Sydney startup To eat, that allows diners to find restaurants that meet their dietary needs, has raised $700,000 in pre-Seed funding.
After launching in Sydney in June 2021 – just before the 100-day shutdown of the NSW capital began, Foodini has spent the 12 months since the city reopened building strong relationships with more than 2,000 restaurants listed on the app. are called. It is now launching in Melbourne and plans to roll out in Brisbane and the rest of Australia by the end of this year.
The foodin app matches people with different nutritional needs to restaurants that can serve them, from gluten free to lactose intolerant, allergies, vegans, FODMAPs and more. Dietitians combine with the platform’s technology to rate restaurants and menus to provide an overview of what to eat in each location.
the app is suitable for over 40 diets, including all mandatory allergens. Restaurants are aboard the platform with the help of accredited practicing dietitians who review and upload the menus.
foodin was founded in 2020 by Dylan McDonnell, who has celiac disease, in response to a global shift in the nutritional needs of people eating out, in addition to his own unpleasant dining experiences.
“I started foodin to answer a simple question: where can I eat, and what exactly can I eat when I get there? It’s amazing to see how it has grown,” he said.
“We have some really big months ahead of us as foodin is launching in new Australian markets and our plans to scale the platform are taking shape. We have our sights set on the US for 2023, so we are really encouraged by this pre-seed round.”
Image: Foodini
Users can easily create a profile that outlines their specific needs to match them with restaurants, cafes, and other locations in a particular area, and show them exactly what to eat when they get there.
Alec Palexas is an operations manager at the national grill house chain Squires Loft and loves how the app streamlines the management needed to safely comply with diets.
“As a conservative estimate, we serve approximately 250 customers per week with specific dietary requirements. In the past, these were handled by phone prior to dinner or during dinner,” he said,
“We strive to meet the needs of all our diners, and ensuring that what we prepare is safe is critical to us. foodin empowers diners to make choices with confidence, takes the stress out of us and provides insight into how we as a company can improve our menu development,” he said.
Cath Rogers, partner of Antler Australia, said that as the number of people with specific dietary needs and preferences increases globally, so do the opportunities for tech companies like Foodini.
“Foodini is uniquely positioned to capture this growing market and has shown strong supply-side traction and user engagement on their platform,” she said.
“We have been working on the foodin team for several months now and have been impressed with their rapid production iteration, go-to-market capabilities and the quality team they have assembled.”
foodin is available on the Play Store and App Store. More than: getfoodini.com