Capital Providers

Capital Providers

Types of Capital

Working with ReFED

ReFED offers subject matter expertise on all aspects of food waste, including a deep understanding of the financing opportunities associated with developing and scaling food waste solutions. We offer a range of resources designed to help Capital Providers like you at every stage of their funding journeys – whether you’re an experienced food waste investor or just starting to explore the space.

Data and Solutions icon
Data and Solutions

The ReFED Insights Engine is the most comprehensive resource on food waste available. It’s a free, online tool comprised of data from more than 50 different datasets, overlaid with ReFED’s analytics to highlight where and why food waste occurs most frequently, and what are the most effective solutions to target it. You can also use the tool to identify solution providers to fund; quantify the environmental and social impact of investing in solutions; and more.

Learn More
Food Waste Capital Tracker icon
Food Waste Capital Tracker

A new tool in the ReFED Insights Engine, the Capital Tracker offers a deep-dive look at private capital food waste investments over the last ten years – from industry-wide trends to deal-level details. Through an extensive analysis of investment data sourced from PitchBook, ReFED has created a first-of-its-kind platform to support capital providers and solution providers in developing food waste funding strategies.

Learn More
Join the Food Waste Funder Circle icon
Join the Food Waste Funder Circle

Designed for private investors and public and philanthropic funders interested in using their capital to solve food waste challenges, the Food Waste Funder Circle offers regular programming about investing in food waste innovations; deal flow reports and pitches from solution providers that are actively fundraising; and opportunities to work with like-minded funders on industry challenges.

Learn More
Join the Food Waste Action Network icon
Join the Food Waste Action Network

The Food Waste Action Network is a space designed to inspire collaboration between individuals and organizations from across the food system and from a diverse set of backgrounds. Through member networking, demo days, partner events, and more, join with other FWAN members in creating a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system.

Learn More
Catalytic Grant Fund icon
Catalytic Grant Fund

The ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund is a new initiative designed to provide recoverable and non-recoverable grants to for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations, and other initiatives across the food waste solution spectrum.

Learn More
Capital & Innovation Market Update icon
Capital & Innovation Market Update

A monthly report on news, insights, and trends in food waste activity and funding for capital providers and solution providers of all types, ReFED’s Capital & Innovation Market Update is an indispensable resource for anyone serious about funding the food waste space.

Learn More
Areas to Fund and Support icon
Areas to Fund and Support

To help funders understand how the particular type of capital at their disposal may be deployed to maximize impact in the food waste space, ReFED conducted a comprehensive assessment of the financing opportunities associated with developing and scaling dozens of food waste solutions, including the costs and benefits by stakeholder type, potential return on investment, impacts, and more.

Learn More
Advisory Services icon
Advisory Services

The food waste landscape offers a range of opportunities for investors, and ReFED regularly supports food businesses, capital providers, tech companies, and others through customized advisory services to develop investment strategies, support due diligence, and design programs that help them achieve their unique goals.

Learn More

Develop Your Funding Strategy

Food Waste Capital Tracker

The Capital Tracker is the newest tool in the ReFED Insights Engine, providing an in-depth look at private food waste funding activity (venture capital, private equity, and M&A) over the last ten years, including current and historic deal-level investment data and analyses of sector trends – all presented in a variety of customizable, interactive views.

Sign up for our Capital & Innovation Market Update Monthly Newsletter

A monthly report on news, insights, and trends in food waste activity and funding for capital providers and solution providers of all types, ReFED’s Capital & Innovation Market Update is an indispensable resource for anyone serious about investing in the food waste space.

Capital & Innovation Resources

The ReFED Capital & Innovation Market Update |  September  2023

The ReFED Capital & Innovation Market Update | September 2023

A monthly report on news, insights, and trends in food waste activity and funding for capital providers and solution providers of all types:

View Newsletter

Events

Coming Soon

Optimize The Harvest

Explore
Solutions

Imperfect & Surplus Produce Channels

Surplus, off-grade, near-expiration, or imperfect produce that is packaged and distributed via alternative sales channels or directly to consumers.

$65.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Gleaning

Collecting leftover product from fields after the initial commercial harvest that would be otherwise inefficient and uneconomical to harvest, often conducted by volunteers.

$573k

Annual Investment Needed

Enhance Product Distribution

Explore
Solutions

Intelligent Routing

Routing of product based on near time data on impacts to freshness, such as cold chain maintenance so that shorter-life product is routed to closer destinations.

