Food Waste Funder Circle - ReFED Inc.

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Food Waste Funder Circle

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Help Fund the Fight Against Food Waste

The Food Waste Funder Circle (FWFC) is a network designed for private, public, and philanthropic funders interested in using their capital to solve food waste challenges. Co-founded by ReFED and Upcycled Food Association , the FWFC offers a curated platform for funder education, collaboration, and investment to help drive the capital flow needed to reach national and international goals to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030.

Membership in the FWFC is free and open to both individual investors and representatives from funder organizations.

As a member of the FWFC, you’ll get access to regular programming about investing in food waste innovations; deal flow reports and pitches from solution providers that are actively fundraising; opportunities to work with like-minded funders on industry challenges; and more.

A sampling of FWFC members is below. For the full list of public members, click here .

AJANA FOUNDATION

Member Benefits At-A-Glance:

Education

Learn about investment opportunities and innovation in the food waste sector through webinars and panel events featuring experts and funders.
Get sector trends and insights via our monthly Capital & Innovation Market Update .

Collaboration

Connect with like-minded funders to share success stories and lessons learned.
Co-create and participate in FWFC working groups focused on specific opportunities or challenge areas.

Investing

Get to know innovative companies operating in the food waste space through pitch events and demo days.
Access a wide set of funding opportunities with regularly compiled deal flow reports.

Sign up for free or read on for more information about what it’s all about.

Why Fund Solutions to Food Waste?

Food waste is a major driver of climate change, which is affecting the ability of cropland and water resources to produce the amount of food needed to feed our growing population. According to the U.S. EPA, annually food waste produces more greenhouse gas emissions than 42 coal-fired power plants, uses enough water and energy to supply more than 50 million homes, and requires an area of agricultural land equal to California and New York. Importantly, uneaten food is the number one product entering landfills, where it has the highest generation potential for methane, an anthropogenic greenhouse gas that’s 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

It's also a major drag on our economy, and food that’s currently being wasted could go to support the more than 40 million Americans struggling with food insecurity. (Learn more about the impact of food waste here .)

By reducing food waste, we can cut greenhouse gas emissions, save water, create jobs, and recover food for those in need. And that reduction comes with a significant financial benefit too. ReFED estimates that an annual investment of $14 billion over the next ten years can not only reduce food waste by more than 50% each year but also result in an annual net financial benefit of $73 billion – a five-to-one return.

With the Food Waste Funder Circle, ReFED is partnering with funders to accelerate the flow of capital to reach our 2030 food waste reduction target and attain the resulting financial, social, and environmental benefits.

Detailed Member Offerings

Membership in the FWFC is free.

All FWFC members receive at no cost:

Market update newsletters highlighting industry news and events
Monthly deal flow reports, which list active investment opportunities in the sector
Quarterly educational events with like-minded funders from across the capital spectrum
Access to bi-weekly pitch events, as well as a repository of recorded pitch events and company profiles
Opportunities to participate in bespoke “deep dives” on particular issues through special working groups
Access to one (1) dedicated “office hour” session with ReFED and/or its program partners

For members seeking a greater level of involvement in the FWFC in addition to the above offerings, the following benefits* are available:

Receive deal flow reports in real time, in addition to the monthly consolidated report
Participate in closed-door Q&A sessions after each pitch event to build direct connections with innovative solution providers
Provide input on topic areas and design of the working groups, which will focus the efforts of FWFC members on key areas of concern or interest
Access in-depth strategic advisory sessions on solution, technology, and market opportunities through up to six (6) "office hours" with ReFED and/or our program partners
Gain early access and/or discounts to in-person events, such as ReFED’s Food Waste Solutions Summit (May 10-12, 2022 in Minneapolis, MN)

* Access to these additional benefits requires an annual fee of $1,500 for organizations with assets or AUM under $20 million and $3,000 for organizations with assets or AUM of $20 million or more.

Sponsorship Opportunities

The following opportunities are available for members and others who are interested in sponsoring elements of the FWFC:

Educational Event Sponsorship:

Logo and name acknowledgment in outreach and on webinar presentation slides, an optional opportunity to make 1-2 minutes of remarks during the event, option to collaborate with ReFED to determine speakers and content.

Pitch Event Sponsorship:

Logo and name acknowledgment in outreach and on pitch slides, an optional opportunity to make 1-2 minutes of remarks at the beginning of the pitch event.

Working Group Sponsorship:

The sponsor has a role in defining the scope of the working group(s) and facilitating the meetings.

