UK-based food technology startup Foodsteps has raised $4.1 million in seed funding to allow businesses to calculate, reduce and label the environmental impact of their food from farm to fork.
The seed funding round, led by Octopus Ventures, will allow the company to improve its database by integrating more environmental impacts such as farm-level biodiversity and water use and consolidating its market position.
The other participants of the funding round include Metaplanet, Ascension, and the Conduit EIS Impact Fund.
Founded in 2021 by Cambridge University alumna Anya Doherty, the platform has developed an ‘impact database’ holding data incorporating the carbon footprint, pollution, water use, and land use of more than 1,000 ingredients.
Traffic-light labels then give a rating from A-E and a QR code which consumers can scan to learn about a product’s sustainability credentials, the company explained.
The food providers can upload recipes and view the sustainability impact of each ingredient.
It can be used to monitor targets, develop new recipes and improve a menu or product’s sustainability.
The company currently works with the likes of food industry giants such as Pizza Express, Wagamama, Ask Italian, and food delivery services allplants, Mindful Chef, and caterers at Kew Gardens to calculate, and label to reduce their environmental footprint.
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