Fast-growing startup I-lunch has announced a €5 million round of financing from Banque des Territoires, Karista via the Paris Region Venture Fund (PRVF), Financière Tuileries and Noveo. This new round of financing will enable the foodtech company to continue its ascent and expand its neo-restaurant service, which has already attracted players such as Adecco, Labeyrie, Castalie, Wojo and Jennyfer.

I-lunch works with its clients to reinvent their catering methods. The company offers customized catering spaces in companies, such as food corners, connected fridges (from which employees can pick up meals and products at any time of the day) or even real cafeterias with staff. I-lunch, the first canteen for teleworkers, has just sold over 2 million meals to employees and is also offering a quality home catering solution that also includes an employer contribution. The startup is present on a daily basis and accompanies its clients at all moments of corporate life (farewell parties, welcome breakfasts, afterwork sessions, meal trays, etc.).

While it aims to grow by 300% in 2021, this fundraising will allow I-lunch to:

• expand its business outside of the Île-de-France region,
• prepare a major shift in brand image as it will present its new identity at the end of the year to strengthen its position in the growing neo-restaurant market,
• to double its workforce this year and reach 80 employees
• invest significantly in technology to remain at the forefront of innovation

I-Lunch offers an innovative catering service model for companies, which is particularly relevant in the wake of the health crisis and in light of new employee habits and consumption patterns. The start-up offers ethical catering services that respect the environment, meeting the impact investment priorities of the Banque des Territoires at the service of more sustainable territories, at the crossroads of the food transition and the circular economy, says Christophe Genter, director of the Social and Territorial Cohesion department at the Banque des Territoires.

“I-lunch is rethinking the foodservice industry by putting innovation at the heart of a changing industry. The i-lunch offer is perfectly in line with the expectations and challenges of the market: product quality, responsible sourcing, zero waste and anti-waste policy. We are proud to support Victoria Benhaim and the entire team in their development to make i-lunch a reference player in its market,” said Benjamin Zerbib, Investment Director and Yvan-Michel Ehkirch, Managing Partner at Karista.

One more step towards a more responsible collective catering

Through its service, I-lunch contributes to strengthening the CSR policies of its corporate clients by offering them ethical catering services with a low carbon footprint. A pioneer in zero waste, the startup has banned plastic cutlery and bottles in order to offer reusable glass cutlery and containers, as well as Tetra Pak packaging.

To go even further, the foodtech I-lunch aims to save more than 60,000 meals in 2021 thanks to its predictive sales algorithm and the implementation of pre-orders to anticipate its production. It is also conducting operations to save unsold food in partnership with TooGoodToGo and to donate to associations. In order to fight against the overproduction of plastic waste, thanks to its deposit system, I-lunch has also saved 1 ton of disposable plastic in 2020. A figure that it intends to multiply by 10 this year by eliminating all single-use packaging.

About I-lunch

I-lunch is a FoodTech created in 2017 by Victoria Benhaim, specializing in catering solutions for companies. The company makes a point of combining the innovation of its services with the quality of its products (taste and nutrition), eco-responsibility and the well-being of employees. Every week, it offers around 20 home-made, healthy and gourmet dishes through 3 types of solutions.
– On-site canteens: Food Corners, Connected Fridge, Cafeterias…
– Le Télé Restau, the first canteen for teleworkers: quality catering solution at home with payment by meal voucher for example for the employer subsidy.
– Room service: one-off or recurring food deliveries for all needs and occasions.
Pioneer of the delivery in eco-responsible glass containers (with digital deposit system), I-lunch accompanies to date large companies such as, Thales, Nike, L’oréal, Total, Geodis, Schindler, CNRS, Crillon, Criteo, etc.

For more information: www.ilunch.fr.

About Karista

Karista is an independent early stage venture capital firm. Over the past 20 years, we have supported and accompanied more than 100 companies in Western Europe from inception to success in the digital, technology and healthcare sectors. Because we believe that investment is not only about money, but above all about people, we provide early support to our founders and entrepreneurs. Karista is a signatory of the Sista charter.

For more information: www.karista.vc

About the Paris Region Venture Fund (managed by Karista)

As part of its policy to support innovation, the Paris Region wishes to help the leaders of tomorrow emerge in key sectors of the Paris Region economy that are highly competitive, such as sustainable and intelligent cities, aeronautics, digital technology, cybersecurity, tourism, agri-food, health and mobility. It has chosen to focus its support primarily on projects involving cutting-edge technologies that will shape the products and services of tomorrow.
To achieve this ambition, the Paris Region has set up an investment fund, the Paris Region Venture Fund, with the support of the ERDF, which aims to provide equity support to young innovative companies in the Paris Region. With an investment capacity increased to €50 million in 2017, the PRVF supports growth and employment with the creation of an average of 30 jobs per participation and a turnover growth rate of over 200% (source: EDATER).

About Financière Tuileries

Financière Tuileries is a Paris-based family office investing on its own behalf in the healthcare and digital sectors, including artificial intelligence, e-commerce, logistics, mobility and cybersecurity. Its strategy is to invest, in Western Europe as well as in the United States, in technology companies whose value proposition creates a breakthrough in process or usage.

About the Noveo / NovX Group

The Noveo Group, with more than 1,000 engineers specialized in the implementation of digital services and innovative software products, supports more than 250 clients in France, from StartUps / ScaleUps to large corporations.
NovX, the Noveo Group’s investment vehicle, invests in the seed and early stages of innovative technology startups. The investments made can combine cash and IT services for equity.

A propos de la Banque des Territoires

Créée en 2018, la Banque des Territoires est un des cinq métiers de la Caisse des Dépôts. Elle rassemble dans une même structure les expertises internes à destination des territoires. Porte d’entrée client unique, elle propose des solutions sur mesure de conseil et de financement en prêts et en investissement pour répondre aux besoins des collectivités locales, des organismes de logement social, des entreprises publiques locales et des professions juridiques. Elle s’adresse à tous les territoires, depuis les zones rurales jusqu’aux métropoles, avec l’ambition de lutter contre les inégalités sociales et les fractures territoriales. La Banque des Territoires est déployée dans les 16 directions régionales et les 37 implantations territoriales de la Caisse des Dépôts afin d’être mieux identifiée auprès de ses clients et au plus près d’eux.

Pour des territoires plus attractifs, inclusifs, durables et connectés.

For more information: www.banquedesterritoires.fr  / @BanqueDesTerritoires

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