Guelph, Ont.-based cleantech startup Friendlier has secured $4.5 million CAD to expand its efforts in reducing single-use waste for food service operators.
This funding round saw participation from Toronto investment firms Good & Well and Relay Ventures, alongside other undisclosed investors. Friendlier’s total funding has reached nearly $13 million CAD. BetaKit is seeking more details from Friendlier, including the lead investor of this round.
Founded in 2019 by CEO Kayli Smith and Chief Revenue Officer Jacquie Hutchings, Friendlier provides reusable plastic containers to food service operators, replacing single-use options. Customers pay a deposit for these ocean blue containers and are refunded upon returning them at deposit stations. The company sanitizes and redistributes the containers. This program is available in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
According to Smith, the funds will enhance Friendlier’s infrastructure, expanding its system for use in more food service environments beyond traditional dining, including hot beverages, catering, and retail grab-and-go stations. Additional micro-sanitation hubs will be deployed to process reusable packaging at scale.
Good & Well’s Director of Investments, Jonathan Shui, expressed that Friendlier’s approach has the potential to drive significant change for environmental protection.
In December 2023, Friendlier completed a $5-million seed extension round co-led by Relay and Garage Capital, shortly after hitting a milestone of one million reused containers. The company reports having reused over 3.3 million containers, forming partnerships with the Toronto Zoo, Coca-Cola Canada, and Farm Boy, and expanding to the University of British Columbia.
Friendlier is not alone in this field. Vancouver-based Reusables raised $3.6 million in April to scale its similar solution across North America.
Feature image courtesy of Friendlier.