Foodsteps, a start-up that says it allows companies to calculate, label, and reduce their environmental footprint from farm to fork, has raised $4.1 million in seed funding to recruit new talent and expand its sustainability platform.
Foodsteps says its platform allows companies to calculate, label, and reduce their environmental footprint from farm to fork and has more than doubled its client base in 2022 due to growing pressures on the industry.
The seed round was led by Octopus Ventures, with contributions from Metaplanet, Ascension, and the Conduit EIS Impact Fund. Foodsteps says it will use funds to hire more data and software engineers to grow and develop the platform as part of its goal to double its team in 12 months.
Foodsteps says it’s one of the first to provide traffic-light labels on a product’s footprint, including carbon and environmental impacts, such as pollution and land use.
Foodsteps is already working with restaurant chains PizzaExpress, Wagamama, Ask Italian, Coco Di Mama, as well as food delivery services allplants, Mindful Chef, and caterers at Kew Gardens.
The platform was developed by its founder following research at Cambridge University that combines data, technology, and the science behind food sustainability. Foodsteps says this makes it easier for companies to see and reduce the impact of their operations.
Foodsteps says it holds a database of over 3,000 ingredients, containing impact information on an ingredient’s carbon footprint, as well as pollution, water use, and land use impacts. Companies can upload thousands of foods and recipes onto the platform, which assesses their footprint (Life Cycle Emissions), and provides advice on how to improve sustainability.
CEO and Founder of Foodsteps, Anya Doherty, said: “Foodsteps has been helping dozens of the UK’s most ambitious food companies to reduce their environmental footprint through our farm to fork data platforms and labels.
“However, we need to do so much more. This funding will help us bring in the brightest minds in data and technology to accelerate our work.
“We’re also looking for food businesses and partners that are hungry to accelerate change and reduce their environmental impacts. Our commitment is to be a force for transparency, collaboration and ambition in the drive to fix our food system.”
Foodsteps says that over the next year it will focus on improving its database, including integrating more environmental impacts such as farm-level biodiversity and water use.