$16.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Refine Product Management

Explore
Solutions

Waste Tracking (Foodservice)

Technology-enabled tracking of food loss and waste to highlight opportunities for reduction.

$42.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Assisted Distressed Sales

Assistance, through third-party companies or apps, in selling salvaged, off spec, overstocked, and out of date food at a discounted rate.

$248k

Annual Investment Needed

Maximize Product Utilization

Explore
Solutions

Manufacturing Byproduct Utilization (Upcycling)

Converting food by-products that would otherwise not go to human consumption (e.g. spent grains, fruit or vegetable pulps, and rinds) into a new ingredient or edible food product through value-added processing.

$75.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Active & Intelligent Packaging

Packaging to slow spoilage through technologies such as ethylene absorption, modified atmospheres, moisture absorption, etc., or adaptive materials that inform as to the quality/safety of the contents.

$33.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Manufacturing Line Optimization

Identifying opportunities to reduce food waste from manufacturing and processing operations, such as in product line changeovers.

$24.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Reshape Consumer Environments

Explore
Solutions

Consumer Education Campaigns

Conducting large-scale advocacy campaigns to raise awareness and educate consumers about ways to prevent food waste in their homes.

$141.0M

Annual Investment Needed

K-12 Lunch Improvements

Implementing strategies, policies, or equipment changes in front of house and/or back of house foodservice facilities at K-12 schools to decrease school food waste.

$4.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Portion Sizes

Creating smaller size options for menu items to reduce over-portioning and plate waste.

$2.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Package Design

Optimizing food packaging size and design to ensure complete consumption by consumers and avoid residual container waste.

$2.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Standardized Date Labels

Standardizing the wording of food label dates to two phrases, one to indicate quality and another for dates which indicate safety risk, in order to reduce consumer misinterpration. In doing so, also eliminating visible sell by dates.

$2.2M

Annual Investment Needed

K-12 Education Campaigns

Education programs aimed at students to increase awareness and educate future generations about the environmental and economic implications of food waste.

$1.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Trayless

Eliminating trays in all-you-can-eat dining facilities to reduce over-portioning by consumers.

$978.6k

Annual Investment Needed

Small Plates

Using plates with a smaller diameter in all-you-can-eat dining establishments to provide visual appeal of abundance while minimizing portion sizes to reduce plate waste.

$107.3k

Annual Investment Needed

Buffet Signage

On-site signage to encourage choices and behaviors that reduce waste at point of consumption.

$21.6k

Annual Investment Needed

Strengthen Food Rescue

Explore
Solutions

Donation Education

Continued education on food safety precautions taken by food rescue organizations, donation liability protections, and other information to increase the rate of donations by manufacturers, retailers, or restaurants.

$155.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Transportation

Improving transportation and distribution by increasing small-scale transportation infrastructure, long-haul transport capabilities, or other methods that allow donations to either travel further or allow donations from more businesses.

$61.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Storage Handling & Capacity

Expanding temperature-controlled food distribution infrastructure (e.g. refrigeration, warehouses) and labor availability to handle (e.g. process, package) additional food donation volume.

$35.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Coordination & Matching

Using technology platforms to connect food donors with recovery organizations, simplifying the communication and coordination needed to align surplus product with need and available space.

$1.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Value-Added Processing

Building processing infrastructure equipment and facilities to freeze or convert donated or excess food into products such as soups, sauces, and jams, or prepared meals.

$633.5k

Annual Investment Needed

Recycle Anything Remaining

Explore
Solutions

Centralized Composting

Large scale composting facilities that process commercial, residential, institutional, and industrial food waste, managed either by third party waste and compost companies or solid waste agencies.

$1.1B

Annual Investment Needed

Community Composting

Food waste from homes and small businesses diverted to small, community or neighborhood-level compost facilities.

$255.0M

Annual Investment Needed

Home Composting

Maintaining a small compost pile or bin at the residence level (e.g. home, apartment).

$222.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Centralized Anaerobic Digestion

Industrial-scale collection of food waste that undergoes the anaerobic digestion process at a dedicated central location, typically operated by a dedicated energy generator.

$93.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Co-Digestion At Wastewater Treatment Plants

A process whereby energy-rich organic waste materials (e.g. Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) and/or food scraps) are added to dairy or wastewater digesters with excess capacity.

$34.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Optimize The Harvest

Explore
Solutions

Imperfect & Surplus Produce Channels

Surplus, off-grade, near-expiration, or imperfect produce that is packaged and distributed via alternative sales channels or directly to consumers.

