Meet Pedro Schmidt, CEO and Founder of ph. AG l KA EX
Please tell us about KA EX
KA-EX® is formulated to be the world’s fastest cortisol stress reducer, improving post-workout recovery, muscle repair, and sleep for better training results and higher day-to-day energy. Backed by clinical research and developed by a Swiss scientist to support body recovery from intense workouts or night festivities alike.
Please give some more details of your startup story: when/why you founded it, your business, team size, etc.
KA-EX was developed by an ETH pharmacist to accelerate hangover recovery. Launched in 2017, KA-EX gained traction quickly, becoming available in all Swiss pharmacies (2017), coop (2018), and Migros (2019). With growing popularity, athletes started discovering the recovery-enhancing effects also after training and competition. Today, KA-EX supplies many nameable teams such as PSG, FC Zürich, FC Basel, YB, Bundesliga, TUDOR Pro Cycling, and leading athletes. Now a team of 10, we’ve grown to be Switzerland’s best-selling dietary supplement and expanded within Europe.
Tell us more about your plans for 2024 and what is your long-term vision.
In Q2 2024, KA-EX expanded to California, becoming available at all locations of the premium gym chain EQUINOX. At several locations, KA-EX has become one of the best selling items and is now further expanding to the East Coast. KA-EX is on its mission of becoming a global household name as the world’s best recovery drink.
What has been the biggest success that you have achieved in your startup?
KA-EX is constantly ranked as one of the best-selling dietary supplements in Switzerland, growing double and triple-digits Year over Year, providing an unparalleled Proof of Market. This strong and sustainable growth was achieved despite a very harsh macroeconomic environment, including COVID-19, supply chain crises, inflation, and VC crises.
If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently? What are your biggest learnings?
When I founded the company in 2016, it was the golden era of startups, when finding financing was significantly easier. In 2022, the industry changed abruptly, leading to many challenges. If I were to start today, I would structure the growth strategy differently, focusing more strongly on profitability while fundraising only to finance business endeavors that do not risk the whole substance of the business.
What motivates you to continue your business every day?
I not only believe but know with all my being that KA-EX will become a global success, yet getting there is a constant battle—it has been for the past nine years and will be for the next few to come. Careerwise, I could not imagine a more challenging path than founding and developing your company into a Unicorn (which is the goal). It takes an unnatural amount of resilience, pain resistance, and a never-ending learning trajectory. Upon graduating from ETH, I worked at a high-performing job in a pharma company for several years and was bored to hell. The challenge set by my own goals and expectations excites me.
One piece of advice for someone who is just starting out with their startup?
If everybody who cares for you tells you not to do it, maybe even laughs at you about how unrealistic your expectations are, and tells you how better off you are doing something else, yet, for some very deep-down sentiment, you still feel like you have to do it, then go for it and never look back!
What does it mean to you to be a member of the Swiss Startup Association?
The Swiss Venture Capital scene is very limited to ICT, FinTech, MedTech, and BioTech, excluding companies like KA-EX from institutional capital. I get it: The national VC strategy is focused on Switzerland’s 4 main industrial pillars (which I find pretty smart), and Switzerland is way too small to justify investments in consumer companies that cannot scale sufficiently in Switzerland alone. “on running” is an example of that. They got way too little recognition from the Swiss startup scene and went on to become one of the greatest startup successes Switzerland ever had. For several years, we have also detached ourselves from the Swiss startup scene. Now that we are getting more recognized, we find it important to use that voice and become part of the discussion again, especially in topics that are not industry-related. Swiss Startup Association covers extremely important political initiatives, such as the ESOP Tax burden, just to name one.
Would you recommend joining the Swiss Startup Association? Why?
Yes, especially people who are getting organized to start a company and need help with the essentials. But even for us, who have been around for 9 years, there are so many people with opinions and so much noise that it becomes challenging to know left from right. Swiss Startup Association with the ecosystem partners does a great job helping to filter the right information.
Have you ever visited the events of the Swiss Startup Association? If yes, which ones? Would you recommend them?
We are coming back now, but as mentioned, we have detached ourselves from the Swiss startup scene over the past few years and focused on events abroad, like the NCN (Nutrition Capital Network) in San Francisco and New York. However, the SSA also holds events with CONDA, which I wholeheartedly recommend to all founders to participate, especially if you are not part of the “deep-tech club.” We had two very successful rounds with them, raising CHF 1.7M.
Is there anything that we haven’t asked you that you would like to share with us/the community?
I think I may have already bored people enough. If not, I will give a speech at the M01N Startup Camp in Rapperswil in February 2025.
Connect with Pedro on LinkedIn
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About the Swiss Startup Association
The Swiss Startup Association (SSA) is the umbrella organisation and the voice of Swiss startups. As a sector-independent non-profit organisation, the SSA gives startups a strong voice vis-à-vis politics, business and the public and works to improve the conditions for startups in Switzerland.
Beyond its political engagement, the SSA fosters a community for startups, recognizing the unique challenges they face. Through networking opportunities, educational sessions, and practical services, the SSA collaborates with industry partners to offer tailored support and valuable resources to guide founders on their entrepreneurial journey.
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