FIELD NOTES NUM. 01
ALTAE
The Earth. Recorded. On chain.
Drop 001: Altai shilajit as the first demonstration
SLIDE 02
PROBLEM
- Modern supply chains erase origin and create a trust crisis in origin-sensitive goods
- Private COAs and vague sourcing leave customers unable to verify identity, contaminants, or provenance
- Communities at origin rarely share in upside
The Trust Gap
SLIDE 03
INSIGHT
- 01
Trust becomes structural when proof is public, specific, and permanent
A claim is marketing. A public lot record is infrastructure.
- 02
Most supplement brands publish a test. ALTAE publishes a record
Not a single PDF. A linked chain: lot, methods, limits, custody, retain sample.
- 03
Connection is continuity from origin to unit
Each jar resolves to its exact lot, and that lot resolves to its evidence.
- 04
A ledger converts trust from narrative to verification
Evidence first, then release.
- 05
A repeatable disclosure standard scales beyond shilajit
Shilajit is the entry point. The system applies across origins and categories.
Drop rule: No result, no drop.
LEDGER ANATOMY
UNIT
QR on jar
Lot ID on label
LOT PAGE
altae.earth/ledger/LOT A001
Status: Pending, Verified...
EVIDENCE PACK
COA PDF
Methods summary
Limits and pass fail
Sampling note
TRACE
Chain of custody log
Handling steps
Retain sample record
INTEGRITY
File fingerprint for COA
Version history
Timestamped update log
RELEASE GATE
Evidence required
SLIDE 04
SOLUTION
A technical record of proof plus an atlas of origin.
01 VERIFICATION
Independent testing per lot, published publicly. Every drop has a lot ID, a public COA, and a permanent record of methods, limits, and results.
02 DOCUMENTATION
Origin is not a claim. It is documented with consent through local partners, field notes, and recorded context tied to the lot record.
03 RECIPROCITY
Connection returns to the buyer and the community. Buyers can see what is real, and can vote on where a portion of each drop returns through community selected projects.
04 REPEATABILITY
This is a repeatable system across the world. Shilajit is Drop 001. The product is the standard and the record.
Bottom line:
Release rule: No result, no drop.
ATLAS OF ORIGIN
Public Record by Drop
DROP 001 MONGOLIA ALTAI
PUBLIC LOT RECORD
LOT A001
- COA PDF
- METHODS AND LIMITS
- CHAIN OF CUSTODY NOTES
- RETURN RECEIPT
DROP 002 CENTRAL ASIA
DROP 003 HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS
DROP 004 ANDES HIGHLANDS
DROP 005 ATLAS RANGE
DROP 006 SAHARA OASIS
SLIDE 05
THE ALTAE ENGINE
A repeatable system for origin based drops. Proof gates release. Each drop strengthens the standard.
01
Inputs
Origin partner, consent, context, raw material, custody artifacts.
02
Proof Gate
Independent testing per lot. Identity plus contaminants. No pass, no release.
03
Public Record
Lot page, COA, methods, limits, custody, retain sample.
04
Drop Mechanics
Limited batch release. Waitlist allocation. Price integrity through scarcity plus proof.
05
Return Loop
Value flows back. Receipt published. Standard updated.
Shilajit is the entry point. The system scales across origins and categories.
INPUTS
- Origin partner
- Consent and context
- Raw material
- Traceability artifacts
- Retain sample
PROOF GATE
RELEASE RULE
No result, no drop
ENGINE OUTPUT PER DROP
Lot page + COA + trace artifacts
OUTPUTS
- Public COA
- Lot page and ledger
- QR to evidence
- Limited drop release
RETURN LOOP
PROOF BUNDLE (IMMUTABLE)
SLIDE 06
WHY DROP 001 IS SHILAJIT
- 01Shilajit has extreme trust deficits and high willingness to pay for proof
- 02It is the fastest way to demonstrate the end-to-end system
- 03Once the engine exists, adding new drops has lower marginal cost
LOCATION
Bayan-Ölgii Province, Western Mongolia
SLIDE 07
PRODUCT EXPERIENCE
- 01Landing page with brand story and transparency positioning
- 02Ledger index with all published lots
- 03Lot page with COA, chain log, and origin documentation
- 04Story page with origin films and narrative
- 05Waitlist and drop access flow
The product is the public record plus the drop
Lot Detail Page
Ledger Index
Origin Story
Artifacts & Lab Panels
SLIDE 08
MARKET
01 WEDGE MARKET (SAM)
$24.9B
Source: IBISWorld, Online Vitamin & Supplement Sales in the US.