$66.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Gleaning

Collecting leftover product from fields after the initial commercial harvest that would be otherwise inefficient and uneconomical to harvest, often conducted by volunteers.

$2.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Buyer Specification Expansion

Adjustment of purchasing specifications that allow for a greater variety of product grades into sales and recipes, while still ensuring that specs do not lead to in-house waste.

$339.5k

Annual Investment Needed

Enhance Product Distribution

Explore
Solutions

Intelligent Routing

Routing of product based on near time data on impacts to freshness, such as cold chain maintenance so that shorter-life product is routed to closer destinations.

$16.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Pallet Transport)

Use of measurement and alert technology and other systems for pallet- or truck-level temperature tracking to identify areas for improved cold chain compliance, third-party issue identification, and real-time detection and resolution.

$13.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Reduced Warehouse Handling

Minimizing the number of touches on a product during distribution, preparation, and on display can prevent blemishes or bruising and reduce the potential for damages.

$479.1k

Annual Investment Needed

Refine Product Management

Explore
Solutions

Markdown Alert Applications

Applications that alert consumers to markdowns or excess food at retailers or restaurants

$66.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Waste Tracking (Foodservice)

Technology-enabled tracking of food loss and waste to highlight opportunities for reduction.

$42.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Dynamic Pricing

Systems and technologies that automatically and comprehensively discount pricing for items, with the purpose of re-appraising based on remaining shelf life, inventory on hand, and incoming orders.

$34.3M

Annual Investment Needed

Enhanced Demand Planning

Improved intelligence around demand planning through systems or incorporating historical data in future decisions, often using machine learning to aid in better forecasting and fulfillment.

$4.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Assisted Distressed Sales

Assistance, through third-party companies or apps, in selling salvaged, off spec, overstocked, and out of date food at a discounted rate.

$744.6k

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Foodservice)

Implementation of measurement and alert systems within foodservice cold storage units to detect out of range temperatures and notify automatically.

$1.6k

Annual Investment Needed

Maximize Product Utilization

Explore
Solutions

Manufacturing Byproduct Utilization (Upcycling)

Converting food by-products that would otherwise not go to human consumption (e.g. spent grains, fruit or vegetable pulps, and rinds) into a new ingredient or edible food product through value-added processing.

$75.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Active & Intelligent Packaging

Packaging to slow spoilage through technologies such as ethylene absorption, modified atmospheres, moisture absorption, etc., or adaptive materials that inform as to the quality/safety of the contents.

$33.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Manufacturing Line Optimization

Identifying opportunities to reduce food waste from manufacturing and processing operations, such as in product line changeovers.

$24.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Reshape Consumer Environments

Explore
Solutions

Consumer Education Campaigns

Conducting large-scale advocacy campaigns to raise awareness and educate consumers about ways to prevent food waste in their homes.

$47.0M

Annual Investment Needed

K-12 Lunch Improvements

Implementing strategies, policies, or equipment changes in front of house and/or back of house foodservice facilities at K-12 schools to decrease school food waste.

$4.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Portion Sizes

Creating smaller size options for menu items to reduce over-portioning and plate waste.

$2.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Package Design

Optimizing food packaging size and design to ensure complete consumption by consumers and avoid residual container waste.

$2.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Standardized Date Labels

Standardizing the wording of food label dates to two phrases, one to indicate quality and another for dates which indicate safety risk, in order to reduce consumer misinterpration. In doing so, also eliminating visible sell by dates.

$2.2M

Annual Investment Needed

K-12 Education Campaigns

Education programs aimed at students to increase awareness and educate future generations about the environmental and economic implications of food waste.

$1.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Trayless

Eliminating trays in all-you-can-eat dining facilities to reduce over-portioning by consumers.

$978.6k

Annual Investment Needed

Small Plates

Using plates with a smaller diameter in all-you-can-eat dining establishments to provide visual appeal of abundance while minimizing portion sizes to reduce plate waste.

$107.3k

Annual Investment Needed

Buffet Signage

On-site signage to encourage choices and behaviors that reduce waste at point of consumption.

$21.6k

Annual Investment Needed

Strengthen Food Rescue

Explore
Solutions

Donation Education

Continued education on food safety precautions taken by food rescue organizations, donation liability protections, and other information to increase the rate of donations by manufacturers, retailers, or restaurants.

$310.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Storage Handling & Capacity

Expanding temperature-controlled food distribution infrastructure (e.g. refrigeration, warehouses) and labor availability to handle (e.g. process, package) additional food donation volume.

