Growing a business from the ground up

12 July 2023

Graduate Taylor Battistella has turned a schoolyard hobby into his first business.

Most 12-year-old schoolboys are more interested in video games than business ventures.

But back then, Taylor Battistella, now a Monash Business School graduate aged in his mid-20s and heading his own eco-friendly skincare brand, was no ordinary Grade 6 student.

One day while his class was watching a video about silkworms in Japan, he had what would later prove to be a very profitable idea.

“I decided I wanted to get some silkworms, so I bought 100 eggs and reared them in a shoebox from my bedroom,” he said.

What he hadn’t anticipated was just how fertile silkworms can be.

“The average silkworm lays about 500 eggs, so within about a month I had something like 25,000 eggs,” he said.

And while countless Australian children have kept hardy silkworms as pets, it was what young Taylor did next that was exceptional.

Rather than letting the excess eggs go to waste, the budding entrepreneur decided to sell the surplus on eBay.

But then his account was quickly shut down due to the company’s animal product policy.

Undeterred, he built his own website and his first business - Everything Silkworms - was born.

“Back then it started with a lot of retail customers, but over the years it’s grown into more of an education-based business and now I supply hundreds of schools around Australia,” he said.

Arming with skills and knowledge for new challenge

In 2017, Mr Battistella enrolled at Monash Business School to hone his business credentials with a double degree in specialist accounting with a major in marketing.

Taylor Battistella says he is aiming to take his Seresilk products mainstream.

In a nod to his Italian heritage, he also undertook a concurrent diploma in Italian, joining an exchange program with Università Bocconi in Italy in 2019/20 – just as Covid-19 hit.

“Milan was the first place in the world to get Covid after China. It was an incredible time to be trapped abroad – I was stuck in my bedroom for months while the military paraded on the streets,” he said.

With millions in lockdown around the globe, his business began getting enquiries from home crafters wanting silk for a range of projects.

“People started asking about using my Australian silk in skincare products and I realised no one was doing that, even though it’s been used in skincare for about 5,000 years,” he said.

With plenty of time on his hands and ready for a new challenge, Mr Battistella set about creating a cruelty-free, eco-friendly Australian silk skincare range.

Seresilk launched its first product range in April this year, with the synergies between his two businesses supporting the company’s commitment to sustainable, cruelty-free practices.

Cruelty-free skincare

Silk-moths cannot eat or fly, so only have a lifespan of 14 days. Mr Battistella’s silkworms are cared for as they mate and lay eggs.

Silk used for skincare is extracted from their cocoons, which are collected after the pupae emerge as moths, and none are killed in the collection process.

They are fed fresh mulberry leaves up to three times a day, with enclosures cleaned daily.

“Skincare is one of the most competitive industries, with some of the pickiest customers in the world," Mr Battistella said, with his aim to take the products mainstream.

Global recognition

This year, Mr Battistella added another string to his bow.

He has been named ambassador for the Financial Times Talent Program, which brings together the world’s brightest up-and-coming business leaders for three-day competitions.

“I was the first Australian finalist in 2020, and it was an amazing experience, so I’m really proud to have the opportunity to give back,” he said.