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Its one thing to invent something cool within controlled laboratory environments. Its entirely another to scale that new baby for sale. The tension between innovation and commercialization is something we regularly wrestle with at Abstrax. Every morning, we don lab coats and ask the same question: “How do you make money from research done in a lab?” Balance innovation with commercial reality Discovery for its own sake isnt enough. Many R&D-heavy companies discover that brilliant ideas can languish for years if they dont have a system for bringing them to market. We decided early on to build that bridge proactively. This meant investing heavily not just in research, but in the systems and machinery that connect lab work to real-world products. Our scientists dont concoct in ivory towers, they work hand-in-hand with product developers to ensure (most) experiments align with market needs. This pragmatic approach focuses our curiosity. We poured resources into advanced analytical technology. Among other exquisite toys, we operate an ultra-sensitive aroma analysis platform nicknamed OMNI. With it, we can break down a complex flavor into hundreds of molecular components and pinpoint the ones that matter. By capturing a “3D metabolite fingerprint” of a material (cannabis flower, hop varietals, etc.), we get a complete map of that samples aroma chemistry. Why go to these extremes? Because understanding a flavor at that granular level is the key to replicating it, enhancing it, and ultimately monetizing it. We can identify over 500 distinct compounds in a single hop strain. That level of resolution lets us see opportunities others might miss, like the trace molecules that round out pineapple, or a sulfur compound responsible for skunky notes. From breakthrough to beer glass To illustrate how lab research turns into revenue, take our recent work with Citra, one of the most celebrated hops in craft brewing. Citras appeal lies in its remarkably juicy, complex flavorthink grapefruit, lime, peach, and passionfruit steamrolled into one. This tropical medley makes a Citra-hopped beer delicious. But heres the rub: Achieving that same flavor consistently at scale is hard. Hops are agricultural products, subject to the whims of weather and yearly variation. The Citra you get this year might not taste exactly like last years crop. This is where our lab-to-market philosophy shines. Using OMNI, we profiled Citras chemical makeup in exquisite detail. Armed with that blueprint, we developed an Omni Hop Profile extract that mirrors Citras flavor profile with uncanny accuracy. For brewers, this is a game-changer. Instead of being at the mercy of Mother Nature, they can rely on our Citra extract to deliver the exact same flavor in every batch, forever. And because its made from botanically derived ingredients, it stays true to the clean-label standards brewers abide by. We even worked with veteran brewmasters on pilot brews to fine-tune the extracts performance in different beer styles. By the time our Citra profile hit the market, it was brewer-tested and production-ready. Our Citra victory highlights our core principle of reasonable innovation. We didnt stop at discovering what makes that hop special, we pushed to make it a tangible solution to a real problem. That is the essence of monetizing R&D: moving from Eureka! to a viable SKU. No fluff, only real solutions In avant-garde industries like cannabis and craft beer, its easy to get caught up in hype and bold claims. We prefer a different tack: Let the results speak. If we say our new formulation improves a beers shelf-life or an extract boosts an IPAs aroma, weve got the data to back it up. Grounding innovation in evidence keeps us credible and ensures we stay focused on real market value. We also recognize that not every experiment will pan out, and thats okay. Part of our system is knowing never to become 100% pot committed. Well test 10 ideas, then swiftly double down on the one or two that show commercial promise. By failing fast and smart, we conserve resources for the innovations that count. The new R&D playbook Our journey from lab to market hasnt been quick or easy. It took patience and a willingness to invest up front. But that patience is paying off. Today, Abstraxs approach is turning niche scientific insights into mainstream products. What others consider to be a cost center is our engine for growth. When scientists and strategists work in sync, every discovery is viewed through the lens of real-world impact. The healthy tension between invention and commercialization keeps us sharp. As it turns out, the lab and the market are pretty good at balancing each other. Kevin Koby is CEO and cofounder of Abstrax.
