Perwyn-backed Gousto, the UK’s leading supplier of subscription meal kits, has announced that it has raised $150m of new investment in a fundraise led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The investment follows another strong year for the company in 2021.
Perwyn had led the previous three funding rounds in Gousto to support its expansion strategy. The new capital raised in this round will be used to fund a fifth highly automated and AI-driven fulfilment centre in Burton-on-Trent near Birmingham. The new investment unlocks 40% more capacity for Gousto, with four other automated fulfilment centres in Essex, Lincolnshire, and Cheshire. These ambitious growth plans have enabled the business to capitalise on the accelerating demand for recipe boxes and the permanent shift toward online grocery shopping.
Timo Boldt, CEO of Gousto, said that: “I’m delighted to welcome our new shareholders on board and look forward to working with them as we embark on our next stage of growth and get closer to achieving our vision of becoming the UK’s most loved way to eat dinner.”
Andrew Wynn, Perwyn Founder and Managing Partner, commented: “We have been delighted with Gousto’s rapid progress, and 2022 is set to be another impressive year for the company, as it capitalises on the accelerated mega trends driving change in the grocery market: convenience, health, and sustainability. This successful raise is further testament to the relevance and appetite for Gousto’s recipe box solution.”
Founded with a mission to reduce food waste, sustainability is at the heart of Gousto. A recent study by environmental services company Foodsteps revealed that dinners from Gousto produce 23% less carbon emissions than equivalent meals from supermarket stores. In keeping with the sustainability mega trend, as part of this new funding round in Gousto, new debt from HSBC and Barclays is aligned to certain sustainability goals that, when achieved, will reduce the interest rate.
January 2022