Join the Food Waste Funders Circle

The Food Waste Funder Circle is for capital providers only. If you're a solution provider who wants to share your fundraising needs with the membership, please fill out this survey instead .

Contact Sarah.Munger@refed.org with questions about FWFC membership and sponsorship.

Become a Member See Public Members

Member Events

We’re curating a series of special events specifically for FWFC members, who can participate in real time or by viewing videos after each event. Learn from leaders and experts across the food system on various food waste topics such as the climate/food waste connection; how policy and infrastructure plans under the new administration can open up food waste solutions funding opportunities; the role of blended finance vehicles in scaling innovation in food waste solutions; and more.

Past Events

Unlocking Impact Through Blended Finance Solutions

March 30, 2022

Blended finance solutions have been used increasingly over the last ten years to mobilize capital to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For this special webinar, speakers will explore how blended finance works – and how it can help advance and scale food waste solutions.

Hosted by the Food Waste Funder Circle.

December 8, 2021

Learn more about the enormous investment and impact potential to be had in the food waste sector by joining us on December 8 as we introduce the new nationwide Food Waste Funder Circle. The Food Waste Funder Circle is a network for private, public and philanthropic funders that will build the ecosystem required to fight food waste by creating a platform for funder education, collaboration, and investment.

October 20, 2022

Join us for another pitch event hosted by ReFED's Food Waste Funder Circle (FWFC)! We'll hear from ANINA, ClearCOGS, Applied AI, Forager, and Sincarne during this one hour session

Pitch Sessions

We host bi-weekly pitch events where FWFC members can hear from high-impact food waste solution providers who are seeking funding to grow scalable and effective technologies and services in the sector. Recordings of pitch events are available to all members of the FWFC and will be sent out by email on a monthly basis. Once a quarter, in lieu of a pitch event, we will hold an Innovation Demo Day, which will feature solution providers that are demonstrating their innovations, organized around a particular thematic area, like compostable packaging or waste-derived products.

Past Events

Food Waste Funder Circle | Pitch Session: WATS

May 5, 2022

WATS is a zero waste services company, with a team made up of consultants, educators, data geeks, composters, and micro-mobility specialists. After spending 8 years delivering consulting services with an eye focused on facilitating organics recycling in businesses, they are building a digital platform to help businesses organize, manage, track and report on their waste operations. They are raising $1.5M for marketing and sales, customer success, product, and admin.

May 5, 2022

Transparent Path is a for-profit real-time supply chain visibility platform aimed at tracking shipments of high-margin perishables. They attach always-on cellular sensor devices at time of shipment, and track location, temperature, humidity, tilt, shock and other factors while perishables are in transit. They’re currently raising a $2M seed round, and will open their $4M Series A in August.

May 5, 2022

Replate is a nonprofit that leverages technology to reduce food waste and improve access to nutritious food by redistributing surplus food to community organizations. Replate is fundraising to build a white-label software package to empower businesses, cities, CBOs, and other food rescue organizations (FROs) with their sophisticated food rescue technology. The team is also developing a mechanism to report nutritional content of donated food, including macro-balance and micro-nutrient profiles for insights into health impacts. They’re raising $7M for SaaS tech development, establishing SaaS pilots, FFS market expansion, and food rescue operations.

April 21, 2022

FreshX is an early-stage SaaS startup building an AI-driven transaction platform for fresh produce buyers and sellers. FreshX combines an online transaction platform with real-time market information and AI-enabled forecasting, which allows produce buyers and sellers to connect and transact more easily and efficiently and allows customers to make data-driven decisions. This results in fresher products and less waste in the supply chain. They’re seeking $500K to accelerate their growth.

April 21, 2022

Blakbear replaces use-by dates on food with a smart label that measures freshness. They sell freshness sensors and a cloud API, to improve quality control, add shelf-life and cut food waste. They’re fundraising $3M to scale-up (Hiring, Manufacturing) and for R&D.

April 21, 2022

MyGug develops micro scale anaerobic digesters designed for the mass market. MyGug is a Food Waste treatment system that fully integrates into household/small food business settings. It will operate in all weathers and climates from -20 deg C to +40 deg C and will provide a clean fossil fuel free solution to disposing of food waste. They are raising $1.5M to fund their growth for the next 18-24 months.

March 24, 2022

Hidden Gems beverage company is finding new, creative and nutritious ways to efficiently use food waste. Their first product is: Reveal- an antioxidant-rich beverage made from upcycled avocado seeds. It contains 3x the amount of antioxidants in green tea, is gut healthy, and has zero added sugar. They are raising $1.5M in seed funding to build visibility, build case studies for retailers, and prepare their study for the FDA GRAS.

