Become an Industrialist
Four people built Colombia's ~$2B flower industry. We're looking for the next group of industrial pioneers. You'll found Madagascar's first freeze-dried fruit company and own it: the anchor firm of a sector that doesn't exist yet. We have raised initial funding, secured local agroprocessors to host and mentor you, and are committed to working full-time for you for the first six months. Few opportunities let you build something this big, and almost none let you own it.
We're looking for 1-2 entrepreneurs to start a new export industry in Madagascar. Across 65 documented export booms, individuals or small teams started 24 of them. These industries are among the most reliable drivers of growth in developing countries, moving thousands of people into better jobs. But potential new export sectors sit open for years, because going first is hard - founders must navigate everything from tricky regulations to distant supplier and buyer connections. Exporters Without Borders finds these industrial gaps and empowers founders to close them. And we're starting with Madagascar's first freeze-dried fruit business.
You'll leverage the fact that Madagascar grows ~100k tonnes of lychee a year, but 80% isn't exported and sells for next to nothing. Freeze-drying overcomes the logistical and capacity hurdles that are blocking more exports. It pulls the water out and preserves flavor, structure, and nutrition for years, turning a perishable fruit into a shelf-stable product that wholesales at $20-40/kg around the world. Madagascar's cheap fruit and labor mean it can compete with China, the market leader, and nobody on the island freeze-dries at scale - yet.
We will fund your startup costs, give you our network, and work for you. We've scoped the sector; started conversations with specialty buyers; found established Malagasy agroprocessors to mentor you, open doors, and share their cold storage; and we've raised initial funding plus investor interest in the venture's scale-up round. For the first six months, Niklas (ex-McKinsey) and Saarthak (ex-Bridgewater, ex-Coefficient Giving) move to Madagascar and work full-time for you: importing equipment, securing fruit, getting the first batches out. We fund your early capital and a stipend that comfortably covers living costs, then connect you to our funder network to raise for scale. You keep 85% of the firm. We're putting a lot behind a business you'll own, and expect you to ramp up fast with it.
Most attempts to start a new sector fail, and we want people who will take that as a challenge. Non-negotiables: you care deeply about growth in low-income countries, you're high-agency and high-energy, you're comfortable with unfamiliarity and limited resources, and you can commit at least two years. What helps: commercial instincts (negotiating, pricing, coordinating suppliers) and evidence that you've executed something hard. What doesn't matter: domain expertise - not freeze-drying, not any specific sector or country.
If this works, you'll have done something almost nobody can claim: built an industry from scratch. Even if it fails, you'll have spent years building alongside CEOs, senior officials, and the funds that finance industry across the developing world, which is its own kind of resume.
FAQs
Why are you offering this?
We care deeply about growth in developing countries as a way to improve lives at scale. Export-oriented production is the surest path to that growth, and we want to drive it by backing small teams who can start industries that don't currently exist. This first venture is a pilot for us - we're testing how our model works on the ground and the challenges founders will face. That's why we're working for you too.
Do I need to be in/from Madagascar, or have agroprocessing experience?
No. Local/industry knowledge is valuable, but it can be learned, and is much less crucial than your drive and problem solving ability. Local agroprocessors have offered advice and space in their facilities, and we have a wider network of advisors for you.
What does it mean to own the opportunity?
You keep 85% of the venture, while Exporters Without Borders takes 15% to support future programming. It's your company: you make decisions, hire the team, and own the upside. We're fully committed to the firm for the first six months, after which we expect you to cultivate your own funding streams with light-touch support from us (fundraising help, network, strategy).
What's the arc of the venture?
Year one is a pilot with the two of us working for you for the first 6 months. You'll be producing ~500 kg of dried lychee - staffing a harvest-window peeling and pitting line, running the freeze dryer, and shipping the first freeze-dried fruit ever exported from Madagascar. With product and real cost data in hand, you raise ~$500k for a light-industrial operation: ~5 tonnes a year at $30-40+/kg, your first staff, your first profits. At full scale, you raise for a $5M+ plant that employs hundreds and seeds adjacent firms. We will support you and make relevant introductions throughout the process, but you will wholly own it.
What if it doesn't work, how do we know, and what's the off-ramp?
When starting a new sector, we expect most attempts to fail. We want to recognize failed attempts as soon as we can, balancing against the fact that starting a new export industry will be an exercise in running into dead ends and repivoting. A failed project would end in winding down work (offloading any capex and returning unused funding), and us working with our advisors and partners to help you find future employment and opportunities.
What if I want out before two years?
We are only looking for people who will make a minimum two-year commitment - with the caveat that we understand that life is unpredictable and that we can't make you stay in a project you may no longer believe in. But reflect on the tradeoffs before applying: nearly everything this builds for you, including the network, the credibility, and the equity, compounds only if you finish what you start.
How confident are you in the economics?
Cautiously optimistic, and we'll share the full cost model as you progress. Freeze-dried lychee wholesales at $20-40+/kg, branded retail several times higher. Our modeling suggests at-scale Malagasy production can compete with China, the market leader: cheap fruit (~10kg of fresh lychee makes 1kg freeze-dried) and cheap labor more than offset expensive energy and equipment in most scenarios. The estimates are rough and the pilot exists to test the assumptions we can't model from a desk.
Where and when would I start?
You'd live full-time in Madagascar, likely near Tamatave, finding your own housing - the stipend should comfortably cover a nice 2-bedroom plus living expenses until you raise for scale-up. It will be in the ~$25-35k range. We're open to you finding supplementary funding so long as it doesn't compete for your time. We expect to finalize offers within ~30 days of the application deadline and to start in Madagascar in late August. It's a tight turnaround, and we can be slightly flexible, but plan for a quick move. Final terms are subject to completion of our US incorporation and funding arrangements.
What does the lifestyle entail?
We think this will be an incredible opportunity to do hugely impactful work, learn fast, and get a shot at building an industry from scratch. It's also a lot of fun if you're that person. It is an adjustment, however - if you have a family, it won't only affect you. We know founders with a family who've made it work, and we'd encourage you to talk through the change with your partner or family first.
What about visas, healthcare, safety, the boring logistics?
We're confident that you could live and work safely in most places in Madagascar - though people have different thresholds for what they're comfortable with. Malagasy healthcare is cheap but limited. We'll work with you to navigate visas and day-to-day logistics.
I don't have a business background - am I out?
No. But we do want to see a single-minded, deep problem-solver drive, a competitive streak, and a knack for getting past obstacles that look impossible at first. As your company scales, you'll be up against producers from countries with deep industrial bases. You'll need to spot the narrow commercial openings and make the hard calls to seize them.
Do I need to speak French or Malagasy?
Helpful, but not required. It will add to the friction of adjustment, but we believe that the right applicants would be able to pick these up quickly enough.
What does the application process look like, and what's the timeline?
The application process entails the short application above, a practical task that mirrors the actual work, and an interview. You will be provided with more information as you progress through.
How does the pairing between founders work?
If the finalist pool includes candidates whose skills complement each other well, we may offer them the option to pair as co-founders. We do this selectively, because a mismatched pairing can create more challenges - so we'll only propose it when we see a strong fit.
We consider all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.