Pieter Pot, the Dutch startup has successfully closed a funding round securing €9 million. The funding round was led by ETF Partners and included the participation of SHIFT Interest, the Future Food Fund, and IQ Capital. With current operations focused on the Netherlands, the funding is expected to be used for expansion into the U.K., France, Germany, and Scandinavia.
Pieter Pot is a supermarket founded in 2019 focused on significantly reducing the amount of plastic waste, and creating circular economy initiatives and packaging waste reduction. Concerned by the continued increase in plastic use, Pieter Pot aims to aid in actively reducing grocery waste. Because of ineffective recycling throughout the world, most waste is still going to landfills, producing harmful emissions and a series of ongoing problems exacerbating climate change.
The company states that the food and grocery delivery industries are contributing to the problem. Pieter Pot offers next-day deliveries of groceries, within reusable plastic containers and creates a circular methodology by collecting, washing, and reusing the packaging.
“Plastic packaging is a by-product. Consumers are interested in what’s in the box, not the box itself. By moving packaging to reusables, we’re able to radically alter consumption patterns without demanding people to dramatically change their behavior,” chief executive Jouri Schoemaker said in a statement. “We’ve now proven this could be done at scale and, with the new investment, we are doubling down on growth and our customers’ convenience. ETF Partners’ experience and track record speak for itself, and we are delighted to have them on board.”
Though still small enough to be considered niche, Pieter Pot has attracted investment thanks to an unyielding focus on sustainable end goals. “Pieter Pot is at the epicenter of multiple trends, including sustainability and technology, and reimagining a sector central to everyday life, specifically groceries,” said Tomer Strikovsy, investment manager at ETF Partners. “It is exactly the sort of business we are looking to invest in: a unique service offering in a burgeoning, continually growing sector, led by a team hyper-focused on having an impact through their sustainable, scalable company.”
Other supermarkets throughout Europe are joining the mission to achieve a circular economy. Switzerland’s Lyfa offers customers groceries in sustainable packaging such as glass jars, jute bags, and reusable containers. Its delivery service includes collecting previous containers for redistribution.
