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Foodforecast is all about ultra-fresh food. The startup, whose history dates back to 2018, recently raised 8 million. The team from the Rhineland is now setting sail for other European countries.
One of the many startups that you should definitely keep an eye on is the million-dollar Cologne startup food forecast. The Cologne startup, founded in 2018 by Justus Lauten as werksta.tt, uses artificial intelligence to reduce food waste.
Recently, the company, which has been operating as foodforecast since 2022, experienced quite a boost. Dutch impact investor SHIFT Invest, European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF), Future Food Fund and Aeronaut Invest recently invested €8 million in the company.
“This Series A financing round represents an important milestone for Foodforecast. Our aim is to fundamentally rethink how ultra-fresh food is planned and produced. With our new investors, we are ready to scale our technology internationally and set new standards in planning, efficiency and sustainability,” says founder Justus Lauten.
The team from the Rhineland is now setting sail for other European countries. The aim is to “further scale use among both SMEs and enterprise customers in the catering industry, bakery chains and food retailers”.
“Foodforecast is characterized by a rare combination of ambition, market understanding and execution power. The team addresses a major structural problem in ultra-fresh food supply chains with an AI solution that is both sophisticated and easy to implement. This balance puts Foodforecast in an excellent position for scalable, international growth,” says Thijs Gitmans of SHIFT Invest. SHIFT now holds around 14.6% of foodforecast.
Scalehouse Capital, Future Food Fund, Blue Horizon Ventures, Aeronaut Invest and Co. already invested 3 million euros in foodforecast before the current investment round.
Get started in Cologne – #Koelnbusiness
In our focus on Cologne, we highlight the dynamic startup ecosystem of the Rhine metropolis. What are the conditions for founders, what investments flow into innovative ideas and which startups provide new impetus? Around 800 startups have already chosen Cologne as their location – supported by a lively start-up scene, a strong investor landscape and numerous coworking spaces, trade fairs and networking events. As a central contact point for the startup and innovation scene, the Cologne Business Economic Development Agency strengthens the framework conditions for founders, connects them with investors and offers targeted support. This section is supported by KölnBusiness. #Koelnbusiness on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

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