In a world where approximately one-third of the food produced for human consumption gets wasted, a new wave of startups is stepping up to tackle this global crisis. According to Eurostat, around 10% of food made available to EU consumers (including retail, food services, and households) may be wasted. This alarming statistic is juxtaposed with another staggering reality: some 32.6 million people in the EU cannot afford a quality meal every second day. With food waste contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and squandering valuable natural resources, the call for change is both pressing and pertinent.
From Milan to Paris, Warsaw to Berlin, and beyond, young companies are employing technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced analytics to revolutionize how we produce, consume, and think about food. These startups are challenging the status quo, not just to curtail waste but also to address food inequality and environmental degradation.
For this article, we curated a list of 10 promising startups founded between 2019-2023 that are challenging conventional systems in a bid to cut down on food waste. Whether it’s through new ways of delivering fruits and vegetables to your doorstep, harnessing AI to reshape food supply chains, or transforming food waste into natural dyes, these startups are pushing the envelope in sustainability and proving that a zero-waste future is not just a pipe dream but an attainable reality.
Babaco Market: Located in Milan, Babaco Market is an anti-waste e-grocery store aiming to bring lesser-known, yet perfectly edible fruits and vegetables to your doorstep. All Italian products that for market logic struggle to find a commercial outlet and risk being wasted, unique, fresh and delicious are conveniently delivered to consumers’ homes in a box, through a subscription service. Founded in 2020, they have been able to secure over €8 million.
Bene Bono: Headquartered in Paris, Bene Bono is an organic food producer with a twist founded in 2020. The company purchases overlooked vegetables directly from farmers, providing them with a new revenue stream. By doing so, Bene Bono offers reasonably priced organic produce to consumers while contributing to the reduction of food waste. Founded in 2020 they have raised €8.8 million as they continue with their mission of reducing food waste.
Foodsi: Based in Warsaw, Foodsi is a mobile app designed to combat food waste, and offer consumers discounts on food items, as businesses tend to prepare more food than they can actually sell. Foodsi helps by connecting these businesses with consumers who can purchase unsold items at discounted prices. Founded in 2019, Foodsi has raised €1.5 million, providing businesses with a way to reduce waste and generate alternative revenue.
Freshflow: Headquartered in Berlin, Freshflow is leveraging Artificial Intelligence to reshape the food supply chain. Based on advanced order forecasting, replenishment, and inventory control, Freshflow significantly reduces food waste while keeping store shelves fully stocked. This not only minimizes carbon emissions but also makes fresh food more accessible and affordable, thereby increasing profits for retailers. Founded in 2021, Freshflow has secured €1.7 million by using technology to tackle global food waste and inefficiencies in the retail sector.
GreenBytes: Founded in Iceland in 2020, GreenBytes is an innovative restaurant management tool that garnered our attention last year as they won the 2022 EU-Startups Pitch Competition. Focused on sustainability and efficiency, the platform leverages artificial intelligence to help restaurants optimize ordering, manage inventory, and break down menus. Founded in 2020, they have secured €1 million to keep reducing food waste and cut down on CO2 emissions through innovation and technology.
La Patisserie Numerique: Based in Paris, La Patisserie Numerique is a unique venture that blends technology and culinary arts. The company aims to revolutionize dessert-making for chefs with their patented 3D printing technology that utilizes food waste and turns it into desserts. Founded in 2019, La Patisserie Numerique has secured over €800K allowing chefs new paths to explore their creativity, while also finding new uses for food waste.
Nosh: Based in Essex, Nosh is an AI-powered mobile app that helps users optimize food management and food waste at home. Through the platform, users are able to track their product’s expiry dates in real-time while categorising them in order to never wake up with a gone-wrong product. Nosh also allows users to plan ahead with an integrated shopping list and it even gives you cooking recipes with a selection of items you have in stock. Founded in 2021, they have been able to secure over €69K aiming to reduce food waste in every household.
Orbisk: Headquartered in Utrecht, Orbisk is a Fully automated food waste monitoring. With a combination of scales and smart cameras with AI recognition, outfitted to waste bins, they are able to recognize and track wasted ingredients. Their dashboard helps businesses identify and rectify inefficiencies, saving both food and money. Founded in 2019, they have secured €5.4 million optimizing inefficiencies in food-providing services.
Positive Carbon: Established in Dublin, Positive Carbon deploys patent-pending sensors and food detection AI to provide high-quality food waste reporting tools. From low-volume cafes to high-volume workplace campuses, they are developing advanced waste reduction strategies that can significantly increase operational profits. Founded in 2020 with an undisclosed funding round, they aim to cut their user’s food waste by 50%.
SAGES: Headquartered in London, SAGES is an innovative company transforming food waste into natural dyes, bringing sustainability into the realm of colour and fashion. They produce pigments in a vibrant range of 12 colours, which are applicable to wide-ranging materials (natural and synthetic), They are 100% natural made entirely from food waste lower CO2 emissions and net neutrality, and still achieve High colour strength and colour fastness. Founded in 2021 they have raised over €140K.
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