The remarkable story of the Treko company
Two observations
The story of Treko begins with two observations. Sometimes, a simple observation can change our destiny. For Carl and Anaïs, two outdoor enthusiasts, this decisive moment occurred during a summer expedition to the Saguenay Fjord in 2018.
Enjoying the majesty of nature, Carl holds an empty can of tuna and realizes something important:
" It doesn't make sense to enjoy nature while polluting it! "
For her part, Anaïs, a convinced vegetarian , had difficulty finding dehydrated meals adapted to her diet. Aside from tomato pasta, the options were quite limited and low in protein.
This is how they came up with a revolutionary idea: to create a company offering dehydrated vegetarian outdoor meals, served in compostable packaging.
The weekend that would change everything
Fate offers them a golden opportunity when they are invited to participate in the Shawinigan Startup Weekend. This business creation competition takes place over an intense 54 hours. They decide to present their idea at this event.
As luck would have it, among the participants is Émile, a young entrepreneur who knows neither Anaïs nor Carl. Realizing that his own project attracts little interest, Émile decides to join the team working on "dehydrated vegetarian meals in compostable packaging". The group, made up of Anaïs, Carl and five other people from various backgrounds, takes the fictitious company name "Smart Gorilla".
During the final presentation, Émile, having a nutritionist as a contact person, had the idea of bringing a homemade dehydrated couscous to impress the judges. They were amazed! The name of the fictitious product was Couscous Aventurier (the name has remained ever since).
The victory
By the end of the weekend, the group had won the competition , receiving some particularly interesting prizes: the creation of a mini website, a logo and training on starting a business . The victory then pushed Émile, Anaïs and Carl to take the project more seriously.
In March, during the business launch course, a crucial step was taken. The group finally found the official name for their company: Treko . Coming from the combination of the word Trekking and Ecology , this name was very easy to remember while being bilingual.
The beginning of a new adventure with Treko
On July 18, 2019 , the company was officially founded as Treko. Since then, it has been dedicated to making vegan freeze-dried meals, served in compostable packaging , made from local ingredients and free of any unpronounceable ingredients .
Interestingly, very few startups that come out of Startup Weekend actually become real companies, so Treko is part of a select club that includes companies like Zapier and Zynga .
Today, Treko continues to grow. Despite a late launch due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the company is still standing and fulfilling its mission which is:
" To offer sports and outdoor enthusiasts an eco-responsible alternative to
specialized power solutions ."
Who would have thought that a simple observation in the Saguenay Fjord would give birth to a story like that of Treko? The future seems promising for this Quebec company that combines love of nature and respect for the environment.
