In a bold move to reshape the global catering sector, Danish SaaS company Kanpla has raised €8M in Series A funding, led by Dutch VC firm HenQ. With this new capital, Kanpla plans to expand its digital platform across Europe and make its debut in the U.S. market. The company’s cutting-edge platform helps canteens reduce food waste, meet sustainability goals, and manage fluctuating demand—all challenges in the €285B contract catering industry.
As organisations shift to flexible work models, canteens are left grappling with irregular customer traffic and food waste. With less than a third of businesses requiring in-office attendance and schools adopting hybrid models, the need for adaptable canteen solutions has never been higher. Kanpla’s platform is uniquely positioned to meet these needs by digitising operations and providing enhanced customer experiences.
Jonas Gøttler, COO and Co-Founder, highlighted Kanpla’s mission to lead digital transformation in the contract catering industry, “As the workplace culture has changed, we’ve noticed key challenges like increased amounts of food waste, excessive manual work, and disconnected systems. We believe software can be a significant enabler in overcoming these issues and aim to position ourselves as the global technology leader in contract catering, helping chefs worldwide save time and creating the best possible customer experience.”
Expanding digital catering solutions across Europe
In just 18 months, Kanpla has grown from a Danish startup to a multinational SaaS provider, expanding into ten countries across Scandinavia, the UK, and Benelux. Serving over 3,000 canteens in workplaces and schools, Kanpla enables more than 250,000 users to interact with canteens, seamlessly accessing menus, checking nutritional info, purchasing meals, and even earning loyalty points.
This rapid growth underscores the demand for digital transformation in Europe’s contract catering sector, where Kanpla’s technology allows caterers to create tailored experiences while managing fluctuating customer numbers and reducing waste. CEO and Co-Founder Peter Bæch remarked, “We’ve seen tremendous demand for digital transformation across Europe’s contract catering sector. Our platform is helping caterers deliver more personalised experiences, better manage fluctuating foot traffic, and reduce food waste.”
Bringing sustainable catering tech U.S. market
The U.S., where the contract catering market surpasses $53B annually, offers enormous potential for Kanpla’s tech-driven approach to catering. North America represents the largest region for catering services, and Kanpla’s proven sustainable catering tech solutions are well-suited to tackle operational complexities in this market. The new funding will enable Kanpla to launch in the U.S. by 2025, expanding its footprint and providing cutting-edge catering solutions to American clients.
Kanpla’s team, currently forty-five strong, is projected to double over the next year to support this expansion and help the company achieve its ambitious growth targets.
HenQ Partner Jan Andriessen expressed confidence in Kanpla’s capabilities and future plans, “We’ve been excited to witness Kanpla’s success in scaling across multiple countries over the past 18 months. We’re really impressed by their progress which has made us wonder about all the other great things this team can achieve. This has inspired us to lead this round as we have immense confidence in Kanpla and their plans to enter the U.S. market.”
Advancing a sustainable catering future
Kanpla’s platform is set to revolutionise the contract catering landscape, where reducing food waste, achieving ESG targets, and managing erratic customer demand are top concerns. By providing canteens with an adaptable and efficient digital solution, Kanpla aims to empower the sector with streamlined operations and sustainable practices, aligning with growing demands for eco-conscious dining solutions in corporate and educational settings.