$179.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Coordination & Matching

Using technology platforms to connect food donors with recovery organizations, simplifying the communication and coordination needed to align surplus product with need and available space.

$24.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Transportation

Improving transportation and distribution by increasing small-scale transportation infrastructure, long-haul transport capabilities, or other methods that allow donations to either travel further or allow donations from more businesses.

$206.3M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Value-Added Processing

Building processing infrastructure equipment and facilities to freeze or convert donated or excess food into products such as soups, sauces, and jams, or prepared meals.

$9.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Recycle Anything Remaining

Explore
Solutions

Centralized Composting

Large scale composting facilities that process commercial, residential, institutional, and industrial food waste, managed either by third party waste and compost companies or solid waste agencies.

$109.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Centralized Anaerobic Digestion

Industrial-scale collection of food waste that undergoes the anaerobic digestion process at a dedicated central location, typically operated by a dedicated energy generator.

$31.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Community Composting

Food waste from homes and small businesses diverted to small, community or neighborhood-level compost facilities.

$25.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Home Composting

Maintaining a small compost pile or bin at the residence level (e.g. home, apartment).

$14.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Optimize The Harvest

Explore
Solutions

Enhance Product Distribution

Explore
Solutions

Refine Product Management

Explore
Solutions

Maximize Product Utilization

Explore
Solutions

Reshape Consumer Environments

Explore
Solutions

Strengthen Food Rescue

Explore
Solutions

Donation Education

Continued education on food safety precautions taken by food rescue organizations, donation liability protections, and other information to increase the rate of donations by manufacturers, retailers, or restaurants.

$55.0M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Storage Handling & Capacity

Expanding temperature-controlled food distribution infrastructure (e.g. refrigeration, warehouses) and labor availability to handle (e.g. process, package) additional food donation volume.

$21.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Coordination & Matching

Using technology platforms to connect food donors with recovery organizations, simplifying the communication and coordination needed to align surplus product with need and available space.

$18.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Transportation

Improving transportation and distribution by increasing small-scale transportation infrastructure, long-haul transport capabilities, or other methods that allow donations to either travel further or allow donations from more businesses.

$10.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Recycle Anything Remaining

Explore
Solutions

Optimize The Harvest

Explore
Solutions

Imperfect & Surplus Produce Channels

Surplus, off-grade, near-expiration, or imperfect produce that is packaged and distributed via alternative sales channels or directly to consumers.

$65.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Gleaning

Collecting leftover product from fields after the initial commercial harvest that would be otherwise inefficient and uneconomical to harvest, often conducted by volunteers.

$1.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Buyer Specification Expansion

Adjustment of purchasing specifications that allow for a greater variety of product grades into sales and recipes, while still ensuring that specs do not lead to in-house waste.

$339.5k

Annual Investment Needed

Enhance Product Distribution

Explore
Solutions

Intelligent Routing

Routing of product based on near time data on impacts to freshness, such as cold chain maintenance so that shorter-life product is routed to closer destinations.

$50.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Pallet Transport)

Use of measurement and alert technology and other systems for pallet- or truck-level temperature tracking to identify areas for improved cold chain compliance, third-party issue identification, and real-time detection and resolution.

$13.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Refine Product Management

Explore
Solutions

Waste Tracking (Foodservice)

Technology-enabled tracking of food loss and waste to highlight opportunities for reduction.

$211.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Dynamic Pricing

Systems and technologies that automatically and comprehensively discount pricing for items, with the purpose of re-appraising based on remaining shelf life, inventory on hand, and incoming orders.

$34.3M

Annual Investment Needed

Assisted Distressed Sales

Assistance, through third-party companies or apps, in selling salvaged, off spec, overstocked, and out of date food at a discounted rate.

$1.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Foodservice)

Implementation of measurement and alert systems within foodservice cold storage units to detect out of range temperatures and notify automatically.

$1.6k

Annual Investment Needed

Maximize Product Utilization

Explore
Solutions

Manufacturing Byproduct Utilization (Upcycling)

Converting food by-products that would otherwise not go to human consumption (e.g. spent grains, fruit or vegetable pulps, and rinds) into a new ingredient or edible food product through value-added processing.

$75.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Active & Intelligent Packaging

Packaging to slow spoilage through technologies such as ethylene absorption, modified atmospheres, moisture absorption, etc., or adaptive materials that inform as to the quality/safety of the contents.

$33.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Manufacturing Line Optimization

Identifying opportunities to reduce food waste from manufacturing and processing operations, such as in product line changeovers.

