OTRAFY is an AI-powered SaaS platform developed with the goal of enhancing efficiency in quality management and food safety certification. The idea originated from a technology competition, where the founding team identified a pressing issue within the global food supply chain: data related to origin, certification, and production processes was often stored manually, scattered across systems, lacking consistency, and making traceability a challenge. With a vision to reform how the food industry operates through technology, they developed a solution to automate and standardize the collection, storage, and transfer of data.
Instead of forcing producers, distributors, and retailers to struggle with piles of paperwork and fragmented management systems, OTRAFY built a centralized platform where all certification and compliance data is synchronized in real time. A standout feature of the platform is its AI integration, which enables risk analysis and certificate validity verification. This not only simplifies the quality inspection process but also fosters a transparent and trustworthy ecosystem among stakeholders in the supply chain.
A key strength in OTRAFY‘s technology development lies in its focus on a niche market—organic food producers and export businesses that require standardized certification documentation. Unlike traditional, broad, and complex ERP solutions, OTRAFY opted to design a flexible, lightweight MVP centered on a specific problem: optimizing certification management in the food industry. After piloting the MVP with several food companies in North America, the team continuously improved the product based on real user feedback, especially the challenges of adapting to ever-evolving FDA regulations and global standards like GFSI.
OTRAFY’s technology not only addresses traceability but also delivers long-term value in risk management. In traditional supply chains, identifying an error in the production process could take weeks, resulting in significant losses. But when data is linked in real time, every event is recorded and clearly located, enabling businesses to respond swiftly and effectively to crises. Compared to manual information management tools like Excel spreadsheets or conventional accounting software not tailored to the food industry, OTRAFY’s solution saves time and significantly reduces operational errors.
In 2021, ONTRAFY won First Prize at TECHFEST Vietnam 2021, opening doors to partnerships with startup support organizations in both Vietnam and internationally. Additionally, ONTRAFY has been featured among the standout startups selected to join global innovation programs aimed at commercializing products in the Asian market.
One important lesson from ONTRAFY’s journey is this: instead of building a product packed with features from the outset, start with a solution that tackles a sufficiently difficult and specific problem. Then, listen to the market, learn from small failures, and iterate continuously. Choosing the right target market—food businesses under high compliance pressure—helped ONTRAFY stand out in the crowded field of generalist SaaS solutions. Furthermore, its deep understanding of processes, industry-specific knowledge, and ability to translate legal requirements into automated algorithms have allowed this startup to maintain a technological edge.
For founders beginning their journey in tech product development, ONTRAFY‘s story is a clear testament to the value of staying closely aligned with end users from the very beginning. Technology only becomes meaningful when it solves a real need—and when developed properly, it can act as a catalyst to transform an entire industry.
