NCM client Episode 1 became one of the main investors into food start-up website Feedr, which raised £1.5 million for expansion. Feedr is on a mission to reinvent food at the office, connecting high quality food producers with employers to make better in-office dining accessible to every employee. Through Feedr's innovative Cloud Canteen model, companies can offer their employees a selection of curated food choices with an emphasis on healthy, high quality choices from smaller local vendors. Riya and her Co-founder Lyz have a real passion about the impact of food on wellness and productivity - and they believe that good choices should be available to everyone.
Damien Lane, partner at Episode 1 Ventures says, “Feedr’s strong brand values address the rise of the conscious consumer with a greater awareness of ingredient quality, artisanal producers, food provenance and the impact of food consumption on health. The team brings incredible execution skills with a passion for shaping healthier futures.”
The opportunity is huge - in London alone there are 80,000 companies struggling with the logistical nightmare of lunchtime delivery, poor eating and health habits, and the disruptions to productivity and culture of people leaving the building to eat. Grover also talked up Feedr’s tech, which she says enables “dynamic menu building,” something she likened to a Netflix for food. When an employee selects a meal, Feedr feeds back these choices to its algorithm to create a more data-informed menu going forward. In other words, menu choices become more personalised the more employees use Feedr.
Riya Grover and Lyz Swanton, Co-Founders of Feedr say, "We love working with Episode 1 - they are smart, humble and like to tackle problems with us. They have supported us immensely in numerous ways, bringing their real world insights to our growth and hiring challenges."
The funding will be used by Feedr to invest in its technology to improve the online user experience, expand the choice of healthy meals and build out the machine learning that powers personalisation. The company also plans to increase its sales force and expand outside of London. Grover says Feedr is aiming to cater to three trends: on-demand food delivery, as pioneered by the likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats; employee well-being as part of a company’s recruitment, retention and broader HR strategy; and the way consumers are becoming more accustomed to greater choice and healthier options.