Northzone is a multi-stage venture capital fund that seeks to invest in the healthcare, semiconductors, software, hardware, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and gaming industries.

Northzone

Founded in 1995, SEB Private Equity is a Swedish finance company that offers advisory services and products to corporate customers.

SEB Private Equity

LeadX invests in market-leading European B2B companies providing innovative digital solutions to consumer-facing companies. We leverage our specialist expertise and industry networks in the consumer and technology sectors to add value above and beyond pure capital to the entrepreneurs that we back. These resources enable our partners to scale faster and more efficiently. We partner with innovative entrepreneurs digitising the consumer industries. We target European mature businesses generating over €10 m in revenues and are growing at over 30% CAGR. Our vertical focus on consumer industries and strong industry knowledge and networks allow us to support companies effectively and position ourselves as preferred partner to work with.

LeadX Capital Partners

Ingka Group (Ingka Holding B.V. and its controlled entities) is one of 11 different groups of companies that own and operate IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Ingka Group has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments, and Ingka Centres. It is the world’s largest home furnishing retailer operating 367 IKEA stores in 30 markets. These IKEA stores had 838 million visits during FY18 and 2.35 billion visits to www.ikea.com. Ingka Group operates the business under the IKEA vision to create a better everyday life for many people by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.

Ingka Group

Novax is part of Axel Johnson, a family business founded in 1873 and now run by the fourth and fifth generations. With trade as a starting point, the Group has changed shape and form over the years. On the other hand, the will and drive to change in combination with developing long-term profitable business has been intact.

Novax

Norrsken Foundation is non-profit organization solving problems such as poverty, famine, environmental issues and mental health.

Norrsken Foundation

Gullspång Re:food makes enduring investments in entrepreneurs solving the food system’s structural problems for generations to come.

Gullspång Re:food

Blume Equity is a climate-tech growth equity firm investing in companies driving sustainable outcomes for planet and people. We back outstanding founders and teams who share our conviction that value creation and purpose go hand-in-hand.    We provide both financial and human capital to support pioneering companies that are solving the climate emergency scale profitably, with positive impact.

Blume Equity

SevenVentures is a leading TV media investor. As the investment arm of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group, they are the ideal partner for B2C growth companies, especially in the consumer goods, retail and service sectors that have the potential to achieve sustainable success through the use of TV advertising. Cases such as Zalando, AboutYou, flaconi and in the current portfolio Grover, refurbed, KoRo and TiNDLE illustrate how companies can benefit from their media power and become strong brands in their respective market segment within a short period of time. The combination of media power and operational know-how make SevenVentures the premier partner for growth through target-group-related and far-reaching TV and digital campaigns.

SevenVentures

Circularity Capital is a specialist private equity firm investing in European growth SMEs operating in the circular economy. The company uses the circular economy as a framework to support investee businesses decouple their growth from resource constraints, enhance resource productivity and drive competitive advantage. The team has specific expertise and a powerful network in the circular economy which we use to identify, source and secure proprietary investment opportunities and add value to portfolio businesses through access to talent, market information and new business development opportunities. The company's investors include financial institutions, global corporations and leading family offices. At the heart of Circularity’s ability to create value for investors is its focus on combining specialist expertise in the circular economy with institutional quality private equity experience.

Circularity Capital

Matsmart

Matsmart sells surplus food online. A significant part of the food would otherwise be thrown away due to packaging changes, short or expired expiry dates, or other reasons. In 2017, Matsmart saved 2022 tonnes of food from going to waste. The company has seen explosive growth, reaching recurring revenues of SEK 200 million. Matsmart was founded by Karl Andersson, Erik Södergren and Ulf Skagerström, and launched in Sweden in 2014. Since then, the company has also expanded to Norway and Finland.

<div>Based in Sweden, MatSmart is an online marketplace that sells surplus production from producers including Unilever, Nestlé and Mondelēz Sverige AB to consumers at reduced prices. The company was officially launched in Sweden in 2014 and expanded to Finland and Germany in 2017 and 2020, respectively. The company also operates under the brand name 'Matatos' which it unveiled upon launching services in Denmark in 2019. In November 2021, the company revealed plans to expand in Europe aiming to become a global platform. Moreover, it aims to build a new fully automated warehouse in Orebro, Sweden to ease distribution across Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.</div>

Tech solutions for achieving global anti-wastage targets

Food Waste

MatSmart

Matsmart-Motatos' consolidated results in 2023: Turnover of over 1 billion SEK with improved cash flow

Element Logic

To expand warehouse capacity and improve efficiency, Matsmart, an eGrocery business, is partnering with a new automated warehouse powered by solar panels and featuring an AutoStore system from Element Logic.

