Nearly 15 years after founding her company, Lina Sakai is preparing for a journey she doubted would ever be possible. By the end of this year, the CEO will travel to the United States to explore the possibilities for international expansion of her Tokyo-based company. Fermentation stationthat aims to support a circular economy through its original fermentation technology. The company transforms food waste into non-petroleum-derived ingredients for use in food, beverages, cosmetics, animal feed and fertilizers.
Sakai, who admittedly was hesitant about starting a startup, launched her company due to a lack of employment in her field of interest. It was only five years ago that she began pursuing growth through investment and hiring.
The early years of Fermenstation consisted of exploratory visits to department stores with the cosmetics she had created. She describes a period as ‘quite tough’ due to a lack of interest in how products were made.
