Anditri - BTU's Winner Team of Georgian Organic Tea Born in Imereti
A pre-acceleration program for startups was implemented in Kutaisi, organized by the University of Business and Technology and the Georgian Innovation and Technology Agency and with the support of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The goal of the program was the development of innovative thinking, the acquisition of practical experience in managing the initial stage of a startup for the participants, and the development of ideas. The training was conducted by the founders of successful startups. Within the framework of the program, about 50 beneficiaries were trained in different directions: idea generation, market research, MVP, brand/branding, business model development, and others. After the theoretical and practical sessions, the final demo day was held, where the winning and selected teams were announced.
One of the chosen participants of BTU was Georgian organic tea and its founder and director, Grigol Bitsadze. Grigol Bitsadze, together with his brother, Elguja Bitsadze, started growing a rare type of organic tea under the name "Anditri".
"In 1937, tea culture was planted in our village and it brought great benefits to the region, but at the end of the last century, like all other branches, tea in Georgia suffered the same fate and went wild after 30 years of neglect. My love for the village of my father and grandfather decided to return to the village and restore this precious culture that gives life will return to the village", Grigol Bitsadze says in a conversation with Entrepreneur. It should be noted that "Anditri" tea was awarded the title of "Best Georgian Tea" in 2019.
Since its inception, the company already has loyal customers. It is important for them to have natural aromatic tea that has preserved all its positive and tasteful properties. The rare type of tea "Purple", organic black and white tea, Imeretian wild tea, autumn tea and others are especially popular among consumers.
In the process of tea production, according to Grigol Bitsadze, the biggest challenge was the lack of qualified labor. For this very purpose, with the involvement of "Anditri", a dual professional educational program of fruit-growing and citrus growing was developed, within the framework of which the practical component of the students is gradually implemented in the leading tea production company "Anditri". According to Grigol Bitsadze, the mentioned dual training gives students the opportunity to master the desired profession together with educational institutions and entrepreneurs. In addition, the beneficiaries interested in tea-making will be trained and will receive relevant qualifications for the development of the field.
Grigol Bitsadze believes that an entrepreneur is a person who is always looking for innovation, studies a lot and works hard for success and is purposeful at every stage of life. The founder of "Anditri" carries out his activities according to the following life principle: "There is no case that will not succeed". It is with this motivation that the "Anditri" team is trying to increase production and create an attractive environment for tourists, where visitors can relax, enjoy tea plantations, breathe fresh air and eat natural food.
Source: Entrepreneur