$24.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Reshape Consumer Environments

Explore
Solutions

Package Design

Optimizing food packaging size and design to ensure complete consumption by consumers and avoid residual container waste.

$2.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Trayless

Eliminating trays in all-you-can-eat dining facilities to reduce over-portioning by consumers.

$2.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Small Plates

Using plates with a smaller diameter in all-you-can-eat dining establishments to provide visual appeal of abundance while minimizing portion sizes to reduce plate waste.

$321.9k

Annual Investment Needed

Strengthen Food Rescue

Explore
Solutions

Donation Transportation

Improving transportation and distribution by increasing small-scale transportation infrastructure, long-haul transport capabilities, or other methods that allow donations to either travel further or allow donations from more businesses.

$103.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Storage Handling & Capacity

Expanding temperature-controlled food distribution infrastructure (e.g. refrigeration, warehouses) and labor availability to handle (e.g. process, package) additional food donation volume.

$59.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Coordination & Matching

Using technology platforms to connect food donors with recovery organizations, simplifying the communication and coordination needed to align surplus product with need and available space.

$16.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Value-Added Processing

Building processing infrastructure equipment and facilities to freeze or convert donated or excess food into products such as soups, sauces, and jams, or prepared meals.

$9.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Recycle Anything Remaining

Explore
Solutions

Centralized Composting

Large scale composting facilities that process commercial, residential, institutional, and industrial food waste, managed either by third party waste and compost companies or solid waste agencies.

$109.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Community Composting

Food waste from homes and small businesses diverted to small, community or neighborhood-level compost facilities.

$25.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Home Composting

Maintaining a small compost pile or bin at the residence level (e.g. home, apartment).

$44.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Centralized Anaerobic Digestion

Industrial-scale collection of food waste that undergoes the anaerobic digestion process at a dedicated central location, typically operated by a dedicated energy generator.

$93.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Co-Digestion At Wastewater Treatment Plants

A process whereby energy-rich organic waste materials (e.g. Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) and/or food scraps) are added to dairy or wastewater digesters with excess capacity.

$34.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Optimize The Harvest

Explore
Solutions

Imperfect & Surplus Produce Channels

Surplus, off-grade, near-expiration, or imperfect produce that is packaged and distributed via alternative sales channels or directly to consumers.

$68.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Enhance Product Distribution

Explore
Solutions

Decreased Transit Time

Reducing time in transit by team driving to extend the distance product can move each day from farm to distribution.

$50.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Intelligent Routing

Routing of product based on near time data on impacts to freshness, such as cold chain maintenance so that shorter-life product is routed to closer destinations.

$50.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Pallet Transport)

Use of measurement and alert technology and other systems for pallet- or truck-level temperature tracking to identify areas for improved cold chain compliance, third-party issue identification, and real-time detection and resolution.

$13.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Reduced Warehouse Handling

Minimizing the number of touches on a product during distribution, preparation, and on display can prevent blemishes or bruising and reduce the potential for damages.

$1.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Refine Product Management

Explore
Solutions

Waste Tracking (Foodservice)

Technology-enabled tracking of food loss and waste to highlight opportunities for reduction.

$126.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Dynamic Pricing

Systems and technologies that automatically and comprehensively discount pricing for items, with the purpose of re-appraising based on remaining shelf life, inventory on hand, and incoming orders.

$102.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Markdown Alert Applications

Applications that alert consumers to markdowns or excess food at retailers or restaurants

$200.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Minimized On Hand Inventory

Reduce product dwell time in distribution centers by not holding safety stock and excess days on-hand.

$2.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Enhanced Demand Planning

Improved intelligence around demand planning through systems or incorporating historical data in future decisions, often using machine learning to aid in better forecasting and fulfillment.

$14.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Assisted Distressed Sales

Assistance, through third-party companies or apps, in selling salvaged, off spec, overstocked, and out of date food at a discounted rate.

$248.2k

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Foodservice)

Implementation of measurement and alert systems within foodservice cold storage units to detect out of range temperatures and notify automatically.

$4.8k

Annual Investment Needed

Maximize Product Utilization

Explore
Solutions

Manufacturing Byproduct Utilization (Upcycling)

Converting food by-products that would otherwise not go to human consumption (e.g. spent grains, fruit or vegetable pulps, and rinds) into a new ingredient or edible food product through value-added processing.

