Killa Vanilla startup story: best pals to business partners

This is the story of Dom and Chris. Two entrepreneurs who were sick of the allure of sugar cravings... and invented a solution.
  • Resources
  • Killa vanilla startup story best pals to business partners

83685d_99320fcb620644f180dc4113bba1b069_mv2-1024x371.png

As the old adage goes: ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’.

This certainly rings true in the case of Killa Vanilla’s Dom – an alumnus of the Escape Startup Accelerator.

While training for the British Indoor Rowing Championships, Dom kept falling foul of fiendish sugar cravings stopping him achieving his target weight. His friend, Chris, sympathised, after hours at the gym would be undone with an impulse binge.

Desperate for a solution, the duo’s search came up short; there was only one option – make it themselves. We sat down with Chris and Dom to get the inside scoop on their new startup Killa Vanilla, and what it's like to set up a business with a friend.

In one sentence, what is Killa Vanilla?

Killa Vanilla is a natural food-based aroma that is scientifically proven to kill sugar cravings.

What were you doing before, and how did you meet?

We’re best buddies from University. We studied Urban Planning and Design at UCL, essentially human geography and architecture. This led us to work in different areas of the property industry. We’ve always shared and enjoyed a curiosity for innovation and have worked on a number of different projects together over the last decade. Most recently, a startup that was developing olfactory devices for the medical industry.

AboutUs-768x512.jpg

What inspired you to set up the business?

Dom was training for the British Indoor Rowing Championships. He was very competitive as a heavyweight, but was weighing in at the lower end of the heavyweight category. He realised he could win the Champs if he became a lightweight, but was struggling to make weight because of his intense sweet tooth! Dom built a prototype (which became Killa Vanilla), lost 8kg in 16 weeks, and became British Lightweight Champion.

Dom created another prototype for Chris. He used it to help combat sugar binges which were instantly undoing a week of hard work in the gym. Chris’s cravings were brought on by certain triggers, such as having a rubbish day and wanting to feel better. The scent helped boost his willpower in those temporary weak moments. This coincided with the publication of breakthrough neuroscience that explained what was really going on when we used the product.


So, what's the science? How does Killa Vanilla work?

Advances in fMRI technology prove that signals from the olfactory (scent) and gustatory (food) systems converge in the orbitofrontal cortex, where they combine, interact, and influence each other.

This triggers the ‘cross-modal sensory compensation effect’ where indulgent scent stimulates the reward circuitry in the brain in the same way eating sugary food does; satisfying sugar cravings without ingesting calories! This combination of our experience, the tested scientific theory and independent clinical trials inspired us to create the product and get it out there to help the public. 

Insta.005%20%281%29.jpeg

Did you ever have doubts about whether your product would work? How did you get over these?

When we first used the prototypes we knew they worked for us, but couldn’t explain exactly how and why they worked. We accepted that it may partly have been a placebo effect or the result of consciously forming a new habit.

It wasn’t until the publication of the new research and the data from trials in labs and the real world proved that it worked that we were confident to start the business.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from starting a business?

You have to be adaptable. You never know when or how things will change and what opportunities will present themselves. You have to be ready to switch focus and take on new challenges that can come from the most unlikely of places.

Tell us one little-known fact about Killa Vanilla.

Killa Vanilla is the result of a significant pivot; we originally received a grant from the EU to develop products to help combat bad odours in hospitals and care homes.

What are the next steps for Killa Vanilla?

We’re currently conducting our own trials to see how customers use it day-to-day and how it works for them. We’re in discussion with Public Health England, and we’re searching for a clinical advisor to help us further develop research in this highly specialised area.

To find out more about Killa Vanilla…

You can find out more on our website; killavanilla.com. Check out new hints and tips on all things health and motivation on our Instagram @killavanilla.