LANCH SAD 27 million dollars for a vision of fast food for social media

Electronic commerce startups built around food continue to engulf funding while investors are looking for sticky consumption concepts that can evolve without breaking the bank. Wednesday, Germany Lanch – which operates social media and influencers to develop popular food brands alongside retail networks to distribute them – has closed funding of 26 million euros (27 million dollars) to extend your business.

The A series is co-directed by Felix and HV Capital. Lanch does not reveal its valuation, but we understand that it is definitely a turn. The startup has collected around $ 34 million to date (including This seed in 2023) – So, on the multiple a normal standard, which probably places it between $ 100 and $ 150 million.

In an interview, Nono Konopka – the CEO who co -founded the company with Dominic Kluge, Jonas Meynert and Kevin Kock – said the plan was to use funding to continue to expand in Germany before moving on to more than markets.

Until now, Lanch has developed three brands: Loco Chicken and Happy Slice Pizza, as well as its first packaged food, Happy Chips (Croustilles).

LANCH will use the game plan he designed – mixing computer data on social media and other online activities to understand the gaps on the market; In addition, press creators / influencers to launch and approve food products – to add to this list also.

So far – and putting aside the fact that all this is not particularly healthy – that the formula has served the startup. He declared that since its commercially launching a year and a half ago, it has extended to 350 ghost kitchens making its hot food – Loco Chicken is particularly popular – which in turn is sold in an increasing number of stores Franchise, but mainly by delivery of food for platforms such as Lieferando and Walt.

In partnership with Big Personalies in the German Social Media Landscape, Lanch also had some viral victories to strengthen his profile. He sold some 30,000 pizzas in the space of a weekend when he launched HAPPY SLICE with a pair of online comics called KOSSI and TRYMACS. When he launched his first physical loco chicken boutique – after evaluating the launch through Tiktok and other platforms, of course – he closed a neighborhood with crowds and the cops had to be called, said Knopka.

“Half of the population in Germany knows our brands,” said Konopka. “We really focus on building the next cane to be raised or Chick-Fil-A.”

He also said that the Croustilles are now sold in more than 10,000 supermarkets, adding that he will soon announce another snack alongside.

The rise of Lanch highlights the emergence of a new start -up class (and technology business) which is based on the all pervasive presence of social media, and the data it brings with it to develop new types of products.

Konopka said he considered LANCH as a technological business due to how it uses data.

“It is incredibly difficult to understand where to open a restaurant, but we have 350 delivery locations [its ghost kitchens]And they give us a breathtaking amount of data, “he said. “Data that really tells us specifically where it is logical for us to open a physical restaurant. It is a huge advantage. »»

These data also help to identify what people like to eat to understand which food product then works. In addition to that, there is the social-media aspect, working on partnerships with influencers and users to help promote their products and use these attention-based platforms to understand what people are interested in eating – at a much cheaper cost than what is involved in executing physical tests or large marketing campaigns.

However, food -based technological startups have given industry and investors much indigestion over the years.

The market for fast delivery startups and online grocery store has won and collapse, annihilating Hundreds of millions of dollars in investment. D2C food startups also have Go and left: They also raised Hundreds of millions over the yearsOnly to find – in the end – a lot of problems with supply chains and search for adjustment of the product market (or just not work as they said they would do it).

One of the reasons why many D2C food startups never work, said Frederic Court in Felix, is that they look at costly marketing exercises that have saved unprofitable unit. Lanch’s more efficient cost base has certainly been part of the attraction for investors, he said.