Startup Spotlight: Nicolás Casaux of Bianca

Kellogg MBA '24 launches AI startup for consumer brands

By: Neesha Godbole

It was minus twelve degrees in Evanston when Nico's phone buzzed with a call from a former colleague. The colleague had just left Wabi—the Coca-Cola-backed startup where they'd worked together—and spotted a gap in the market. He pitched Nico on the idea: a data tool for consumer brands. 

Nico during his '24 graduation at Kellogg’s Global Hub

By the time Nico finished his Kellogg MBA, that conversation had turned into Bianca, an AI startup helping consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies identify where growth is coming from and how to accelerate it. For the Buenos Aires native, it represented the chance to turn years of operations experience into the entrepreneurial venture he'd dreamed of since childhood.

From Buenos Aires to Evanston

Nico’s path to that moment started long before Kellogg. Raised in Buenos Aires, he studied engineering at one of Argentina’s top universities, where he was already dabbling in entrepreneurship. By the time he graduated, Nico had been president of the campus business club, launched side projects with friends, and even experimented with an early version of what would later become Bianca.

His professional career accelerated at Wabi, a Coca-Cola-backed startup digitizing sales to mom-and-pop shops, which Nico joined after graduation. Within a few years, he was leading operations across Asia, managing a team of more than 200 and overseeing $30 million in monthly transactions. Along the way, he co-founded Solidaria Mente, an NGO connecting students to nonprofits—which he continues to lead today. 

Despite his rapidly advancing career at Wabi, Nico knew he wanted to deepen his knowledge and test himself in a top-tier environment. An MBA was always on his mind, and Kellogg—where he earned a full scholarship—would provide exactly that opportunity.

A Fork in the Road

By spring of his second year at Kellogg, Nico had spent months since that initial call laying the groundwork for Bianca. He had enlisted two close friends with complementary skills: Ramiro, a data expert, and Nicolas, an AI programmer and electronics engineer. Both were all in on the venture. Bouncing ideas off classmates and professors at Kellogg, Nico was getting critical feedback that would shape the company's direction.

But then came the choice: accept a corporate offer in Latin America with financial stability and prestige, or jump headfirst into entrepreneurship. Nico called his dad and laid out the options—a safe, high-paying job or returning to Buenos Aires to build Bianca from scratch. His father's response was simple: “The worst thing that can happen is that you don't try.”

That advice sealed it. Nico moved home, leaned on family support, and started building Bianca. "We had no funding, no revenue, no savings," he recalls. "Just conviction and a very low-cost life."

Finding the Right Problem

Bianca actually started as a credit scoring idea. Most CPGs only lend money to the 10% of stores with long track records, leaving out younger shops with growth potential. Nico and his co-founders thought they could help CPGs decide which retailers deserved credit.

But early conversations with prospective customers revealed a different need: segmentation and sales prioritization. Companies, like Coca-Cola, needed to know which stores had the most upside potential, which deserved marketing dollars, and which required frequent visits from sales representatives. Without this data, CPG companies relied on manual surveys or intuition.

To fill this gap, Bianca's solution combines internal sales data with external signals—demographics, foot traffic, Google reviews, Facebook check-ins—to build AI models that sort customers into tiers that can guide commercial strategies.

Early Traction

The company’s first pilot came with Coca-Cola Argentina, followed quickly by others.  But working with large bottlers proved slow, so the team pivoted towards mid-sized brands in markets like Mexico and the U.S., where decisions happen faster. 

Nico presenting Bianca at a global startup competition, which awarded the company “Best AI Model”

Results soon spoke for themselves: one U.S. customer saw a 15x improvement in conversion rates and now relies on Bianca daily across their sales function. 

 Today, Bianca has paying customers across four countries and has raised capital earlier this year from Magma Partners, one of Latin America's top venture firms. They are on track to reach $1 million of annual recurring revenue (ARR) within a year while expanding the team and relocating headquarters based on customer traction.

Staying Grounded

Through the late nights and thankless sacrifices, Nico has developed systems to stay centered. "Launching a startup is an emotional rollercoaster," he says. "One day you land a customer or investment, the next you're wrestling with challenges like you've never seen before."

Nico Casaux and CTO Nico de León taking Bianca’s algorithms to the field.

Nico credits his co-founders for balance, sharing, "We never all have bad days at the same time,” and maintains seven daily habits that he tracks with friends: meditation, journaling, exercise, even cold showers. "Even if the day was tough, I can count personal wins," he says.

That mindset of focusing on process over outcomes has been key. Nico believes that despite the inevitable challenges of entrepreneurship, "The journey is what matters—no matter what, you get better at the process itself."

Looking Ahead

For now, Nico is focused on winning customers in the U.S. and Mexico who can help refine the product for broader market adoption.

His advice to Kellogg peers considering entrepreneurship? "Go for it. Starting something now won't delay your career; if anything, it accelerates it. Organize your finances and give it a real shot.” He doesn't hesitate to add: "It's 300% worth it."

Read about more Kellogg alumni: Bo Schultz, Former MLB Player-Turned V.P. at Erie Street Partners