My name is Jonathan Ng, and I run a food technology start-up called SinFooTech. We focus on valorising food processing by-products and use food technology to turn them into value-added products. In November 2021, we launched the world’s first soy whey alcoholic beverage brand, Sachi.
I decided to start this brand as I wanted to offer a sustainable and easy-to-drink alcoholic beverage that catered for the modern lifestyle. Every bottle we create at Sachi hopes to bring bliss to people and our environment.
Sustainability has always been a passion of mine. It feels good to be able to impact our environment and society positively, even for a little. Given my experience with alcohol, I have always enjoyed the relaxing vibes and buzz of drinking with family and friends but hated the sharp taste of alcohol.
We decided to go on a mission to make the easiest-to-drink alcoholic beverage that gives you what you want from drinking but without the alcohol kick! We also designed our drink with a wellness factor in mind; with only 70 kcal/glass, we are half the calories of most grape wines (140kcal/glass) and also contain a high amount of soy antioxidants called isoflavones so that we can cater to the health-conscious crowd who wants to look and feel good and do not want to miss out on a good time with loved ones.
My vision for Sachi is to give bliss to everyone who experiences us and our communities and environment. We want to create a sustainable, unique, harmonious experience without boundaries.
One of the most memorable experiences was the recent launch of our flavoured Sachi soy wine series in April this year. We introduced Sachi’s: Lychee Rose, Yuzu Bergamot, and Peach Oolong to our media friends, partners and families and had a good time pairing them with fantastic food and cocktails made from our drinks.
A good mindset is fundamental in running a business – one will need many skills, and we must always be curious, humble and hungry to pick them up whenever we need to. More importantly, the journey is not easy, so one must be mentally stable, remain positive, take calculated risks and persevere through the most challenging times. Lastly, in this age of technology, we forget that the people around us are our most important assets. Treat your suppliers, customers, colleagues, friends and families right, and they will support you when the need arises.
The biggest challenge in my journey would have to be our CTO/Co-founder leaving the company. My team and I had to learn everything we could and continue the research for the next three years without much help. We just had to pick up the pieces and do the hard and dirty work with grit and determination to see this technology, product, and brand come to life. Special shoutout to Jana and Fauzi, who persevered through and helped us develop the technology and Sachi to what it is today.
I live by the motto, “Do not worry about things you cannot control, focus on the things that you can.” One of my mentors, when I was younger, shared this with me, and it stuck through the years. I used to think a lot about what-ifs about things that happened, but this motto helps me focus on the things I can control and bring more joy and value to my life.
On top of that, my family is my inspiration. I have a big family and extended family who help me learn a lot in many aspects of life from them, and I am grateful I have many amazing people in my life from whom I look up and learn essential values.
My greatest wish is for Sachi to be recognised as a proud local creation so that many people can enjoy and appreciate our mission to revolutionise sustainability in alcoholic beverages. I want it to be remembered as bottles of bliss for people and their environment. Every bottle that they enjoy should be full of bliss and happiness.