Online meal maker Gousto raises $150m fresh funding
London-based online meal company Gousto has raised $150m in a fresh round of funding led by the Japanese technology investment giant SoftBank.
Softbank’s Vision fund II, the world’s largest technology investor, has taken a $100m stake in the firm which values it at over $1.7b.
Gousto, which was founded by former investment bankers Timo Boldt and James Carter in 2012 and counts celebrity fitness guru Joe Wickes among its backers, also secured $50m in new debt capital from HSBC and Barclays.
Timo Boldt, founder and CEO, said, “2022 is set to be another impressive year for Gousto, as we capitalise on the accelerated mega trends driving change in the grocery market: convenience, health, sustainability.
“This successful raise is further testament to the relevance and appetite for our recipe box solution.”
The firm said that the proceeds from the round will be used partly to fund the company’s fifth automated and AI-driven fulfilment centre near Birmingham.
The new investment unlocks 40 per cent more capacity for Gousto, with four other automated fulfilment centres in Essex, Lincolnshire, and Cheshire.
Gousto has been on a recruitment drive over the past year and has plans to double its workforce to 2,000 employees, after a boom in demand brought on by lockdowns.