$226.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Active & Intelligent Packaging

Packaging to slow spoilage through technologies such as ethylene absorption, modified atmospheres, moisture absorption, etc., or adaptive materials that inform as to the quality/safety of the contents.

$99.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Manufacturing Line Optimization

Identifying opportunities to reduce food waste from manufacturing and processing operations, such as in product line changeovers.

$73.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Reshape Consumer Environments

Explore
Solutions

Meal Kits

Assemblies of pre-measured ingredients to cook specific meals, marketed as a way to save time and minimize waste of raw ingredients purchased individually. Can be sold via direct-to-consumer or in-store channels.

$88.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Package Design

Optimizing food packaging size and design to ensure complete consumption by consumers and avoid residual container waste.

$7.3M

Annual Investment Needed

Trayless

Eliminating trays in all-you-can-eat dining facilities to reduce over-portioning by consumers.

$978.6k

Annual Investment Needed

Strengthen Food Rescue

Explore
Solutions

Donation Coordination & Matching

Using technology platforms to connect food donors with recovery organizations, simplifying the communication and coordination needed to align surplus product with need and available space.

$1.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Transportation

Improving transportation and distribution by increasing small-scale transportation infrastructure, long-haul transport capabilities, or other methods that allow donations to either travel further or allow donations from more businesses.

$20.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Recycle Anything Remaining

Explore
Solutions

Livestock Feed

Diverting material from the food supply chain (directly or after minimal processing) to use as feed for livestock.

$74.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Home Composting

Maintaining a small compost pile or bin at the residence level (e.g. home, apartment).

$14.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Optimize The Harvest

Explore
Solutions

Imperfect & Surplus Produce Channels

Surplus, off-grade, near-expiration, or imperfect produce that is packaged and distributed via alternative sales channels or directly to consumers.

$196.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Enhance Product Distribution

Explore
Solutions

Decreased Transit Time

Reducing time in transit by team driving to extend the distance product can move each day from farm to distribution.

$50.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Intelligent Routing

Routing of product based on near time data on impacts to freshness, such as cold chain maintenance so that shorter-life product is routed to closer destinations.

$50.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Pallet Transport)

Use of measurement and alert technology and other systems for pallet- or truck-level temperature tracking to identify areas for improved cold chain compliance, third-party issue identification, and real-time detection and resolution.

$13.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Reduced Warehouse Handling

Minimizing the number of touches on a product during distribution, preparation, and on display can prevent blemishes or bruising and reduce the potential for damages.

$1.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Refine Product Management

Explore
Solutions

Waste Tracking (Foodservice)

Technology-enabled tracking of food loss and waste to highlight opportunities for reduction.

$126.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Dynamic Pricing

Systems and technologies that automatically and comprehensively discount pricing for items, with the purpose of re-appraising based on remaining shelf life, inventory on hand, and incoming orders.

$34.3M

Annual Investment Needed

Enhanced Demand Planning

Improved intelligence around demand planning through systems or incorporating historical data in future decisions, often using machine learning to aid in better forecasting and fulfillment.

$14.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Assisted Distressed Sales

Assistance, through third-party companies or apps, in selling salvaged, off spec, overstocked, and out of date food at a discounted rate.

$248.2k

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Foodservice)

Implementation of measurement and alert systems within foodservice cold storage units to detect out of range temperatures and notify automatically.

$4.8k

Annual Investment Needed

Maximize Product Utilization

Explore
Solutions

Manufacturing Byproduct Utilization (Upcycling)

Converting food by-products that would otherwise not go to human consumption (e.g. spent grains, fruit or vegetable pulps, and rinds) into a new ingredient or edible food product through value-added processing.

$377.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Active & Intelligent Packaging

Packaging to slow spoilage through technologies such as ethylene absorption, modified atmospheres, moisture absorption, etc., or adaptive materials that inform as to the quality/safety of the contents.

$33.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Manufacturing Line Optimization

Identifying opportunities to reduce food waste from manufacturing and processing operations, such as in product line changeovers.

$73.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Reshape Consumer Environments

Explore
Solutions

Meal Kits

Assemblies of pre-measured ingredients to cook specific meals, marketed as a way to save time and minimize waste of raw ingredients purchased individually. Can be sold via direct-to-consumer or in-store channels.

$88.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Package Design

Optimizing food packaging size and design to ensure complete consumption by consumers and avoid residual container waste.

$7.3M

Annual Investment Needed

Strengthen Food Rescue

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Solutions

Recycle Anything Remaining

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Solutions

Livestock Feed

Diverting material from the food supply chain (directly or after minimal processing) to use as feed for livestock.

