LOS ANGELES —Steve Polonowski has been named president and chief operating officer at BetterBrand, Inc., a food technology startup driving innovation in the refined carb industry.

Founded in 2021 by Aimee Yang, BetterBrand’s proprietary “Grain-Changing Technology” replicates and replaces ingredients that contribute to the high refined carb content of certain foods. The technology delivers whole food functional value with 90% fewer carbs and 250% more protein, according to the company. Better Bagel, the first public application of BetterBrand’s technology, will debut at Natural Products Expo West, held March 8-12 in Anaheim, Calif.

The addition of Mr. Polonowski comes as the company scales up its manufacturing capabilities and prepares for retail distribution in 2022. He joins BetterBrand from Simple Mills, where he was chief sales officer. Before that he held senior leadership positions at Amazing Grass, Glanbia and PepsiCo, where he drove sales for the Gatorade, Quaker, Stacy’s, Naked Juice and Izze brands.

“Our vision with Better is to completely overhaul the existing consumer relationship with food, creating a world where we can eat freely without compromise or consequence,” Ms. Yang said. “Steve, along with his superb record of CPG leadership and commercial success, brings an unparalleled understanding of the consumer that will be pivotal as we further scale and bring Better to market.”