Category:
E-Commerce
The Ford Pinto. New Coke. Google Glass. History is littered with products whose fatal flaw whether failures of safety, privacy, performance, or plain old desirabilityrepelled consumers and inflicted reputational damage to the companies bringing them to market. Its easy to imagine the difference if these problems had been detected early on. And too often, businesses neglect the chance to work with nonprofits, social enterprises, and other public interest groups to make product improvements after they enter the marketplace or, more ideally, upstream, before their products have entered the crucible of the customer. For companies and consumer groups alike, this is a major missed opportunity. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, partnering with public interest groups to bake an authentic pro-consumer perspective into elements like design, safety, sustainability, and functionality can provide a coveted advantage. It gives a product the chance to stand out from the crowd, already destined for glowing reviews because problems were nipped in the bud thanks to guidance and data from those focused on consumers interests. And for the nonprofits, working proactively with businesses to help ensure that products reflect consumers values from the outset means a better, safer marketplace for everyone. Zoom, in a nutshell Weve already seen the difference working together can make, especially if its early in a products introduction to consumers. Just look at Zoom. The videoconferencing platform, while launched as a tool for businesses, had not been introduced to a wide consumer audience before the COVID-19 pandemic made its services a global necessity. In early 2020as Zoom was poised to explode from 10 million monthly users to more than 300 million by AprilConsumer Reports (CR) testing experts went under the hood in our digital lab to assess it from a consumer well-being perspective. CR uncovered serious flaws. These included a protocol allowing the company to collect users videos, call transcripts, and chats and use them for targeted advertising, as well as features that allowed hosts to record meetings in secret and alert them when a participant clicked away from the screen. At the precipice of a moment when elementary school classrooms to therapy sessions would be conducted over Zoom, theres no telling what the fallout might have beenfor the company or its customershad these problems persisted. But CR reached out to the businessand the business reached back. Within days, Zoom had worked with CR to solve a wide array of problems, helping strengthen its case as a lifeline for users all over the world. Partnerships require new ways of thinking Now imagine what could be possible if such a partnership began even earlier in the process. This is the relationship CR has worked to build with businesses, providing companies our testing expertise and data about consumers needs and desires. Our advisory services have led to us providing feedback on prototypes, and with feedback implemented earlier in the product development lifecycle, weve seen immediate impact for consumers: improved comfort of leg support in vehicles; privacy policy changes for electronics; reduced fees for a basic checking account; an improved washing machine drying algorithm for one brand; improved safety of active driver assistance systems; and strengthened digital payments app scam warnings before users finalize transactions. These partnerships have proven productive, but they remain the exception to the rule. Building more of those cooperative, upstream relationships will require new thinking on both sides. Advocacy organizations must adopt an entrepreneurial spirit, leveraging their insights and expertise as a collaborator to companies theyre more accustomed to critiquing. Businesses must embrace these relationships as a central part of their research and development process, understanding that embedding pro-consumer values gives them a real edge in todays hyper-social marketplace. This cooperation is especially important in the modern digital era, when many consumers are making choices that reflect their principles and where products and services are growing increasingly complex. As the rise of AI-fueled products brings a new wave of threats and vulnerabilities in its wake, it is critical that businesses and public interest groups make an effort to forge strong relationships. By coming together early and often around their common interestthe consumerthey can improve products, craft strong industry standards, burnish the reputation of companies that act responsibly, and help maintain the health and integrity of the marketplace. Phil Radford is president and CEO of Consumer Reports.
Category:
E-Commerce
Feeling like youve overdone it on the scrolling? Now you can take a break from TikTok to meditatewithout ever leaving the app. TikToks new in-app meditation feature, announced Thursday, was first tested earlier this year with a group of teen users and is now rolling out to everyone. Designed to improve sleep quality, the meditations activate during designated sleep hours and serve as a gentle nudge to put the phone down during a late-night scroll session. For users younger than 18, the feature is enabled by default. If teens are still on the app after 10 p.m., their For You feed will be interrupted by calming music and breathing exercises. If ignored, the prompt returns to remind them it’s time for bed. Adults who want a similar reminder can set their own bedtime in TikToks Screen Time settings. Although the meditation can be skipped, TikTok says 98% of teens who encountered it during testing chose to keep it on. Still, not everyone appreciated the intervention. I disabled it, ima scroll how long I want on my phone, one TikTok user commented. Why do they care how late we are on TikTok? another asked. To Instagram I go, added a third. @cbsmornings TikTok is launching a new feature to encourage users to stop scrolling late at night in the form of an in-app guided meditation session #tiktok #sleep #meditation original sound – CBS Mornings The update comes amid growing scrutiny of TikToks impact on youth mental health. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that nearly half of U.S. teens say social media disrupts their sleep (45%) and hurts their productivity (40%). TikTok is also facing lawsuits that claim it prioritized profit over safety by downplaying the effects of its addictive algorithm. Previous attempts to limit screen time havent always worked. Court documents show teens were still spending an average of 107 minutes per day on the app, even when a 60-minute limit was in place. As part of the rollout, TikTok also announced a $2.3 million donation in ad credits from its Mental Health Education Fund to 31 organizations, including Crisis Text Line, Active Minds, and the Alliance for Eating Disorders.
Category:
E-Commerce
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