Yacon & co is a young French food startup built around one big idea: using the yacon root to create a genuinely healthier, still-indulgent alternative to sugar and fake sweeteners.

Quick Scoop

  • What is Yacon & co?
    A Paris-based foodtech startup (founded in 2021) making low–glycemic index, high‑fibre sweeteners and spreads from yacon, a South American tuber with strong natural sweetness.
  • Flagship products
    • Yacon syrup: natural sweetener, low GI, about 2x fewer calories and roughly 4x less sweetening power than white sugar per equivalent use, rich in prebiotic fibres.
* Sugar‑free chocolate spread (around 64% hazelnuts, yacon syrup, raw cacao).

* Sugar‑free hazelnut praline (around 70% hazelnuts, yacon syrup).
  • Mission in one line
    Make it easy to dramatically cut sugar without feeling deprived, by swapping refined sugar and artificial sweeteners for yacon‑based products that still taste “wow”.

Brand, roots, and “why now”

  • The founders wanted to tackle the gap between health recommendations and real sugar consumption (for example, recommended intake in France vs. actual average intake) by offering an everyday alternative rooted in agriculture rather than chemistry.
  • They started by working with a cooperative in Peru, where yacon has long been grown, and then built what is described as the first French yacon supply chain with thousands of plants in Brittany to shorten the chain and cut the footprint.
  • On LinkedIn, the brand presents itself through “Yency”, positioned as the first breakfast brand with sugar‑free spreads that actually taste good, targeting both retail consumers and professional food partners.

How the brand talks about itself

Analyses of their brand voice describe Yacon & co as:

  • Educational and informative but not preachy: explaining sugar, glycemic index, and yacon health angles in simple, empowering language.
  • Friendly, mission‑driven and slightly quirky: they lean on ideas like “sweet revolution” and “healthy indulgence” rather than guilt or fear.
  • Value pillars they highlight include:
    • Health and well‑being
    • Naturalness and purity
    • Taste and indulgence
    • Transparency and authenticity
    • Sustainability and responsibility
    • Innovation and a playful, off‑beat tone

“4x less sugar, 2x fewer calories, and all the taste” is a typical style of slogan used in their marketing examples.

Yacon itself (the star ingredient)

  • Yacon is a plant from South America whose tuber looks a bit like sweet potato and is sometimes nicknamed “earth pear”.
  • Its syrup has:
    • A naturally low glycemic index
    • Prebiotic fibres that support digestion
    • A milder sweetness than sugar, which encourages recipes that are less sugar‑intense overall
  • Yacon & co pitch it as a tool for:
    • Breakfast (spreads, “sugar‑free sugar” for coffee or yogurt)
    • Baking and desserts
    • Drinks and sauces, both at home and in professional kitchens.

Recent moves and “latest news”

  • The brand has been visible in European food‑innovation and specialty‑food contexts, listed as an exhibitor at trade shows and covered in food‑innovation blogs as a “brand to watch” for the sugar replacement segment.
  • They have communicated about:
    • Building a new yacon syrup production facility in Peru with local partners, expected to employ about 20 people.
* Structuring and scaling a French yacon production chain to reduce carbon footprint and secure supply.

* Expanding their product range and B2B offer for professionals looking for more sustainable, low‑sugar recipes.
  • Social posts and ecosystem articles frame them as part of a broader “healthy sugar” or “sweet revolution” trend, aligned with rising concern about sugar and ultra‑processed foods in Europe since around 2022–2025.

Where the discussion is happening

  • Online, Yacon & co appears across:
    • Their own site and shop for products and education on yacon.
* Social platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn) used to share recipes, behind‑the‑scenes production stories, and calls for community participation in the “sugar revolution”.

* Startup and agri‑innovation ecosystems (accelerators, food‑innovation media, agri‑tech communities) that spotlight them as a case of “from crop to finished product” innovation.
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Aspect Details for “Yacon & co”
Core idea Use yacon root to replace sugar and artificial sweeteners with a low‑GI, high‑fibre, tasty alternative.
Founded / base Startup founded in 2021, based near Paris, France, operating in food and beverage/foodtech.
Key products Yacon syrup, sugar‑free chocolate spread, sugar‑free hazelnut praline, “sugar‑free sugar”.
Health positioning Low glycemic index, fewer calories than sugar, rich in prebiotic fibres, geared to reduce sugar intake without sacrificing taste.
Brand tone Educational, friendly, mission‑driven, transparent, slightly quirky; focuses on “healthy indulgence”.
Supply chain Peruvian cooperative origin plus a French yacon sector launched in Brittany; new Peruvian factory announced with local partners.
Where it’s trending Food‑innovation media, agri‑tech ecosystems, health‑conscious consumer communities, specialty retail, and professional kitchen circles.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.