Innovation

It all started a long time ago. One of the partners, co-founder of the company Almotech, had long seen the, “need to recycle the oil he used in his daily cooking." It must be taken into account that oil is a fundamental food product in the Mediterranean diet, one of the best diets on the planet: “the healthiest and most wholesome”, and many people, especially in Spain, are daily users of this ingredient. It is also true that several studies show that the majority of the users (“95%”) tend to throw the excess oil either in the rubbish or down the sink, which leads to pollution of the sea.

That is why the co-founder saw an opportunity to do something with this abundant and unused waste. But what could be the use of this good, which nowadays is not only an expensive commodity in the world, but also a threat to the ecosystem? The innovative and revolutionary solution was to use it as a means to create laundry soap!

Many soaps are created with different types of oils. A machine that can wash the oil and create with water and different bars of soap a detergent that cleans clothes is an innovation that can be not only efficient but also very effective and necessary for many people.

Inspiration

The innovative product, proposed by one of Almotech co-founders in “Pamplona in 2018”, is called "Yenxa". It uses a disruptive technology that changes the idea we had always had about the way of recycling oil, such as the typical concept of taking it to the clean point which has “a high impact on the carbon footprint”.

On the one hand, this machine cleans, mixes with water and dilutes with bars of soap the leftover oil used in the preparation of food. This amazing progress means that the same cooking oil can be used to create a basic necessity such as washing machine detergent. The world's improvement relies on the capacity of turning a waste product into a first handed necessity. “For every liter of oil we obtain 3 liters of top-quality liquid washing machine soap detergent”. Moreover, the company will focus in the near future, on innovating the formulation of capsules needed for creating the detergent: “the capsules contain the necessary ingredients to convert the used oil into different types of soaps”.

On the other hand, this machine is quite beneficial for the environment not only because it is made up of biodegradable components but since it will clearly have a positive impact on water pollution: “For every liter of oil that is poured down the sink, up to 1,000 L of water is polluted”. Yenxa prevents the uncontrolled dumping of oil that affects the purification and sanitation systems as well as the aquatic ecosystems and the biodiversity that lives in them. Furthermore, this machine idea encourages conscious purchase and responsible consumption of the oil.

Overall impact

In the short-term, Almotech is planning to sell their Yenxa device in a few months' time because it is true that Yenxa has only been pre-sold in Spain and then they plan to expand to Europe in the following years. Their overall goal is to stop oil from contaminating waterways. In the long term, Yenxa aims to reduce this oil pollution in waterways by converting cooking oil into detergent soap.

Using Yenxa, customers can turn one liter of oil into enough laundry detergent for 100 washing machine cycles. Not only is Yenxa good for the environment but, in the long-run, it will also help households save money by recycling oil they have already purchased and creating soap that they can use in their daily lives. Yenxa also will eliminate the plastic packaging bought by customers who are creating soap at home. In other words, this gadget eliminates plastic packaging that customers would had purchased with new soap, because at home, consumers can use reusable bottles for saving their own created soap.

In a not such far or short future, Yenxa aims to extend their soaps into different types such as: grease remover and multi-purpose soap, using the same type of capsules that they currently use to convert oil into soap. They also want to expand to different industries such as hotels that use cooking oil in their daily operations and can use Yenxa in their day-to-day. Almotech also aims to educate customers on sustainable practices. Using the Almotech app customers can also interact with the Yenxa device and educate themselves on recycling and consumption programs.

Business benefit

The Yenxa machine is the first product by Almotech. After the pre-sale Almotech's goal is to expand to Europe due to certification they will first have to be sold in the European Union before expanding globally. Currently, if people want to recycle their oil, they have to take it to a clean point, which increases individuals' carbon footprint. With Yenxa customers can convert oil to soap in their homes.

As Yenxa is a one-of-a-kind device that has never been created before, it has been patented and has brand protection. Yenxa will be the first product to kickstart the company, after Yenxa is introduced Almotech will go on to create more soaps such as grease remover, multipurpose soap, etc. They will keep using the Yenxa device to convert oil into soap, but they will change the biodegradable capsule formulation to create different types of soap.

Yenxa is a product that customers will firstly only be able to access for home use. After Yenxa has been in the market for a while the goal is for it to be used in the hospitality industry, where oil is used in their day-to-day operations. Three partners created the company in 2018 and as the company expands into different countries Almotech will continue to hire employees.

Social and environmental benefit

In 2018, Yenxa emerged as a groundbreaking venture initiated by three visionary partners in Pamplona. Their ambitious mission? To revolutionize the industry by transforming oil into detergent. The inception of this idea was met with enthusiasm, yet it wasn't without its fair share of challenges. One of the most formidable obstacles they encountered was the technological aspect, as the creation of such a machine was unprecedented. Undeterred, the Yenxa team overcame these hurdles, successfully developing a machine capable of converting oil into detergent. This positions the enterprise as really innovative.

The implications of Yenxa's success are vast. The reduction in contamination achieved by converting oil into detergent holds the promise of a cleaner, healthier ecosystem, specifically in the global goal of clean water and sanitation. In fact, the impact that the company wants to avoid is that for every liter of oil that is poured down the sink. That's why the idea is that every household should stop throwing used oil away, because the long-term impact will be less water pollution.

Yenxa's journey exemplifies the spirit of innovation, determination, and the pursuit of a better world. In conquering the uncharted territory of converting oil into detergent, they have not only set a precedent for future environmental endeavors but have also proven that with dedication and innovation, even the most daunting challenges can be overcome. In addition, future improvements in capsules are about to arrive. They also want the benefits to reach other areas including hotels and of course they are going to start in Europe but they want to reach the entire world.

Interview

Ana Martinez Tanco, CEO