Since 2016, through Danone Manifesto Ventures, we are partnering with entrepreneurs who share our vision of a healthy and sustainable future for food and inspire us to embrace disruptive approaches. Farmer's Fridge, founded in 2013 by CEO Luke Saunders and headquartered in Chicago, offers a rapidly growing network of automated smart Fridges across Chicago and Milwaukee, stocked with chef-curated, restaurant-quality meals and snacks.
Making healthy food convenient
Farmer’s Fridge provides accessible, higher quality, fresh, healthy meals by reinventing the supply chain using a vertically integrated production process and a distribution network of proprietary vending machines. Our Danone Manifesto Ventures team acts as a sounding board on matters from long-term strategy and vision to food quality and safety.
"Our goal is to make fresh, healthy food more convenient than a candy bar. We were looking for a strategic investor that shared our passion for making healthy food accessible and that had key expertise in areas relevant to our business – consumer products, logistics and building a great company culture.” – Luke Saunders, Farmer’s Fridge
Embracing new concepts and business models
With just a few taps on one of the connected fridges or on a dedicated mobile app, Farmer’s Fridge makes it easy for everyone to easily enjoy flavorful, healthy food. And what’s more, all leftover items are donated nightly to local food pantries, providing sustainable nutrition to community members in need.
“Danone Manifesto Ventures welcomed Farmer’s Fridge to its portfolio with open arms. The company’s mission to make healthy food accessible on-the-go speaks volumes to us and echoes Danone’s lifelong commitment. Through investment, we are gaining valuable insight into an innovative distribution model.” – Laurent Marcel, Danone Manifesto Ventures
Farmer’s Fridge represents an invaluable opportunity for Danone to further engage in the fastest growing retail sector – fresh food – as a health-centric, innovation-oriented company that truly stands behind sustainability in business.
Find out more about Danone Manifesto Ventures here.
Find out more about Farmer’s Fridge here.