02 PLATFORM MARKET (TAM)
$161.7B
Source: Global Wellness Institute, Wellness Economy Monitor 2024.
03 SOM
$13.0M
Source: GIIResearch estimate for US shilajit base; online and premium shares are internal assumptions to validate.
SIZING LOGIC
TAM: Wellness is a broad spend category with recurring purchase behavior.
SAM: US online vitamins & supplements—the DTC channel we can reach efficiently.
SOM: US shilajit base × online share × premium share × target penetration.
Share assumptions flagged as internal and testable via early CAC + conversion data.
SLIDE 09
COMPETITION
Most brands either publish lab results or tell an origin story. Almost none do both, at lot level, with public proof.
- 01
What this map measures
X axis: Proof transparency (private or vague COAs → public lot level COA). Y axis: Origin documentation (generic sourcing → traceable place plus context).
- 02
How to read placements
Public proof means a customer can access a COA without emailing support, and it is tied to a batch or lot. Documented origin means the place and chain of custody are specific, repeatable, and evidenced, not copywriting.
- 03
What's missing in the category
Proof is often non public, non lot specific, or PDF buried. 'Sourcing' is usually generic region claims without custody artifacts. Social impact is rarely audited, receipted, or tied back to lots.
- 04
ALTAE wedge
ALTAE sits top right: public lot proof + documented origin + trace ledger. Rule is structural: No result, no drop.
SLIDE 10
BUSINESS MODEL
01 DROPS MODEL
$69
15g resin jar, DTC, domestic shipping included
Limited batch releases with public lot proof
Shilajit is the entry point; the repeatable system is the product
02 VARIABLE COST (ex testing)
$21
Resin, Packaging, Fulfillment, Processing, Ledger/Ops
Product + pack = $11.20; remainder is fulfillment + payments + ledger ops
Resin $8.00 + Pack $3.20 = $11.20; Fulfillment $6.00 + Processing $2.10 + Ledger/ops $1.70 = $9.80
03 TESTING (Alkemist)
$2,000
Per lot. Lot size 1,000 jars. Amortized $2.00 per jar
04 MARGIN
70%
Contribution profit $48 per jar (ex testing)
Including testing amortization: $46.00 per jar, 67%
SLIDE 11
REVENUE
Drops are the revenue unit. Each Drop is one tested lot with one public record.
ASSUMPTIONS
- Price per unit$69
- Variable unit cost$21
- Testing per lot (Alkemist)$2,000
- Contribution profit (after testing) = Units × (Price − Variable cost) − Testing per lot
Testing is fixed per lot and improves unit economics as lots scale.
Testing amortization: $2.00 → $0.80 per unit as lots scale (Drops 1–4).
DROP 001
1,000 units
Revenue
$69,000
Contribution Profit (After Testing)
$46,000
DROP 002
1,500 units
Revenue
$103,500
Contribution Profit (After Testing)
$70,000
DROP 003
2,000 units
Revenue
$138,000
Contribution Profit (After Testing)
$94,000
DROP 004
2,500 units
Revenue
$172,500
Contribution Profit (After Testing)
$118,000
12 MONTH
7,000 units
Total Revenue
$483,000
Total Contribution (After Testing)
$328,000
~68% margin
CUMULATIVE BY DROP
Contribution profit = Revenue - Variable cost ($21) - Testing ($2,000/lot). Excludes paid marketing, returns, chargebacks.
SLIDE 12
TRACTION
Signal captured. Proof gated. Deposit next.
WAITLIST
898
3 months, organic and referral
VERIFIED COMMITMENTS
567
Email confirmed, COA contingent
DEPOSIT VALIDATION
NEXT
Small deposit hold to validate paid demand
PROOF STATUS
Sample received and retain sample logged
Alkemist testing underway
Origin partner and consent secured
Media edits complete and ready to publish
Ledger and waitlist live at altae.earth
INTENT SIGNAL
63%
Metrics as of Jan 2026
SLIDE 13
FOUNDERS
Haamid Adam
FOUNDING PARTNER
haamid@altae.earth
- •Chartered Engineer and MIT Sloan MBA
- •Built Roomeru.com, a student first housing platform
- •Co founding Thermolytic Materials, an MIT MechE lab spinout
- •Built trust and compliance systems in regulated global supply chains across Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the UK with SIEMENS.
