Tech Pitch: Feedr

Company name: Feedr
Founders: Riya Grover (29) and Lyz Swanton (32)
Background: Grover has worked at Deutsche Bank, PepsiCo and a number of start-ups, and holds a degree in economics from Oxford and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Swanton has worked with Oliver Wyman and the Clinton Health Access Initiative as well as non-profit and social enterprises. She holds an MBA from London Business School.
Based in: London
Launched: January 2016

Very simply, what does your tech start-up do?

Feedr is an online marketplace bringing healthy, delicious and artisan food to London companies and employees.

Our curated selection of over 100 vendors includes Gail’s Bakery, Vita Mojo, Bel Air, Deliciously Ella, Maple & Fitz, Potage, Karma Cans, Pear Drop, We Grill, Pollen & Grace, Kichn, Well Fed, Karma Cans and many more.

Feedr makes it simple for companies to place recurring, large group food orders online and customise requirements to the needs of their workplace or event. We ensure seamless execution and delivery with dietary labelling, menus and perfect packaging.

Feedr also sets up “cloud canteens” in workplaces so that employees can buy healthier meals themselves, picking from an exciting daily rotating menu.

A unique business model means cloud canteens can offer healthy meals for £6-8 without a delivery fee, and pass back considerable savings to employees, making it easy and affordable for people to eat healthy, nutritious food every day at their workplace.

Feedr also offers flexible subsidy options to companies so they can create a great perk without needing space for a physical canteen.

Tell us why there’s a need – what do you disrupt?

We are trying to reinvent food in the workplace by making healthy and delicious food options accessible in daily life. Feedr removes all hassle from the equation and allows people to reconnect with food, in a simple and convenient way.

We recognise the significant impact that quality food can have upon team meetings and events, so we seek out the best suppliers across London and deliver them directly to the office. Our cloud canteens are a revolutionary way to get food from London’s best healthy eateries directly to individuals in their offices.

Feedr’s cloud canteen

Is Feedr funded?

Feedr raised a large seed round in May 2017. We are backed by an impressive list of super angels including Errol Damelin, Wonga co-founder (who has also invested in Farmdrop, Tide, Thread, Cleo and Habito), Anthony Gutman, co-head of the investment banking division at Goldman Sachs and Richard Glynn, former CEO of Ladbrokes.

What were you doing before you started Feedr?

We founders have always been entrepreneurial and share a passion for both healthy food and technology.

Riya Grover – the marketing, sales and product brain of the business – launched her first tech start-up whilst at Harvard Business School, and has worked with PepsiCo on an innovation project to improve the health and nutrition of their core snack ranges.

Lyz Swanton – the operations and analytics brain of the business – grew up in Vancouver and always knew where her food was sourced from. Her previous experience ranges from strategy consulting to project management, including implementing mobile health technology in rural Africa to improve HIV services.

What’s the best thing about being based in London?

London has an incredible and growing base of healthy restaurants, caterers, delis and eateries that give us a rich and unique supplier base to pick from on our platform. London’s workplaces and individuals are increasingly thinking about wellness and how to eat better, which makes it a great first city for our products.

Thinking of starting up a company in the capital? Browse Startups’ free guides to launching in London here.