Launched in 2019, Collectiv aims to set new standards in B2B food distribution, a market worth £145B in Europe alone. The company aims to challenge the capital-intensive and low-margin industry which, built pre-internet, has been slow to innovate.
The supply business has already seen 200% growth in its customer base in the past year alone, sparking the interest the hospitality industry in particular by providing cost effective support at a time when the dual impact of Covid and Brexit have resulted in acute staff shortages and unreliable supply chains.
A more sustainable service
The company aims to cut out unnecessary steps in the delivery process of freshly sourced foods from producer to professional kitchens by delivering produce directly from the source. Customers currently range from restaurants and hotels to catering firms, including Big Mamma Group, Tossed, Megan’s and Fresh Fitness Food.
The guarantee of fresh produce is underpinned by a commitment to sustainable delivery with points of delivery set out across city locations, resulting in up to 50% less CO2 emissions than traditional methods of delivery.
The round was led by VNV Global, alongside VisVires New Protein, Octopus Ventures, Norrsken VC, as well as existing investors including Partech, Colle Capital and Mustard Seed. The funding will be used to further develop Collectiv’s delivery and sourcing models and expand the team across all functions in order to offer a better and more sustainable delivery service. With the European market projected to grow from £145B to £200B over the next five years, Collectiv are planning on gearing up for further international expansion in Europe.
Collectiv founder, Jeremy Hibbert-Garibaldi said, “It’s a really exciting time for Collectiv Food, we’re being pushed by a combination of strong tailwinds; end-consumers demanding a better understanding of provenance; cities implementing air pollution regulations that limit large freight; a post-Covid hospitality industry desperate to improve margins but with limited staff availability to facilitate this in-house.”
“Combined with our innovative model, we’re able to set our sights on not only becoming a European leader in food distribution over the next few years, but even a global one.”