricing, and sales channels further strengthened the company’s go-to-market strategy.

Enhanced Product Development

Glance Title

At a Glance

Sub Title

Green Capsule Organics leveraged IPI’s Innovation Advisors to develop and position their Asian-inspired ready-to-eat meals for babies and the elderly, building strong brands and expanding market opportunities.

How it happened

The collaboration began when Green Capsule Organics engaged IPI Singapore’s Innovation Advisor Programme to seek expert guidance in branding and market positioning. Through IPI, the founders were matched with advisors whose backgrounds aligned with their needs: IA Brigitte Zeller for her marketing and branding expertise, and IA Ramachandran Rajamanickam for his experience in functional foods. The advisors worked closely with the founders, conducting market research, refining brand narratives, and advising on product development and sales strategies. The partnership evolved to include strategic narrative specialist IA Mike Amour, who assisted in rebranding efforts for Organic7days. Throughout the process, strong team chemistry and proactive support from the advisors enabled Green Capsule to overcome steep learning curves and accelerate their brand development.

The challenge

Green Capsule Organics faced the daunting task of entering the baby and elderly food market, which is dominated by established brands with significant resources and consumer trust. Standing out and gaining market share required a compelling brand and innovative approach.

Market Saturation

As a newcomer, Green Capsule needed to develop a unique selling proposition and brand identity that would appeal to local tastes and differentiate their products from competitors. This required expertise in branding, marketing, and consumer engagement.

Brand Positioning

As an SME, Green Capsule lacked the in-house resources and industry knowledge to conduct extensive market research, develop effective packaging, and identify optimal sales channels. Overcoming these limitations was essential to their success.

Resource Constraints

Impact For

FOOD & NUTRITION

The challenges title

The Challenge

The challenges description

Breaking into the baby and elderly food market posed significant hurdles for Green Capsule Organics, a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) competing against established, big-name brands. The industry is highly saturated, making it difficult for newcomers to gain traction and visibility among consumers accustomed to well-known products. Green Capsule sought to expand beyond its core business as an importer and distributor by creating its own brand of baby and elderly food tailored to local Asian tastes. However, establishing a unique selling proposition and brand identity in such a competitive landscape required deep expertise in branding, marketing, and product positioning—areas where the founders recognized the need for external support. Additionally, the company faced the challenge of understanding and addressing the specific nutritional needs of both babies and the elderly, as well as navigating the complexities of packaging design, product pricing, and identifying priority export markets. Without the resources of larger competitors, Green Capsule needed a strategic approach to stand out and effectively reach their target audiences.

The Solution Title

The Solution

The Solution Description

IPI Singapore connected Green Capsule Organics with experienced Innovation Advisors (IAs) through its Innovation Advisor Programme, providing the company with tailored guidance in branding, marketing, and product development. IPI’s intervention enabled the founders, Alice Foo and Lam Soo Sing, to work closely with IAs Brigitte Zeller and Ramachandran Rajamanickam to lay strong brand foundations for their product lines, Deliciously Bib and Recipe with Love. IA Brigitte Zeller, with extensive experience in Asia’s food industry, played a pivotal role in refining Deliciously Bib’s brand story and architecture. She provided expertise in marketing, branding, package design, product pricing, and market research. Brigitte also developed a scoring framework to help Green Capsule identify and prioritize export markets based on country-specific qualities, ensuring a strategic approach to market entry. For Recipe with Love, the ready-to-eat meals for the elderly, IA Ramachandran Rajamanickam contributed his deep knowledge of the functional food sector. He advised on nutritional requirements, collaborated with the Food Innovation & Resource Centre to develop new products, and helped fine-tune sales channels by recommending outreach to doctors, clinics, and nursing homes, in addition to increasing supermarket presence. Beyond product lines, IPI facilitated further brand development by introducing Green Capsule to IA Mike Amour, a strategic narrative specialist, to rebrand their overarching Organic7days brand. This comprehensive support from IPI’s network of advisors empowered Green Capsule to sharpen its brand purpose, mission statement, and overall market positioning.

Testimonial Section

Testimonial title

Client Perspective

Testimonial description

"We chose to work with IA Brigitte as we find her expertise in marketing, branding and innovation to be a good match to our needs to develop a new baby food brand."

Testimonial Name

Lam Soo Sing

Testimonial Designation

Co-founder, Green Capsule Organics

Testimonial title

IPI Perspective

Testimonial description

"It is important that the new value proposition has a clear and consistent story to be understood and trusted by consumers."

Testimonial Name

Brigitte Zeller

Testimonial Designation

Innovation Advisor, Advisory & Technology, IPI Singapore

Testimonial title

IPI Perspective

Testimonial description

"Green Capsule was also willing to take a step back and look at the big picture versus being 'locked' into what they have always been doing—so it was an enriching experience."

Testimonial Name

Ramachandran Rajamanickam

Testimonial Designation

Innovation Advisor, Advisory & Technology, IPI Singapore

Testimonial title

Client Perspective

Testimonial description

"It gave us a really good overall insight into the export baby food market in Asia without having to travel there personally. She did this without us asking. She understood and anticipated our needs."

Testimonial Name

Lam Soo Sing

Testimonial Designation

Co-founder, Green Capsule Organics

Testimonial title

Client Perspective

Testimonial description

"Having a coach means we have external deadlines, accountability, or 'homework'. As SME owners, it compels us to focus on longer-term objectives which are often lost within our daily grind of things."

Testimonial Name

Alice Foo and Lam Soo Sing

Testimonial Designation

Co-founders, Green Capsule Organics

Business impact Heading

Business Impact

Business impact title

Strengthened brand positioning and market readiness for healthy Asian meals.

Impact scores

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Product Lines Developed

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Innovation Advisors Engaged

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Overview

Founded by Alice Foo and Lam Soo Sing in 2013, Green Capsule Organics began as an importer and distributor of organic food products and personal care items. Inspired by Alice's personal health journey, the company is driven by the mission to provide organic and healthy food products that empower people to take charge of their health and well-being. Over the years, Green Capsule has promoted numerous products under its “Eat well, Feel well” principle.

Business Impact category

Data source

prod

Area Of interest

Foods

Slug

serving-up-healthy-meals-for-all