March 24, 2022

The Kawa Project builds a platform to convert food waste streams into sustainable ingredients. They have developed an affordable cocoa powder replacement and palm oil replacement from upcycled material, with the aim to bring their first product to market in 2022. They are raising $3M in seed funding to refine and launch their Kawa Home CPG line, finalize engineering, and build their team.

March 24, 2022

NETZRO is a state-of-art upcycling platform that includes patent-pending tech that helps power the safe capture and conversion of industrial food & beverage byproducts into new sustainable upcycled food ingredients at scale. NETZRO is fundraising $1.5M.

March 10, 2022

California Safe Soil (CSS) is a for-profit company that recovers food from supermarkets and, using its proprietary process, creates upcycled organic fertilizer and pet food ingredients.

March 10, 2022

Therma is a for-profit company that builds tools to increase safety and sustainability from farm to fork.

March 10, 2022

Turn is a 3-year-old sustainability company based in DFW, Texas with both DTC and B2B services for food waste recycling including a 5-year contract with DFW International Airport.

February 24, 2022

Association of Gleaning Organizations is a nonprofit that builds the capacity of organizations recovering fresh fruits and vegetables from farms, gardens, and backyards across North America.

February 24, 2022

Food Rescue Alliance is a nonprofit that creates a network of food rescue initiatives working toward a more just and less wasteful food system, locally and regionally. Rootable, their logistics software, helps community-based organizations distribute resources.

February 24, 2022

Hollywood Food Coalition is a nonprofit that provides nutritionally complete, restaurant-like meals to food-insecure neighbors in LA, in addition to rescuing food through their Community Exchange program, which is a concierge food rescue and distribution service that provides food to small to medium-sized nonprofits throughout L.A. County.

February 10, 2022

Gander is a multi award winning app that shows consumers reduced-price food available in retailers in real time, inspiring motivated shoppers to purchase them before they become surplus or waste.

February 10, 2022

FOR Solutions provides state-of-the-art, value-engineered composting systems based on patented composting biotechnology that transform uneaten food into nutrient-dense, pathogen-free compost in just 5 days.

December 8, 2021

Farmlink Project, is a nonprofit that connects farmers to food banks, delivering millions of pounds of farm fresh produce that would otherwise be wasted to families in need.

February 10, 2022

Renewal Mill is an award-winning upcycled food company fighting climate change with upcycled flours & baking mixes.

December 8, 2021

I Am Grounded, is a for-profit upcycling company that turns coffee fruit, which is a natural byproduct of the coffee farming process, into delicious energy snacks.

Member Spotlights

Our Member Spotlight Series features a different Food Waste Funder Circle (FWFC) member organization for each installment – including any asks or offers that they have for the Network. The goal of the Member Spotlight Series is to give FWFC members a peek into the amazing work that others in our community are doing and to connect members who could potentially benefit from a collaboration.

Branch Venture Group

Branch Venture Group (BVG) is a Boston-based angel investment network that provides funding and connections to early-stage food-related companies. We work with our angel investor members to identify, diligence, and invest in pre-seed and seed stage startups launching new products, technologies, and services for the food industry. Our primary focus is investing in entrepreneurs raising under $3M with the capacity to syndicate larger opportunities through other networks and venture firms. We currently have 15 portfolio companies, participated in 26 financing rounds, and were the second most active investment network nationwide focused on funding food-related startups in 2021.

Learn More

Fairbridge Park

We are an early stage fund that aspires to be the partner of choice for entrepreneurs that are tackling pertinent socieconomic problems. We enjoy working with purpose-driven entrepreneurs who are leveraging technology to address key challenges in foundational areas of financial/economic resilience and also in the health and wellness sector.

Learn More

Trailhead Capital

Trailhead Capital is a mission-driven investment firm that seeks to create financial, societal, and ecological returns by backing entrepreneurs who are building the regenerative future of food and agriculture. The firm's flagship Regeneration Fund invests in regenerative agriculture companies at the Seed and Series A stages using Ag/FoodTech and business model innovation to accomplish this mission. Trailhead believes that deploying this vital capital represents the single greatest opportunity to improve human, soil, and planetary health today.

Learn More

Food Waste Funders Circle Public Members

The following individuals and organizations are public members of the Food Waste Funder Circle. We're excited to have you join them.

See FAQ

Who is the ReFED Food Waste Funders Circle for?

