Kharis Capital, a European private equity firm with global reach, was founded ten years ago to drive growth in consumer companies, with a specialised focus on the food and beverage (F&B) industry. 

With decades of combined experience in F&B, we’ve always seen a strong opportunity in the sector and believe a specialised investment approach is key to success in this industry. We’ve now grown to a team of 20+ sector experts across Benelux and China, bringing our experiences at industry leaders like AB InBev and leading consumer PE/VC firms to support the next generation of food innovators.

Over the past decade, we have deployed more than €1B in food brands (e.g., Rigoni di Asiago), foodservice platforms (e.g., QSRP) and consumer tech companies (e.g., Valtech). Recognising the increasing need for innovation in the food sector, we launched a dedicated venture-growth foodtech fund, the Kharis Food Tech Fund, to support scale-ups tackling industry challenges and associated opportunities. 

We reached the first close for the Kharis Food Tech Fund in 2024 and have made four investments to date. 

Which industries are you working in?

Our Kharis Food Tech Fund focuses on foodtech scale-ups in EMEA. We look to invest in tech-enabled companies whose products and/or solutions address the opportunities created by an ever-changing and fragmented consumer, as well as acute industry challenges, including climate change, obesity, cost inflation and labour scarcity. 

In practice, this includes verticals like novel ingredients, alternative proteins, emerging better-for-you brands, healthy & functional beverages, D2C food brands, virtual restaurants, foodservice technologies & automation, nutraceuticals and personal nutrition. Our sweet spot is companies that transform the way we produce, distribute and consume food – though the agtech vertical falls outside our scope.

What do you look for in a founder?

We look for “complete entrepreneurs”, combining the boldness and agility of trailblazers with the vision and skills to scale their company in an F&B market where market access and size are paramount. This is rarely the feat of a single individual and successful teams are often composed of complementary co-founders who collectively bring deep expertise in product, commercialisation and execution. 

Can you talk about your current portfolio?

Since reaching first close for the fund, we have built a diversified portfolio of four companies that align with our vision for the future of food. 

Clone, our first investment, is a French company disrupting online meal delivery by creating and managing virtual restaurant brands for delivery. It allows restaurateurs to use their unused kitchen capacity to generate additional revenue by preparing meals for virtual brands available on platforms like Uber Eats or Deliveroo.

We then invested in Agwa , which is an Israeli company developing autonomous vegetable-growing devices that are ideal for maritime vessel operators seeking a continuous supply of fresh produce for their crews. Its AI-powered systems, managed by a ‘Virtual Agronomist,’ enable effortless, year-round cultivation of chemical-free vegetables improving quality of life on board. 

In December 2024, we led the extension round of Foodji’s Series A financing. Foodji is a Munich-based scale-up offering fresh meal solutions for workplaces, catering to employers who lack a canteen but want to provide their employees with nutritious food options 24/7. Its smart vending machines are powered by a proprietary, tech-enabled supply chain, ensuring seamless service and quality.

Our more recent investment, KoRo is a standout in the European healthy snack market, excelling in both D2C and retail. By leveraging rapid innovation through its D2C platform, KoRo successfully transitions winning products into major retailers in Germany and is now expanding across Europe.

What does the future look like? New trends/technologies, changes in the global/local economic landscape?

Unlike a few years ago, when most investments were concentrated in a few sectors (e.g., online grocery and delivery), today’s innovation is more broadly distributed across the entire food value chain. We’re also finding that entrepreneurs are now addressing tangible pain points rather than betting on hypothetical consumer shifts.

Take environmental challenges as an example. A few years ago, investors expected mass adoption of sustainable products like plant-based meat alternatives, but consumer behaviour didn’t follow at scale. However, conversely, climate-driven disruptions like the recent cocoa crisis are now creating critical industry challenges. This opens opportunities for tech-driven solutions, such as alternative cocoa products, to mitigate supply chain risks and sustainability concerns. That’s what we’re focusing our attention on.  

What makes Kharis Capital different?

Our deep expertise and network within the F&B industry set us apart. Our senior team brings over 100 years of experience across industry giants like AB InBev, Nestlé and Cargill, as well as leading consumer investment firms such as Verlinvest.

In addition to the foodtech fund, Kharis Capital manages significant investments in large food and foodservice companies. This dual perspective—combining operational insights with scale-up investment expertise—allows us to help foodtech companies bridge the critical growth gap from proven product-market fit to large-scale commercialisation.

What one piece of advice would you give founders?

Frankly, there’s no one-size-fits-all advice without sounding generic or obvious. Every founder and company faces its own unique set of challenges. That said, I see three key principles, which are increasingly well-understood by entrepreneurs and the foodtech ecosystem in general: innovate in sizable and profitable market segments, choose your partners wisely and in consideration of your maturity level and avoid building companies without a credible path-to-profit.

Laurent Vermer, partner at Kharis Food Tech Fund, a fund managed by Kharis Capital.