Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the food industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked direct-to-consumer (DTC) solutions.
Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Direct-to-Consumer Solutions out of 248
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2.093.000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 248 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 FoodTech startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 243 direct-to-consumer solutions, get in touch.
Click to download
Los Hortelanos develops an Artisanal Food Marketplace
Conventional food distribution systems involve multiple intermediaries from farm to market. This causes unwanted delays and increased operational costs. On the other hand, the direct distribution of food items significantly improves operational efficiency while providing a channel for food brands to directly reach customers. However, imparting direct-to-consumer distribution significantly increases the internal workload. That is why startups develop solutions that enable food producers and brands to accommodate D2C without disrupting daily operations.
Los Hortelanos is a Spanish startup that allows local farmers and food artisans to directly reach consumers without middlemen. The startup’s marketplace sources organic food from local producers that are available for purchase by the consumers using online payment. The farmers harvest and prepare the goods only after the order placement, thereby ensuring the freshness of the delivered products. Los Hortelanos eliminates brokerage charges and increases the profits for food producers and artisans as well as shortens the food supply chain.
Wild Alaskan Company builds an Online Seafood Marketplace
The seafood supply chain varies based on the product being supplied. For instance, fresh coastal seafood and canned products rely on distinct supply chains with different complexities. When seafood producers switch to direct distribution, fishermen have to step up and take control of the downstream operations such as freight handling, food processing, sales, and marketing. As a result, seafood farmers use off-the-boat sales, dock to the restaurant, and farmer’s markets to sell their fish. Startups advance seafood direct distribution by offering online marketplaces and solutions that further improve order management efficiency for seafood D2C sellers and companies.
Based in the US, Wild Alaskan Company is a startup that provides a wild-caught seafood online marketplace. The startup delivers wild-caught seafood on-demand and is also available as a monthly subscription. The startup’s curated wild fisheries provide seafood that is not genetically modified or farmed. In addition, the startup promotes the practice of sustainable yield and the fish are caught only after orders are placed. This increases the overall sustainability of the seafood supply chain.
Petbuddy Group offers D2C Dog Food
Direct-to-consumer distribution is gaining traction in the pet food industry. Direct distribution of feed allows food manufacturers and brands to efficiently control its quality. This positively impacts sales as the concern for healthy and safe pet food is on the rise among pet owners. Further, direct-to-consumer solutions enable early market feedback, thereby reducing product recalls before food items reach a wider market.
Swedish startup Petbuddy Group is a startup that offers dog food. The startup’s direct-to-consumer distribution of their product enables constant feedback from their customers, providing a channel for product betterment. This enables the startup to improve Buddy, their dog feed, and tailor it for the customer demands, thereby improving sales. Buddy is also made using natural ingredients and is free from grains, sugar, gluten, and soy. Additionally, the startup provides a subscription program for its products.
Cropolis develops a Direct Sales Management Platform
The perishable nature of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, makes the food supply chain highly time-sensitive. In conventional supply chains, there are unwanted delays in last-mile delivery that affects the quality of the farm produce. Furthermore, high food supply chain complexity results in high operating costs. That is why startups offer D2C solutions for farm producers that allow them to take products directly to the consumer, thereby boosting sales.
Cropolis is a US-based startup that develops an eponymous online platform for direct farm produce and meat sales. The platform allows farmers to accept orders round the clock from local customers. It comes with an email builder to reach customers on any device and create digital sales reports. The startup’s solution enables direct distribution management for farm owners without the need for bespoke solutions, thereby reducing operational costs and simplifying implementation
Slerp offers eCommerce Order Management
Indirect distribution through middlemen means that customers can choose at which outlet they buy their food. However, with the advancements in omnichannel and eCommerce solutions, food brands themselves are able to significantly improve their cross-channel operations while moving to direct distribution. Startups aid this effort by developing digital omnichannel solutions that simplify the management of multi-channel commerce while allowing brands to directly reach customers without intermediaries.
British startup Slerp is developing eCommerce and order management platforms for restaurants. The startup’s SLERPSPACE eCommerce platform supports multi-location management as well as local, citywide, and nationwide deliveries. Its restaurant delivery order management solution, SLERPCOMPOSER, consolidates online and offline orders. These solutions work together to enable direct distribution of food products for restaurant chains, thereby enabling direct customer engagement and feedback. Slerp further provides a digital marketing solution to increase brand awareness and sales.
Discover more FoodTech Startups
Food startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on food supply chains, sustainable sourcing, and food traceability. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing the food industry, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more food technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free FoodTech Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