The Food Waste Funders Circle (FWFC) is a special network designed for private, public, and philanthropic funders interested in using their capital to solve food waste challenges. Membership in the FWFC is free and open to both individual investors and representatives from funder organizations. The FWFC offers a curated platform for funder education, collaboration, and investment to help drive the capital flow needed to reach national and international goals to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030.

Why become a member of the Food Waste Funder Circle?

The FWFC is the only funder network focused exclusively on opportunities within the food waste space. As a member of the FWFC, you’ll benefit from:

Education - Learn more about investment opportunities and innovation in the food waste sector through webinars and panel events featuring experts and funders Get sector trends and insights via monthly newsletters

Collaboration - Connect with like-minded funders to share success stories and lessons learned Co-create and participate in FWFC working groups focused on specific opportunities or challenge areas

Investing - Get to know innovative companies operating in the food waste space through pitch events and demo days Access a wide set of funding opportunities with a regularly compiled deal flow report

How much does it cost to join?

The Food Waste Funder Circle is free to join.

All members receive benefits including market update newsletters highlighting industry updates and events; monthly deal flow reports listing active investment opportunities in the sector; quarterly educational events with like-minded funders from across the capital spectrum; access to bi-weekly pitch events, plus a repository of recorded pitch events and company profiles; opportunities to participate in bespoke “deep dives” on particular issues through special working groups; and access to one (1) dedicated “office hour” session with ReFED and/or its program partners.

For an additional annual fee ($1,500 for organizations with assets or AUM under $20 million and $3,000 for organizations with assets or AUM of $20 million or more), members can receive deal flow reports in real time, in addition to the monthly consolidated report; participate in closed-door Q&A sessions after each pitch event to build direct connections with innovative solution providers; provide input on topic areas and design of the working groups, which will focus the efforts of FWFC members on key areas of concern or interest; access in-depth strategic advisory sessions on solution, technology, and market opportunities through up to six (6) office hours with ReFED and/or our program partners; and gain early access and/or discounts to in-person events, such as ReFED’s Food Waste Solutions Summit (May 10-12, 2022 in Minneapolis, MN).

How is the Food Waste Funder Circle different from the ReFED Food Waste Action Network?

The Food Waste Funder Circle is dedicated exclusively to supporting capital providers of all types who are interested in funding solutions to food waste challenges. It provides a distinct set of offerings than the ReFED Food Waste Action Network (FWAN), which covers a broader range of food waste topics. FWFC members are encouraged to participate in FWAN activities (which are open to the public), but FWAN members need to also be FWFC members to participate in FWFC activities.

Who is managing the FWFC?

ReFED and Upcycled Food Association are co-founders of the Food Waste Funder Circle. ReFED serves as the managing partner for the network.

What is the Upcycled Food Association?

Upcycled Food Association (UFA) is a co-founder of the Food Waste Funder Circle. Through research, strategy, networking, and policy advocacy, Upcycled Food Association is building a food system in which all food is elevated to its highest and best use. Comprised of more than 180 Members and Associate Members from around the world, UFA is working to attract more investment to the upcycled industry, improve the upcycle business network, improve the upcycled supply chain, and increase consumer demand for upcycled products.

Since the Upcycled Food Association is a co-founder, does that mean the focus will be on upcycling as a food waste solution? No, the Food Waste Funder Circle provides opportunities for education, collaboration, and investment in the full spectrum of food waste solutions, not just upcycling.

Can I share this with others?

Absolutely – if you have a recommendation of an individual or company that should join the Food Waste Funder Circle, please share this with them.

Who can I contact for more information?

If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Munger at sarah.munger@refed.org .

How do I sign up?

Click here to fill out the short application form.

"There’s so much opportunity in the food waste space right now, and to keep building on that, it’s more important than ever to make sure that funders have the information they need to make smart investment decisions and have access to a network of fundable initiatives and partners ready to collaborate."

Alexandria Coari / Vice President, Capital, Innovation & Engagement

ReFED

"There’s loss and waste at every stage of the food supply chain, so we need a full range of solutions – including upcycling – to fight it. The Food Waste Funder Circle is a way to connect capital providers to all the potential that the food waste space has to offer."

Turner Wyatt / Chief Executive Officer

Upcycled Food Association

The Food Waste Funder Circle was designed to help its members understand the food waste reduction landscape, explore investment opportunities, and find partners for collaboration – ultimately bridging the funding gap that exists at the intersection of food waste innovation and capital. Join now and put yourself at the center of the food waste funding conversation.

Become a Member

Food Waste Funder Circle - ReFED Inc.

Ways to Engage