A new venture from Depop founder Simon Beckerman aims to fix the ‘broken’ food industry.
DELLI is described as the latest innovation in community-focused food and beverage and has announced a £6.3 million capital raise.
The funding was co-led by Balderton and HV Capital, original investors in fashion marketplace unicorn Depop, which was acquired by US giant Etsy last year.
The app was created by Beckerman after he spotted a shift in behaviour and trends within the world of food. Marie Petrovicka, former VP of markets at Depop, joined him as co-founder and COO earlier this year.
DELLI says it wants to inspire the next generation to express themselves with food and be seen at the forefront of side hustles, supporting young people in finding new ways to experiment with food and showcase their creativity.
Using the ‘drop’ model seen in fashion to sell products – where a limited amount of a new product is released at a set time – this mechanic helps build excitement around each product but also combats obstacles small producers can face like managing food waste, cash and ingredient flow.
It says that by supporting the small producers of this world, DELLI aims to change the ‘broken’ food industry.
“DELLI’s success over the year, from the 200 makers already signed up to the app to units sold, highlights that there is space in the market for DELLI and a consumer desire for its service,” said Beckerman.
Daniel Waterhouse, partner at Balderton Capital, added: “We are excited to be backing DELLI, and to be working again with Simon and Marie.
“Simon has an extraordinary flair for spotting emerging trends and building markets and communities around them.
“Marie is an operator extraordinaire, making them a formidable founding team. DELLI democratises food production and brings diversity of choice of local produce to consumers. We are looking forward to the journey ahead.”