$74.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Optimize The Harvest

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Solutions

Imperfect & Surplus Produce Channels

Surplus, off-grade, near-expiration, or imperfect produce that is packaged and distributed via alternative sales channels or directly to consumers.

$980.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Partial Order Acceptance

Processes to reject at a higher level of granularity and limit rejections of product that meet specs.

$93.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Buyer Specification Expansion

Adjustment of purchasing specifications that allow for a greater variety of product grades into sales and recipes, while still ensuring that specs do not lead to in-house waste.

$5.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Gleaning

Collecting leftover product from fields after the initial commercial harvest that would be otherwise inefficient and uneconomical to harvest, often conducted by volunteers.

$191.0k

Annual Investment Needed

Enhance Product Distribution

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Solutions

First Expired First Out

Designing processes to move product based on what will expire first, rather than when it was received.

$315.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Intelligent Routing

Routing of product based on near time data on impacts to freshness, such as cold chain maintenance so that shorter-life product is routed to closer destinations.

$254.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Decreased Transit Time

Reducing time in transit by team driving to extend the distance product can move each day from farm to distribution.

$253.0M

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Pallet Transport)

Use of measurement and alert technology and other systems for pallet- or truck-level temperature tracking to identify areas for improved cold chain compliance, third-party issue identification, and real-time detection and resolution.

$67.2M

Annual Investment Needed

Reduced Warehouse Handling

Minimizing the number of touches on a product during distribution, preparation, and on display can prevent blemishes or bruising and reduce the potential for damages.

$4.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Refine Product Management

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Solutions

Markdown Alert Applications

Applications that alert consumers to markdowns or excess food at retailers or restaurants

$668.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Dynamic Pricing

Systems and technologies that automatically and comprehensively discount pricing for items, with the purpose of re-appraising based on remaining shelf life, inventory on hand, and incoming orders.

$342.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Waste Tracking (Foodservice)

Technology-enabled tracking of food loss and waste to highlight opportunities for reduction.

$633.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Enhanced Demand Planning

Improved intelligence around demand planning through systems or incorporating historical data in future decisions, often using machine learning to aid in better forecasting and fulfillment.

$74.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Increased Delivery Frequency

Increasing the frequency of delivery from suppliers to stores, restaurants, facilities, or other food destinations to reduce dwell time in distribution centers.

$41.6M

Annual Investment Needed

Decreased Minimum Order Quantity

Reduce minimum order quantities to avoid over-purchasing.

$62.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Minimized On Hand Inventory

Reduce product dwell time in distribution centers by not holding safety stock and excess days on-hand.

$14.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Assisted Distressed Sales

Assistance, through third-party companies or apps, in selling salvaged, off spec, overstocked, and out of date food at a discounted rate.

$2.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Temperature Monitoring (Foodservice)

Implementation of measurement and alert systems within foodservice cold storage units to detect out of range temperatures and notify automatically.

$23.8k

Annual Investment Needed

Maximize Product Utilization

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Solutions

Active & Intelligent Packaging

Packaging to slow spoilage through technologies such as ethylene absorption, modified atmospheres, moisture absorption, etc., or adaptive materials that inform as to the quality/safety of the contents.

$496.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Manufacturing Line Optimization

Identifying opportunities to reduce food waste from manufacturing and processing operations, such as in product line changeovers.

$366.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Manufacturing Byproduct Utilization (Upcycling)

Converting food by-products that would otherwise not go to human consumption (e.g. spent grains, fruit or vegetable pulps, and rinds) into a new ingredient or edible food product through value-added processing.

$1.1B

Annual Investment Needed

Reshape Consumer Environments

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Solutions

Meal Kits

Assemblies of pre-measured ingredients to cook specific meals, marketed as a way to save time and minimize waste of raw ingredients purchased individually. Can be sold via direct-to-consumer or in-store channels.

$440.3M

Annual Investment Needed

Portion Sizes

Creating smaller size options for menu items to reduce over-portioning and plate waste.

$39.3M

Annual Investment Needed

Package Design

Optimizing food packaging size and design to ensure complete consumption by consumers and avoid residual container waste.

$36.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Consumer Education Campaigns

Conducting large-scale advocacy campaigns to raise awareness and educate consumers about ways to prevent food waste in their homes.

$9.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Trayless

Eliminating trays in all-you-can-eat dining facilities to reduce over-portioning by consumers.