AI, robotics, and IoT to streamline the flow of goods and information

Logistics Tech

Companies developing automation technology for warehouses like robots (including inventory drones), cobots, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), and related software.

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 Based in Sweden, MatSmart is an online marketplace that sells surplus production from producers including Unilever, Nestlé and Mondelēz Sverige AB to consumers at reduced prices. The company was officially launched in Sweden in 2014 and expanded to Finland and Germany in 2017 and 2020, respectively. The company also operates under the brand name 'Matatos' which it unveiled upon launching services in Denmark in 2019. In November 2021, the company revealed plans to expand in Europe aiming to become a global platform. Moreover, it aims to build a new fully automated warehouse in Orebro, Sweden to ease distribution across Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.
 
 
 Reports in 2016 claimed that Matsmart generated revenue of EUR 20 million, which had grown to over EUR 400 million by 2020, implying around 111% CAGR over 2016–2020.
 
 
 In November 2021, Matsmart raised EUR 24 million (approximately USD 27.7 million) in a capital funding round led by Blume Equity. The new funds were to be used to expand the company's presence in a new market by 2022. The company raised EUR 38 million (~USD 37.9 million) in Series D funding for Motatos in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12808">
 September 2022
 </a>
 , led by SEB Private Equity and Exor Capital, to support international growth. This funding round increased the company’s valuation to over EUR 300 million (~USD 199.4 million), which is reportedly a 30% increase in valuation since the funding round in November 2021.
 
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 Apeel Sciences produces edible coatings made of plant materials that extend the lifetime of fruits by 2-3x with the goal of preventing food wastages in regions where there is a lack of refrigeration. According to the company, US retailers that use Apeel experience a 50% reduction in waste alongside a 5%-10% growth in sales on average. As of July 2021, Apeel Sciences reported to have saved around 69 million pieces of produce from going to waste at retail stores by partnering with small family-owned farmers, local organic growers, grocery stores, and large food brands. As of August 2021, the company was offering its solution to a network of 30 suppliers and 40 retailers across eight countries, including the US, UK, Spain, Netherlands, and Kenya. The company focuses on expanding its market presence across North America and the EU. 
 
 
 The company&rsquo;s early years were supported by a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant of USD 100,000 in 2012 and Andreessen Horowitz, which led the company&rsquo;s 2016 Series B funding round. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry have also invested in Apeel.
 
 
 In May 2020, Apeel announced plans to expand to Sub-Saharan Africa, Central, and South America&mdash;all regions where food wastage is increasing. In May 2021, Apeel Sciences acquired startup Impact Vision for an undisclosed amount. Impact vision&rsquo;s technology allows suppliers to see inside their fresh produce and ultimately reduce post-harvest loss, optimize distribution, while continuing to extend shelf-life. 
 
 
 In August 2021, the company raised USD 250 million in a Series E funding round led by Temasek at USD 2 billion valuation. The company expects to use the funds to expand its product distribution across the US, UK, and Europe by accelerating deployment of its product across its existing supplier network and by partnering with 10 new suppliers by the end of 2021. The company also plans to use the funds to strengthen its data and insights offering and support its future acquisition plans.
 
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Apeel Sciences

Shelf Engine provides demand forecasting tools for perishable food items to reduce inefficiencies in the ordering system and minimize overall costs. According to Shelf Engine, more than 30% of highly perishable foods in grocery stores such as meat and vegetables expire before the sell-by date. Shelf Engine’s scan-based trade (SBT) technology guarantees sales and pays for any items that remain unsold. Via the SBT, Shelf Engine manages orders, pays vendors, and only charges the retailer for what sells while still paying suppliers for their full order and increasing its accuracy over time. Shelf generates revenue by charging a mark-up on the product from the vendor to the retailer.The pandemic benefited Shelf Engine as grocers found it difficult to manage orders during lockdown. In March 2021, Shelf Engine raised USD 41 million in a Series B funding round led by General Catalyst to further invest in its growing team of engineers, data scientists, and supply chain automation experts. As of March 2021, Shelf Engine operated in more than 2,000 grocery stores and claimed to increase profit margins by more than 50% by reducing food waste by as much as 32%.

