By ebbu Staff
When ebbu Founder and CEO Jon Cooper began to explore the possibilities of a launching a new cannabis business, the seasoned entrepreneur’s first thought on the plant’s chemistry was: “We’re dealing with lots of chaos here.”
As he learned more about the species cannabis sativa L., he realized variability was a key issue. Each plant contains dozens of active chemical compounds in each trichome, creating competing reactions in the human body. And not only that, the levels of compounds differed widely depending on the strain. He decided that developing products that focused on particular strains was the wrong direction to go.
“Different plants, different strains, different products sold in different dispensaries in different states,” Mr. Cooper said. “You can never have a direct relationship between a strain and a consistent experience and product, because the plant itself is inconsistent.”
So when he founded ebbu in 2013, Mr. Cooper’s vision was to solve the uncertainties surrounding cannabis consumption. He knew that getting consumers to trust that they would have a consistent experience was the most critical path for mainstream adoption of cannabis products.
He tapped into his two decades of experience in entrepreneurship, business strategy, planning and product management to chart the course for Colorado-based ebbu to help brands develop cannabinoid products that delivered a reliable desired outcome. The challenge he presented to the team of biochemists and pharmacology and genetics experts he recruited was simple yet infinitely complex: “We need to come up with a path that will allow us to create consistency everywhere, every time.”
But to do that, he realized his world-class team of experienced scientists would need to take cannabis research to a new level.
“You take the plant and tear it apart, and the question was: Could you put it back together? We spent a lot of R&D trying to figure that out,” Mr. Cooper said. “Now we have a process in which we can choose the different compounds and put them back together for a specific, exact, consistent formulation.”
Based on ebbu’s scientific discoveries, the company has filed upwards of 40 patents related to more than 1,500 inventions, including water-soluble cannabinoid technology and the development of cannabinoid formulations that produce consistent mood effects, such as stimulating creativity or relaxation.
“Really we're in the cannabinoid business, not the cannabis business,” he says.
Mr. Cooper manages company operations and oversee all aspects of ebbu’s business and strategy, including negotiations and ongoing partnerships with manufacturers and brands. Mr. Cooper’s vision to revolutionize the industry with specialized cannabinoid formulations is becoming a reality, as evidenced by a recent partnership with CERIA Beverages—a company founded by the creator of Blue Moon beer—that will bring a first-of-its-kind craft beer to consumers, one that is THC-infused and non-alcoholic.
The group of scientists that Mr. Cooper gathered are now setting the bar for cannabinoid research and cutting-edge plant science, experimenting with cannabis plant genetics that will change how cannabis is cultivated. And ebbu is also dedicated to propelling cannabis science globally, by sharing findings with the international cannabis science community.
Mr. Cooper is no stranger to learning about new technologies and how to bring them to consumers. Prior to ebbu, Mr. Cooper launched a number of companies and served in various leadership roles in technology, communications, consulting and media firms. He has worked with dozens of startups to help them refine their business strategy and plans, and he’s guided them with their financing strategies and investor relations.
Mr. Cooper was co-founder of Aventura, a context-aware computing company that has created 26 new advanced computing patents. During his tenure at Aventura he served as President, Vice President of strategy, VP of marketing and VP of product. Before Aventura, Mr. Cooper co-founded SkyWay Systems, a wireless vehicle tracking and security solution for Ford Motor Company.
Mr. Cooper led or participated in funding raises of more than $15 million at each firm.
Mr. Cooper earned his B.A. from the University of Colorado. He has also worked on the global strategy team of Level3 Communications and was a consultant at professional services firm Accenture.
Now that you’ve met our science-minded CEO, you should also meet our Director of Clinical Pharmacology and our Chief Science Officer.