Podcast Ep 310: Seasoned entrepreneur Jane Ronayne and Sarah Sexton launch Oac Snacks with scaling ambitions after previous business exits.
Jane Ronayne sold her last company to an Australian buyer in 2022 after raising over €3m from high-profile investors including a Meta director and a billionaire philanthropist. Sarah Sexton closed her cult-favourite Cork bakery Bean Brownie rather than compromise on quality when costs spiralled.
Now the two entrepreneurs have joined forces to tackle what they see as a massive gap in the healthy snacking market: protein-rich treats that actually taste good.
“We started off with a couple of conditions. The first would be that we’re doing this to grow a global company. The second that we want to try and fund it ourselves to maintain control”
Their Cork-based start-up Oac Snacks launched eight months ago with a simple Instagram post and no advertising budget. Within two weeks, more than 1,000 customers had joined their waiting list.
“There have been protein balls around for a while. There’s been protein bars around for a while. None of them taste good,” says Ronayne, who tried everything from RX bars to David bars during her time living in the United States. “I could not find something that tasted good.”
The timing appears fortuitous. Irish food exports hit a record €19bn in 2024, while consumer demand for convenient, protein-rich snacking continues to accelerate as busy professionals seek better fuel for demanding lifestyles.
Learning from previous ventures
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Both founders bring hard-won experience from their previous businesses. Ronayne started Talivest as a college yearbook business before pivoting into HR analytics, eventually attracting investors including Charlie Songhurst from Meta and billionaire Nicolas Berggruen.
“Funding is one thing. It’s not something I believe is success because you’re giving away your company,” Ronayne reflects. “The first question shouldn’t be ‘How can I raise money?’ It should be ‘How do I win customers and grow revenue?’“
Sexton’s journey with Bean Brownie began during maternity leave in 2014, starting with energy balls at Mahon Point farmers’ market and growing into a bakery and café with a devoted following that included the Munster rugby team and corporate clients.
But by 2023, rising costs from cocoa prices to electricity made it increasingly difficult to maintain quality while treating employees fairly. Rather than compromise her values, Sexton made the tough decision to close.
“I was looking at compromising our values or making hard decisions on quality, and I decided to leave the party on a high rather than compromise on what we believed in,” she explains.
Built for scale from day one
The founders’ previous experiences have shaped their approach to Oac Snacks. Unlike many start-ups that focus initially on proving concept, they are talking about scaling from the outset.
“We started off with a couple of conditions. The first would be that we’re doing this to grow a global company. The second that we want to try and fund it ourselves to maintain control,” says Ronayne.
The business model centres on direct-to-consumer sales through a subscription service, capitalising on their protein balls’ natural 12-month shelf life. With over 70% of customers returning and ordering at least every two weeks, the subscription model seemed logical.
“We’re all about trying to make this experience as easy and seamless as possible,” says Ronayne, noting that European consumers lag behind Americans in embracing food subscriptions but the trend is growing.
The partnership leverages complementary skills. “Jane is the sprinter, I’m the slow burn distance runner,” explains Sexton. “Jane is the energy, the speed, the big sky thinking. She sees white space where other people don’t see it.”
Ronayne describes Sexton as bringing operational expertise and realistic timelines to ambitious plans. “Sarah was wearing about 10 different hats, and just nailed it,” she says of the period when she was on maternity leave.
Feeding the snacks revolution
From a commercial kitchen in Ronayne’s back garden, the company has produced over 85,000 protein balls and now serves around 1,500 customers in what they call their “community.” Everything is still hand-rolled to maintain that homemade quality.
International expansion is already underway. The plan is to enter the UK market by the third quarter of 2026, followed by the US in the fourth quarter.
“Each market will be different. The UK is going to demand a different land-and-expand approach,” says Sexton. “We know the UK is more subscription-literate than Ireland, and there’s big appetite for subscriptions in the US.”
The founders plan a complementary mix of direct-to-consumer sales, corporate accounts, and retail partnerships, though they are selective about retail partners that align with their brand values.
Riding the protein wave
Consumer behaviour around protein is changing rapidly, the founders observe. “I see it in my parents’ generation – they’re now looking to get more protein and trying to figure out ways to do that,” says Ronayne.
She cites the example of her father, now hooked on their new Oac Crumb product – a collagen and protein chocolate crumb with roasted hazelnuts that he has daily on his cereal. “For him to even be asking questions like ‘Is this the best thing for me?’ or having a protein ball on the golf course instead of getting the Twix in the golf shop – making swaps like that are really impactful.”
Customer feedback consistently mentions improved energy levels and reduced afternoon energy crashes. “When you’re thinking about hitting your protein goals in the morning, that’s a guaranteed extra 10 grams of protein without feeling like a big effort,” Ronayne notes.
The company’s focus on recognisable ingredients – “nothing there that you can’t buy on a shelf” – resonates with health-conscious consumers increasingly wary of processed foods.
As they prepare for rapid growth, both founders acknowledge the challenges ahead while drawing confidence from their previous entrepreneurial battles. “All the war wounds from years ago have healed over, and you’re just a bit thicker-skinned, a bit calmer,” says Sexton. “You’re ready for everything to be rocky for a year or two. You know what’s coming.”
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Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. All episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:
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Spotify
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SoundCloud
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Apple
