Watching his arthritic grandmother walk from Haymarket to Circular Quay was the inspiration Vincent Candrawinata needed to found his company Renovatio, a $20 million skincare and supplements supplier for Woolworths.
She had been near immobile and was hestitant to have surgery when he visited her in Indonesia with samples of Australian apple antioxidant extracts he had produced as part of his PhD research at the University of Newcastle.
Three months later, when she was visiting him in Sydney, she was enthusiastically walking the 2.5km between Haymarket and Circular Quay.
Zoom ahead eight years, and Vincent – now Dr Candrawinata – has founded a company that just agreed to an estimated $20 million deal to supply Woolworths stores with its skincare products and supplements.
His company – Renovatio – makes products using the antioxidants from Australian apples using a technique he developed while completing his PhD. The apples are mostly sourced from Orange, NSW. Dr Candrawinata says the volcanic soil and climatic conditions of Orange make for good sources.
Watching his grandmother walk rekindled a spark in Dr Candrawinata.
“There was something – in that moment – that reaffirmed my dream and my passion in science … to help people.”
His grandmother had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her knee, preventing her from walking comfortably. Her friend had recently had surgery that exacerbated her pain and Dr Candrawinata’s grandmother was understandably apprehensive about surgery.
A former ballroom dancer, she found the ailment debilitating, Dr Candrawinata says.
While visiting her in Indonesia, he gave her three months’ worth of samples that he had from his research at the University of Newcastle.
Antioxidants can reduce inflammation, according to multiple studies.
“She came and visited me in Sydney, and she was walking all the way from Haymarket to Circular Quay.”
He says this was the push he needed to make the leap from academia to business.
“I was lecturing at the time, but then the experience with my grandma made me want to use the research,” Dr Candrawinata says.
Business did not come naturally to Dr Candrawinata, who had been on an academic pathway before. After he completed his undergraduate degree, he completed an honours year working with an apple farmers’ cooperative in Orange where he was inspired to start the research that would see him develop the new technology that became his PhD and subsequent business.
The agreement with Woolworths is a boon for Renovatio, which has been steadily growing since its foundation in 2015. After seeing around $5 million in revenue in the last financial year, the $20 million deal is a big step forward for the Sydney-based company.
Dr Candrawinata said he thinks that his hard work and drive brought him to this moment.
“I think if you work hard and you have a good intention, the universe will conspire to help you,” he said.
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“I feel that Australia has made a really good investment in me, and I really want to give back to the community. We have the commitment to use only Australian apples and we manufacture in Australia.
“I feel that part of the success I have had so far is made possible only because I’m in Australia.”
Born and raised in Indonesia, Dr Candrawinata has since become an Australian citizen and says that being called an “Aussie” is one of the greatest titles he holds.
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