Indian fresh food retailer Living Food raises $7.5M Series A investment led by Amasia

(ASEAN Startups) Living Food, an India-based fresh food retailer, announced Wednesday the successful closing of a $7.5 million Series A fundraises led by Amasia, a Silicon Valley-headquartered venture capital firm.

Indian fresh food retailer Living Food raises $7.5M Series A investment led by Amasia

Other participating investors included SOSV, Blume Founders Fund, and notable angels including Xander Group founder Sid Yog and Nexus Venture Partners Co-Founder Sandeep Singhal, Living Food said in a statement.


It said the company plans to expand to Mumbai in early 2022 and expects further domestic expansion ahead.

With the fresh funding, the company also looks to expand the team, improve logistics and tech offerings, and launch new brands.


Focused on delivering fresh, locally sourced, and high-quality products to consumers within the day of harvest or production, Living Food started off in 2018 as a vertical climate control hydroponic farm in the founder’s apartment selling farm-to-table subscriptions.


Since then, the company has expanded to include over 700 stock-keeping units (SKUs) in 24 categories such as seasonal fruits, leafy greens, fresh bread, artisanal chocolates, spreads and sauces, cold-pressed oil, and many more. The firm started in Bangalore and now also offers a selection of products for nationwide delivery.


“We found plenty of opportunities to grow while remaining focused only on Bangalore. This funding round is a testament to our relentless focus on transforming our consumers’ eating behaviors. We did it by providing access to a vast selection of fresh, clean, and credible food through our fast and innovative fresh food supply chain.


“Living Food will continue to work towards providing locally-sourced healthy food that is good for the people and right for planet earth,” said Akash Sajith, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Living Food.


According to the statement, the number of orders coming through Living Food’s platform has increased 10 times in the past year, while maintaining a net promoter score (NPS) of 93.


Living Food ensures safety and transparency by partnering with the finest local farmers, bakers, brewers, and other food artisans using environmentally sustainable practices. Its partners include the world’s finest tea garden Makaibari selling their latest harvest and award-winning Araku Coffee offering freshly ground coffee.


Living Food currently fulfills 99 percent of its deliveries in under 24 hours, with 80 percent of orders delivered within six hours. Customers can optionally sign up for subscription-based deliveries, and the products are transported directly from the source to the customer in recyclable or compostable packaging.


Living Food also recently launched a cloud kitchen where the dishes are prepared from fresh products sold on its platform. This new vertical provides the company’s customers with a more convenient way to enjoy healthy food without the hassle of cooking and cleaning.


“We are impressed with the team’s ability and determination, which were all part of what made the company so attractive to us as an investment. We’re excited to support Living Food in the next chapter of their journey,” said John Kim, Managing Partner at Amasia, who also led Living Food’s seed round in 2020.


Amasia is a thesis-driven venture capital firm investing in companies that fight the climate crisis and help build a safer and more sustainable planet. It backs founders with global ambitions at the seed to Series B stages, across the United States, Southeast Asia, India, Europe, and Latin America.


Founded in 2013, Amasia has invested in nearly 50 companies around the globe. The firm works closely with founders to facilitate growth and offer access to global markets, global best practices, and global knowledge.


Its investment in Living Food aligns closely with its investment thesis on behavior change for a more sustainable planet.


Living Food claimed that it helps its customers reduce their carbon footprint by offering locally-sourced food – the food supply chain makes up a quarter of all global greenhouse gas emissions, and more than 80 percent of emissions in the consumer sector can be traced back to the supply chain.


Meanwhile, Living Food’s delivery routes are digitally optimized, scheduled, and disseminated to its in-house fleet, further enhancing supply chain efficiencies. As a digital platform, the company eliminates emissions associated with operating physical stores, which often generate more waste.


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