- •Cultural ties to South Asia and the Middle East
- •Leads ALTAE's proof system, ledger, supply chain controls, and media direction
- •Worked in the West Coast VC ecosystem with DCVC, bringing a systems approach to trust, provenance, and quality
Akmaral Janat
COFOUNDER
aquaj197@mit.edu
- •Kazakh Mongolian American, grew up connected to Western Mongolia and the steppe
- •UPenn Math and Econ, MIT Sloan MBA
- •Origin partnerships, consent, chain of custody, and field logistics for Drop 001
- •Community first sourcing model with fair pay and documented provenance
SLIDE 14
ROADMAP & USE OF FUNDS
MILESTONES
USE OF FUNDS
APPENDIX A1
WHAT THE LEDGER PROVES IN PLAIN ENGLISH
The ledger makes integrity failures visible and therefore costly.
NO CHERRY PICKING
These artifacts belong to this lot.
Cross lot reuse fails verification
- •The manifest binds COA, panels, custody notes, and origin assets to one lot ID
- •Reusing best looking files across lots breaks verification
NO SILENT CHANGES
Evidence cannot be quietly swapped.
Any swap changes the fingerprint
- •Every file has a fingerprint. Change the file and the fingerprint changes
- •Any mismatch is visible to anyone verifying, not only ALTAE
NO HISTORY REWRITES
You cannot rewrite the record after publishing.
Once anchored, history cannot be rewritten
- •Publish time is recorded and receipts are signed at publication
- •Chain anchoring later makes the publish time externally immutable
ALTAE does not ask for trust. It makes trust checkable.
APPENDIX A2
HOW THE PHYSICAL WORLD TOUCHES THE LEDGER
Hashes prove file integrity. Controls link the tested sample to the lot shipped.
PHYSICAL
LEDGER
LOT ID AND SEAL
Lot ID applied to containers plus tamper seal on every unit
Lot created event plus unit level lot ID recorded
SAMPLE DRAW
Sample pulled from the lot, sealed, labeled, photographed
Sample draw record plus seal photo added as artifacts
SHIP TO LAB
Tracked shipment to lab with tamper intact packaging
Lab shipped event plus tracking number and timestamp
LAB INTAKE AND COA
Lab assigns intake ID and returns COA for the received sample
Lab intake recorded plus COA PDF fingerprint published
PUBLISH AND RETAIN
Retain sample archived for challenge retest
Bundle created, receipt signed, publish event, retain log artifact
Ledger integrity plus physical controls closes the gap between evidence and inventory.
APPENDIX A3
WHAT WE MEAN BY 'IT MAKES FALSIFICATION EXPENSIVE'
The system raises the cost of cheating by raising the probability of detection.
DETECTION
- •Swapped PDFs and images create fingerprint mismatches
- •Cross lot reuse becomes visible in the manifest structure
- •Verification is independent and repeatable
ACCOUNTABILITY
- •Append only events create a public timeline per lot
- •Signed receipts show what existed and when
- •Updates must be explicit rather than silent replacements
CONSEQUENCE
- •Mismatch is a public integrity signal
- •Trust failure becomes measurable rather than arguable
- •Brands cannot rely on ambiguity
This is a proof system, not a branding claim.
APPENDIX A3.1
THE TRUST TAX
When proof is checkable, ambiguity becomes a measurable operating cost.
COST OF AMBIGUITY
01 TRUST DISCOUNT
Claims you cannot check get discounted. Conversion drops or price must drop.
02 CAC INFLATION
Without proof, marketing must fund persuasion: education, reassurance, testimonials, discounting.
03 PUBLIC FAILURE MODE
When evidence is checkable, a mismatch becomes a visible integrity event, not an argument.
Proof reduces the spend required to overcome skepticism.
CAC PER ORDER UNDER "PROOF EXPECTED" CONDITIONS
Illustrative model using ALTAE unit economics. Not measured.
$25
ALTAE PROOFED
Contribution after CAC
$23
TRUST TAX
+$20
$45
NO PROOF BRAND
Contribution after CAC
$3
Contribution before CAC = $69 − $21 = $48. Trust tax is modeled as CAC inflation from persuasion and discounting.
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