Early-stage US Foodtech companies, defined as companies founded on or later than Jan 1, 2019, have attracted significant investor interest in 2022. Approximately $850M in new capital has been invested in 189 early-stage companies since the beginning of 2022. As shown in the table below, the investment is heavily concentrated with the top 10 companies accounting for $439M, over 50%, of year-to-date investments. Big Idea Ventures, Climate Capital and SOSV are the most active investors in this space with 5 completed deals each as of November 2022.
Table 1: Top 10 US Early Stage FoodTech Investments in 2022 (Source: Pitchbook)
| Company | Deal Size $M |
| Blank Street Coffee | 73 |
| Coco | 56 |
| Lunchbox | 50 |
| Atomo | 47 |
| Yummy | 47 |
| Eclipse | 40 |
| Voyage Foods | 36 |
| Season Health | 34 |
| Love Life! | 31 |
| Food Rocket | 25 |
| Total Top 10 | 439 |
Blank Street Coffee
Blank Street Coffee tops the list with $73M ($67M Equity and $6M Debt) in new capital raised in 2022. Founded in 2020, Blank Street enables patrons to conveniently place their coffee and pastry orders via its mobile app with both pickup and delivery options. Born in Brooklyn, the company has a growing number of locations in New York and has a presence in London.
Coco
Coco is a last-mile meal and grocery delivery service, connecting more than 100 merchants to their end customers. Coco operates a chain of remote-controlled robots with a goal of 15 minutes or less from order pickup to delivery. Currently operating in LA and parts of Texas, Coco has set its sights on expanding into new cities by tapping into the $56M raised this year.
Lunchbox
New York-based Lunchbox is a software company that offers a digital platform for restaurants to manage their customers’ online experience and engagement, including ordering, loyalty, marketing and third-party aggregation. Its $50M series B funding will enable key strategic hires and support further research and development into restaurant technology.
Atomo
Atomo is the producer of ‘beanless coffee’ made using pits, seeds, stems and leaves sourced from local US farmers. The product simulates the aroma, flavor caffeine content and mouthfeel of regular coffee, without the coffee beans. Atomo prides itself on the sustainable benefits of its coffee production process and is investing its $47M raise into new product development and scaling operations.
Yummy
San Francisco-based Yummy is the developer of a food ordering application targeted at underserved markets in Latin America. Yummy users can place their beverages and processed foods via a web application or mobile platform with the option to pay using various methods. Already a leading ordering app in Venezuela, the $47M raise will go towards expanding product features and geographic coverage.
Eclipse
California-based Eclipse is an alternative protein company specializing in plant-based dairy products such as ice cream and spreads. Founded in 2019, Eclipse completed a $40M Series B capital raise in June 2022, bringing its total raise from inception to $52M. The funds will help bolster Eclipse’s vision of creating a more sustainable and humane food system through its line of plant-based healthy food.
Voyage Foods
Voyage is focused on creating a more sustainable food future. Based in California, Voyage’s team of food scientists employ proprietary technology to analyze and archive food flavors, ensuring their preservation for future generations. The $36M series A raised this year will enable Voyage to expand its line of healthy offerings which currently includes bean-free coffee, cocoa-free chocolate and peanut-free spread.
Season Health
Season Health offers an integrated platform for nutrition comprised of dietitian consultation, personalized meal recommendations and food delivery. The Texas-based company currently offers programs for diabetes and pregnancy and is looking to expand its coverage of consumers’ food and health needs by deploying the $34M series A funding raised this year.
Love Life!
Texas-based Love Life! is developing an online platform aimed at fostering overall health by providing curated access to food, medicine and wellness resources. Backed by its $31M capital raise in 2022, Love Life! aims to unveil its one-stop health experience to consumers in 2023.
Food Rocket
Food Rocket is the operator of an on-demand grocery ordering and delivery service aimed at providing timely access to staple food products and household items at competitive prices. California-based Food Rocket is deploying its $25M capital raise to expand delivery locations in San Francisco and Chicago as well as launch its service in other cities like Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.