$14.7M

Annual Investment Needed

Standardized Date Labels

Standardizing the wording of food label dates to two phrases, one to indicate quality and another for dates which indicate safety risk, in order to reduce consumer misinterpration. In doing so, also eliminating visible sell by dates.

$6.5M

Annual Investment Needed

Small Plates

Using plates with a smaller diameter in all-you-can-eat dining establishments to provide visual appeal of abundance while minimizing portion sizes to reduce plate waste.

$1.6M

Annual Investment Needed

K-12 Lunch Improvements

Implementing strategies, policies, or equipment changes in front of house and/or back of house foodservice facilities at K-12 schools to decrease school food waste.

$408.8k

Annual Investment Needed

K-12 Education Campaigns

Education programs aimed at students to increase awareness and educate future generations about the environmental and economic implications of food waste.

$99.6k

Annual Investment Needed

Buffet Signage

On-site signage to encourage choices and behaviors that reduce waste at point of consumption.

$21.6K

Annual Investment Needed

Strengthen Food Rescue

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Solutions

Donation Transportation

Improving transportation and distribution by increasing small-scale transportation infrastructure, long-haul transport capabilities, or other methods that allow donations to either travel further or allow donations from more businesses.

$61.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Storage Handling & Capacity

Expanding temperature-controlled food distribution infrastructure (e.g. refrigeration, warehouses) and labor availability to handle (e.g. process, package) additional food donation volume.

$35.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Coordination & Matching

Using technology platforms to connect food donors with recovery organizations, simplifying the communication and coordination needed to align surplus product with need and available space.

$4.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Donation Value-Added Processing

Building processing infrastructure equipment and facilities to freeze or convert donated or excess food into products such as soups, sauces, and jams, or prepared meals.

$633.5k

Annual Investment Needed

Recycle Anything Remaining

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Solutions

Centralized Composting

Large scale composting facilities that process commercial, residential, institutional, and industrial food waste, managed either by third party waste and compost companies or solid waste agencies.

$329.0M

Annual Investment Needed

Centralized Anaerobic Digestion

Industrial-scale collection of food waste that undergoes the anaerobic digestion process at a dedicated central location, typically operated by a dedicated energy generator.

$155.9M

Annual Investment Needed

Livestock Feed

Diverting material from the food supply chain (directly or after minimal processing) to use as feed for livestock.

$247.1M

Annual Investment Needed

Optimize The Harvest

Explore
Solutions

Enhance Product Distribution

Explore
Solutions

Refine Product Management

Explore
Solutions

Maximize Product Utilization

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Solutions

Reshape Consumer Environments

Explore
Solutions

Strengthen Food Rescue

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Solutions

Recycle Anything Remaining

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Solutions

Centralized Composting

Large scale composting facilities that process commercial, residential, institutional, and industrial food waste, managed either by third party waste and compost companies or solid waste agencies.

$1.1B

Annual Investment Needed

Co-Digestion At Wastewater Treatment Plants

A process whereby energy-rich organic waste materials (e.g. Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) and/or food scraps) are added to dairy or wastewater digesters with excess capacity.

$520.0M

Annual Investment Needed

Centralized Anaerobic Digestion

Industrial-scale collection of food waste that undergoes the anaerobic digestion process at a dedicated central location, typically operated by a dedicated energy generator.

$467.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Community Composting

Food waste from homes and small businesses diverted to small, community or neighborhood-level compost facilities.

$255.0M

Annual Investment Needed

Optimize The Harvest

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Solutions

Enhance Product Distribution

Explore
Solutions

Refine Product Management

Explore
Solutions

Maximize Product Utilization

Explore
Solutions

Reshape Consumer Environments

Explore
Solutions

Strengthen Food Rescue

Explore
Solutions

Recycle Anything Remaining

Explore
Solutions

Centralized Composting

Large scale composting facilities that process commercial, residential, institutional, and industrial food waste, managed either by third party waste and compost companies or solid waste agencies.

$548.4M

Annual Investment Needed

Co-Digestion At Wastewater Treatment Plants

A process whereby energy-rich organic waste materials (e.g. Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) and/or food scraps) are added to dairy or wastewater digesters with excess capacity.

$520.0M

Annual Investment Needed

Centralized Anaerobic Digestion

Industrial-scale collection of food waste that undergoes the anaerobic digestion process at a dedicated central location, typically operated by a dedicated energy generator.

$467.8M

Annual Investment Needed

Livestock Feed

Diverting material from the food supply chain (directly or after minimal processing) to use as feed for livestock.

$74.1M

Annual Investment Needed

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