Key Takeaways:
- Series A Success: AIPERIA raised €7.5 million in Series A funding, led by ETF Partners and with participation from LBBW Venture Capital and Earlybird Venture Capital.
- Tech Advancements: Utilizes an AI-driven platform to forecast demand more accurately, reducing food waste significantly.
- Impressive Impact: It achieves a 30% reduction in waste, a 4% increase in sales, and 90% time savings on order planning for its customers.
- Market Expansion: Plans to expand solutions internationally, addressing food waste with innovative technology.
- Continued Growth: Demonstrates a rapid growth trajectory with a 500% year-over-year increase from 2022 to 2023.
Innovative Solution to Pressing Global Issues
The Würzburg-based tech innovator, AIPERIA, has announced a successful €7.5 million Series A financing round, setting the stage for a new era in sustainable food supply management. The funding effort was spearheaded by Europe’s leading impact investor, ETF Partners, and received support from LBBW Venture Capital, Earlybird Venture Capital, and several high-profile angel investors.
Transformative Technology
AIPERIA, formerly known as PlanerAI, has dedicated over a decade to melding deep research with industry expertise to craft an AI-powered platform that revolutionizes demand planning in the food sector. This platform helps retailers and manufacturers produce quantities that align closely with actual sales projections, sharply reducing the food waste typically seen at the start of the supply chain and simultaneously boosting profitability.
Strategic Investment for Future Growth
Fabrice Bienfait of ETF Partners expressed enthusiasm about the investment: “AIPERIA’s approach not only addresses the critical challenge of food waste but does so through a dynamic, innovative solution that promises substantial efficiency gains and profitability for food retailers and suppliers.”
The AI platform by AIPERIA incorporates over 150 variables affecting food demand—including market trends, weather conditions, and local events—to refine its predictive accuracy. This capability not only diminishes waste by 30%, escalates sales figures by around 4%, and slashes time spent on order planning by up to 90%.
Addressing the Core of Food Waste
AIPERIA’s solutions are timely. They tackle the €13 billion loss in retail revenues and 32 million tons of CO2 emissions produced annually from unsold food in Europe—an environmental toll greater than Denmark’s annual emissions.
Dr. Jan Meller, AIPERIA’s CTO, highlights the ecological and economic benefits: “By preventing overproduction at the supply chain’s outset, we maximize both economic and ecological impacts significantly.”
Rapid Adoption and Future Plans
Since its establishment in 2021, AIPERIA has rapidly positioned itself as a German fresh food market leader, with plans to expand internationally. Franz Seubert, CEO and co-founder, stated, “This funding enables us to bring our proven technology to new markets, amplifying our impact on a global scale.”
The company’s growth has been explosive, marked by a 500% year-over-year increase from 2022 to 2023. Dr. Fabian Taigel, COO and co-founder of AIPERIA, explains the operational benefits: “Our AI drastically cuts down the time required for planning daily fresh food needs, from three hours a day to just a few minutes, allowing staff to focus on other critical tasks.”
Continued Support and Vision for the Future
The backing from influential venture capitals and a consortium of angel investors not only validates the success of AIPERIA’s innovative platform but also sets the stage for the next phase of growth and international expansion.
Oliver Hanisch, CEO of Campus Founders, reflects on the journey: “We’re thrilled to have supported AIPERIA from the start. Their growth and the scalability of their solution are impressive. We look forward to continuing our support as they expand globally.”
Dr. Philipp Semmer from Earlybird-X concluded with forward-looking optimism: “The predictive power of AI in managing the economy’s cyclic nature is just beginning to be tapped. AIPERIA’s technology is at the forefront, paving the way for broader applications beyond perishable goods.”
Image provided by AIPERIA
