Gama Organica: From a personal cause to a business for harmless cleaning products

In a world where consumers are increasingly concerned about the origin and content of food and cosmetics, Elitsa Boycheva, a financier by education and a mother by vocation, decided to turn her attention to an often overlooked aspect of everyday life: cleaning products. Her personal battle for a safe home environment and a cleaner nature is at the heart of the creation of Gama Organica, a Bulgarian brand of eco-friendly cleaning products that has received European funding and whose mission is to change attitudes and offer a healthy alternative to mass-produced chemicals.

Elitsa Boycheva will share her experience and take part in a seminar on “Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Kyustendil,” part of the European project TOP JOBS, which will be held on June 10, 2025, at the Kyustendil Municipality building.

The event, organized by Brand Media Bulgaria in partnership with the Municipality of Kyustendil, aims to encourage entrepreneurship in coal-dependent regions by presenting real-life examples of successful start-ups and initiatives, including those funded by the European Cohesion Policy.

A personal need that gave birth to a cause

The story of Gama Organica is not your typical business tale. Elitsa, who in the past envisioned a career as a university lecturer or part of the corporate world, underwent a profound transformation with the birth of her child.

Motherhood brought about a major personal transformation for me,” she shares. “My consumer habits changed radically. I started to pay a lot of attention to what I was bringing into my home in terms of food, cosmetics, and cleaning products.”

That's when the idea for something meaningful, something she could do herself, was born. The search for harmless household cleaning products proved to be a real challenge.

I couldn't find any alternatives on the market that were good enough for me,” Elitsa explains.

Realizing the lack of truly safe and environmentally friendly products, she decided to take matters into her own hands and start making her own cleaning products. The good results inspired her to turn this personal initiative into something bigger.

The challenges: a pandemic and consumer awareness

Gama Organica started in an extremely challenging environment. The construction of the production facility in Kyustendil began in the fall of 2019, just a few months before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This delayed the launch of the products on the market by almost a year. However, Elitsa's biggest concerns were not related to operational difficulties, but to consumer reaction. “Will people like the products?” was the question that worried her the most.

However, the first few months and positive customer feedback quickly dispelled these doubts.

One of the most difficult challenges for Gama Organica remains convincing people to think about the contents of the cleaning products they use every day.

It is still difficult for people to think first about what they are actually bringing into their homes every day... and second, to get them to take a serious look at environmental issues,” Elitsa admits.

For her, Gama Organica is not just a brand, but a cause – a mission to spread information and raise awareness about the importance of informed choices.

European funding: a catalyst for growth

The decision to set up Gama Organica as a fully-fledged business coincided with the announcement of a European funding program for start-ups.

I saw it as a great opportunity,” says Elitsa.

This was a turning point – she left the corporate world and devoted herself entirely to her venture.

European funding played a key role in the initial stage of development.

We were able to cover a large part of the costs for equipment and machinery,” explains Elitsa.

Some of the funds are also being used for marketing and market entry. Although the construction of the production facility in Kyustendil is entirely a personal investment, European support has greatly facilitated the start-up and structuring of the business at a higher level.

The application process is relatively long, especially when it involves investments in long-term tangible assets and public procurement. Despite her experience with regulatory documents, Elitsa decided to use a consulting firm, which proved to be a wise decision. She advises other start-up family businesses to research and use similar programs, but with one important caveat:

Don't look at a program as money to finance something, but rather have a vision for the business you want to build.”

Health first

The principles for selecting ingredients for Gama Organica's products are clear and uncompromising. The list of prohibited ingredients is much longer than the list of permitted ones.

The first fundamental rule is that an ingredient must be safe for human health and then, of course, it must be biodegradable,” explains Elitsa.

She highlights a key difference: while many “organic” and “eco” products on the market are biodegradable, they are not always completely safe for human health, as they may contain ingredients that irritate the respiratory system, cause allergies, or are endocrine disruptors. This is the essence of Gama Organica – to offer products that pose no risk to the endocrine and respiratory systems and do not cause allergies.

However, their production is significantly more expensive than conventional products.

A plant extract with a cleansing effect is dozens of times more expensive than what is used in mass-produced detergents or cleaning products,” says Elitsa.

The raw materials are sourced from distributors of established global manufacturers and directly from foreign producers, as Bulgaria still lacks such an industry for ecological raw materials.

Customers and the future: Expansion and inspiration

In three and a half years on the market, Gama Organica has built a reputation as a trusted manufacturer for people with allergies and other health issues. The main customers are young families with small children and households with pets, but Elitsa is surprised to note a growing interest from middle-aged people looking for a healthier lifestyle.

The products are mainly sold online, but the company is actively expanding its presence in physical stores throughout the country – in Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Blagoevgrad, Varna, Plovdiv, and other cities.

The future looks promising for Gama Organica. Elitsa has many ideas for expanding the product range and will certainly continue to develop new products. The company also plans to enter foreign markets, with the initial targets being neighboring countries, given the easier logistics.

Elitsa Boycheva appeals to everyone:

Just as we are thinking more and more about what we eat, we should also think carefully about the detergents and cleaning products we use.”

She emphasizes that the problem with conventional detergents is not only while we are cleaning, but that their ingredients remain on surfaces, in the air, and come into constant contact with our skin and respiratory system, as well as those of our children and pets. Her mission is to inspire people to take small but meaningful steps that lead to big results—for our health and for the planet.

Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Managing Authority. Neither the European Union nor the Managing Authority can be held responsible for them.

Translated with DeepL.