Shelf Engine

Afresh began as a research project in 2017 to develop AI-powered software that optimizes the entire food supply chain. Specifically, the company offers an in-store solution for grocery stores that applies artificial intelligence to manage the freshness of food. According to the company, implementation of its technology has led to a 25%–45% reduction of in-store food waste and increased gross margin of fresh produce sales by 4 percentage points. The company generates revenue under a SaaS model. I n <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16835">March 2023, </a>the company expanded into fresh departments, including meat, seafood, deli, and food service.Some of Afresh's key customers include Fresh Thyme Market, WinCo Foods, and Heinen’s. In 2019, the company also reported that it had established partnerships with three US grocery chains, each with more than 100 stores in operation. The company also collaborated with Bashas’ Supermarkets Inc. (a chain of grocery stores based in North America with over 100 stores) in September 2021 and New Season Market (a chain of 19 privately owned grocery stores) in October 2021 to pilot the “Afresh AI-driven software solution” at selected stores. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15786">January 2023 </a>, Afresh and Albertsons Companies announced the completion of an enterprise rollout of the Afresh predictive ordering and inventory management platform. As of January 2023, the company’s technology was deployed across 3,000 stores in 40 states in the US, and it also reported that it was able to triple its customer base in 2021. Afresh notes that it is on track to help retailers save 34 million pounds of food waste by the end of 2022.In August 2022, AFresh raised USD 115 million in a <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12187">Series B </a>funding round led by Spark Capital. Following the USD 13 million funding round in November 2020, the company was valued at USD 100 million.

AFresh

UK-based Winnow Solutions identifies and measures waste in commercial kitchens. The company records the reason for the waste, calculates the value of the wasted food, and keeps track of this data in the cloud. The company’s self-titled product shares technology with autonomous vehicles, using cameras to record and learn about food being wasted and calculate the financial and environmental cost of this discarded food. Winnow Vision also provides a Waste Monitor solution to help kitchen staff track how and what food is wasted to adjust their spending on food ingredients and eliminate overproduction.Key customers and partnershipsWinnow’s customers include the catering company <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/5386">ISS</a> and hotels such as Accor, Fairmont, The Westin, Four Seasons, and Hilton Tokyo Bay. As of June 2023, Winnow claims that its AI solution has so far saved customers USD 174 million and cut 217,000 tons of CO2 emissions worldwide, equivalent to taking nearly 50,000 cars off the road for a year.Funding and financials<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27315">In March 2024</a>, the company raised an undisclosed amount from ABC Impact to accelerate its expansion into the Asian market. Previously, In June 2023, the company raised USD 10 million in a Series C funding round led by ArcTern Ventures.

Winnow Solutions

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 Hazel Technologies is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded technology company that develops a packaging which releases vapors that slow the aging process and prevent fungus or decay. Its solution is claimed to double the shelf-life of produce. Hazel operates a B2B business that targets large enterprises. The company has reported treating 700 million pounds of produce as of 2019, saving about 60 million pounds from going bad in 2019 alone. The company has a target to save one billion pounds of produce from going to waste by the end of 2021. Hazel operates in 12 countries including the US and Chile (entered in October 2020). 
 
 
 Hazel works with around 250 foodservice providers and produce companies including the likes of Sysco, Mission Produce, Zespri, Calavo, and Oppy. The company reported in 2019 that it plans to develop new products such as antimicrobial packaging for berries, grapes, and other fruit, and also expects to launch its shelf-life extension technology for meat products.
 
 
 Since 2016, the company has received a total of USD 1.5 million from the USDA to develop its technology. Hazel received the USDA funding in December 2020 for solving the problem of unwanted sprouting in potatoes. In April 2021, the company announced that it had closed a USD 70 million Series C financing round led by Pontifax Global Food and Agriculture Technology Fund (Pontifax AgTech), and Temasek, to expand operations across Southeast Asia, Africa, and the EU. 
 
 
 
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Hazel technologies

Startups that prevent food wastage by prolonging the lifetime of food or better managing food production through the supply chain. Companies that develop products such as sanitizers, containers, and machines that allow food to stay fresh longer are included here. Startups that develop algorithms to determine food preservation strategies are also included.

These startups ensure work to reroute surplus food to different sets of end-users including charity organizations and consumers seeking discounted items. This segment mainly consists of on-demand online platforms that connect producers, retailers, and restaurants with consumers via mobile app.

Startups that recycle food waste for industrial uses such as soil enrichment.

Startups that recycle food waste into edible food and beverages.

Solutions that keep food waste out of landfills

Recycling and upcycling food waste to keep them out of landfills

IoT-enabled waste prevention techniques for purposes such as longer shelf-life and inventory management

Waste prevention analysis platforms use AI/ML

MatSmart

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