How we brought nature-based solutions to market - Biotonomy

It can sound cliché to say this but the evidence is there in every conversation we have with successful businesses and organisations... 

“Success is not a straight line!”

Last week we were joined by our Green Buildings Community ambassadors, Moein Nodehi and Miguel Villen Molina from Biotonomy, a global development and education company working with nature-based solutions and innovative technologies to develop autonomous buildings, cities & communities. 

During this webinar Moein & Miguel shared their story and how they brought nature-based solutions to market in Malaga. Their journey with Biotonomy took them from near bankruptcy and struggling to find their first customers to a successful and trusted partner of the City of Malaga and many other clients across Spain, Switzerland & South America.

The full recording of the webinar is available below or via our YouTube channel and we have also highlighted the key takeaways, insights and nuggets of advice shared by Biotonomy - see further down below the video for this.

Key Takeaways - How we brought Nature-based Solutions to Market

More than simple key takeaways from this webinar, the below are real world practical steps that any nature-based enterprise or start-up offering nature-based solutions can follow. How they developed their network and customer based is particularly interesting and useful.

1. Never Give Up - Test, Learn & Adapt!

From a young age, Moein learned to pivot and adapt to his surroundings. Giving up was never an option and instead he chose to learn from closed doors and perceived failures. Four earlier businesses didn’t work out but his grit, determination and passion led him to establish Biotonomy in Malaga. Even then a lack of funding, grant deadlines, local authority planning restrictions and endless obstacles and challenges had to be overcome. Yet, together with Miguel they never stopped knocking on doors, testing, learning and adapting their offering. 

Finally, the opportunity for a “trojan horse project” came along following an introduction made at a networking event on the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform. A brave partner and an innovative hotel in Malaga opened the door and Biotonomy seized the opportunity to set the bar and get people talking with a flagship project that the market could no longer ignore. 

Suffice is to say, they smashed it! 

2. Communication goes two ways - Listen first!

This is a hard lesson to learn and requires a level of self-awareness, reflection and putting the ego to one side. In their early days Moein & Miguel took a very broad or shotgun approach to selling every solution at once to prospective clients. Pitches and meetings focused on telling clients what Bitonomy had to say. After COVID, they cleverly focused on pharmacies as potential clients with solid cash flows and revenues but still, the answer was no! 

Both entrepreneurs had such a strong and passionate belief in their offering it was hard to understand why the market was not responding. Staying calm, they took a step back and listened carefully to the feedback they had received - the market wasn’t ready for everything their vision entailed, it was a little overwhelming for clients who were new to the potential of nature-based solutions. 

So they listened, what elements could be tested by clients…?

3. Focus on Sales - Tailor your Message

In their early days, Biotonomy was heavy on experts and light on sales & marketing. Of course, their solutions required expertise from architects, ecologists, engineers, urban planners and landscape architects but scientists and technical professionals are not always the best salespeople. Rebalancing the team to focus on sales & marketing was key to their success.

Again, Moein & Miguel’s early presentations with new clients had the same message for all clients and sectors. Only by testing this, seeing how people responded and listening to their feedback did they learn that they needed to tailor their offering from one sector or client to another. The offering for a hotel was very different to the offering for a local authority or an educational institution. 

In the world of climate & biodiversity action, of which nature-based solutions is very much part, the idea of sales, profit and capitalism can be seen as dirty. Biotonomy staff don't wear suits but they do understand the importance of sales and how that contributes to their ultimate purpose and vision as well as helping to scale the impact their work has. Even still, Moein & Miguel had to shift their perspective and attitude to sales. They genuiney believe that what they offer benefits clients, their staff and local communities and this comes across clearly when speaking with them as well as in their work. Sales is not a dirty word - it's an opportunity to scale the co-benefits of nature and value ecosystem services as we should!

Every client is unique, with different needs and pain points - respond accordingly!

4. Develop a Network - Be Genuine!

Biotonomy’s approach to developing a network is hugely impressive and something we can all learn from. Once they had identified hotels & tourism as a more receptive market and they already knew local authorities had a demand for nature-based solutions Miguel and Moein divided up their sales team to focus on these different areas. Miguel, who had a background in the public sector developed a strategy with both new and existing contacts of his while Moein and other team members focused on hotels and other private sector groups. 

Using their “trojan horse project” in the Mariposa Hotel as a showcase they organised a number of events and invited public officials, decision makers and key players from their relevant target groups. This was a carefully planned and well executed model that required research and many conversations to first understand who these key players were. The media were invited for coverage and photo opportunities and so these guests and potential clients got something from the event also.

Going further, Bitonomy developed targeted lists of who they wanted to speak with in each different sector. They used LinkedIn, established contacts, and were simply brave enough to ask for introductions and help along the way. Even then, things were not linear. Remember, from initially focusing on pharmacies and public officials in City Hall, Biotonomy found their way to working in tourism with a local hotel. They had almost given up on working with the public sector having invested a year’s time in it and getting nowhere. But again, it was their project with this hotel that opened the doors of the public sector when at a launch event, local councillors in attendance expressed an interest in seeing what else Biotonomy could do to introduce more nature into the City of Malaga! 

What was particularly impressive was how they then approached these potential clients. Many people would simply cold call and say “I want to tell you…” or “Do you have availability for me…”! Instead of always asking for something, Moein and Miguel offered their prospects a tour of their previous projects, invited them to further events and even went as far as offering no cost assessments and proposals to demonstrate the possibilities of nature-based solutions tailored to that client. 

In conclusion, Moein & Miguel had many ups and downs at Biotonomy before they achieved the success they have today. At times, there were bills to be paid and very little to pay them with, there were long hours with very little to show for it but determination, hard work and an ability to listen and adapt to the market eventually paid off. 

They saw opportunities in other people’s construction challenges and believed in what they were selling. Sales is not a bad word when your solutions will improve the work and lives of clients, their staff, customers and local communities. 

Biotonomy’s understanding of the ecosystem they belong to is ultimately what has led to their success. They listened and learned, refined their offering and they continue to do so and develop new products accordingly. 

We wish them continued success as they continue the urban greening of Malaga and beyond!

Moein Nodehi and Miguel Villen Molina have kindly said they are happy to answer questions should people like to contact them on LinkedIn. Their willingness to share their experiences and continue learning themselves is a great representation of the nature-based solutions community in Europe!