Consumers changed the way they shopped for groceries during the lockdowns and their shopping behaviours have continued to evolve since then. According to McKinsey, the demand for fresh and transparently sourced food has been accelerated by the pandemic. One such startup that’s helping the people in these situations is none other than ‘Crisp’
Crisp, an online-only supermarket app for fresh and affordable food from the land of The Netherlands, has secured €30 million (approx. £26 million) in Series B financing. To date the Dutch company has raised €46 million (approx. £39.8 million).
Who led the round?
Target Global led the round along with Keen Venture Partners and some of Europe’s entrepreneurs, including founders of Adyen, Just Eat Takeaway.com, and Thomas Plantenga, Vinted CEO.
UK launch on horizon
The funding will be used to enlarge its 100% electric vehicle fleet, and strengthen its network with high-quality, smaller producers for its fast-growing customer base.
The Amsterdam-based company is also focusing on expanding its operation into the UK markets as well. As per the company’s spokesperson, they plan to launch in the market next month. Watch out this space for more info on this.
It will be interesting to see what strategy will the Dutch brand integrate to compete in the already overcrowded market with leading brands like Ocado, Waitrose, Weezy and more.
Make fresh food available to more people
Founded by serial tech entrepreneurs Tom Peeters, Michiel Roodenburg, and Eric Klaassen in 2018, Crisp delivers groceries seven days a week nationwide in the Netherlands, providing transparency across the supply chain to customers and producers.
Notably, customers ordering before 10 pm will receive their purchase the next day within a one-hour time slot, and the product range includes items from over 650 farmers, growers, and manufacturers.
Profitable per customer order
The company has been profitable per customer order over the past year and can rely on a loyal customer base – 85% of sales last year came from repeat customers.
It’s worth noting, Crisp was named one of the “Coolest Dutch Brands” in 2021 and has been selected to participate in the Techleap Rise program.
“Our growth is about building a healthy company,” said Tom Peeters, CEO, and co-founder of Crisp. “Healthy in terms of our offering, which puts fresh and in-season food first, and healthy in the sense of operating responsibly. Our dreams are big when it comes to developing smart and sustainable technology, and we are backed up by a growing and incredibly dynamic team. The fact that we are once again meeting investors who share our beliefs and goals strengthens our mission.”
Bao-Y van Cong, Investment Director at Target Global, headquartered in Berlin, said: “We are impressed with the founders, the team, and the brand. The passion and dedication for fresh, locally sourced, and doorstep-delivered food come to life in everything they do, from carefully selecting suppliers and checking the product’s quality, to the delivery. Crisp is building a world-class technology platform that is of value to both consumers and producers. The way we buy our food has not changed a lot since the 1950s, creating inefficiencies in quality, affordability, and convenience. Crisp reflects the changing relationship that consumers today have with food: the European market for grocery shopping is starting to move online rapidly, super-accelerated by the pandemic. At the same time, we see a massive surge in demand for fresh and transparently sourced food. I firmly believe that the rise of food and groceries shifting to online is here to stay.”
“It’s impressive how Crisp is enabling a radical shortening of the supply chain with distinctive, self-developed technology, to the benefit of customers and producers”, said Robert Verwaaijen, General Partner of Keen Venture Partners.
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