Etepetete is among the pioneers in the “imperfect organic fruit and vegetables” segment and shaped the market early in Germany. Founded in 2014 by Christopher Hallhuber and Georg Lindermair, the company developed into a market leader for online organic boxes. Particularly during the pandemic, Etepetete grew strongly and was temporarily profitable.
Following a market downturn in 2022, the founders stabilized the company – since the fourth quarter of 2024, Etepetete has been operating profitably again. Now comes the next step: integration into a larger, internationally-focused platform.
Etepetete: from pioneer to platform integration
With the acquisition by Afreshed, the two Munich founders are relinquishing operational responsibility – a significant turning point after more than ten years of building.
“We are very pleased about the merger of both brands. The three Afreshed founders have shown in a short time how to build a strong, service-oriented company even under difficult market conditions”,
explain Christopher Hallhuber and Georg Lindermair, adding:
“We are convinced that the planned changes will have a very positive impact on Etepetete’s future development.”
The Etepetete brand remains intact, which is central to existing customers and brand recognition. At the same time, the company will benefit in the future from the new owner’s technology, logistics, and capital.
Afreshed pursues platform strategy and market consolidation
Afreshed is pursuing a clear strategy: market leadership in the German-speaking region through acquisitions and infrastructure development.
“The Etepetete brand remains intact. The acquisition not only gives us immediate market presence, but also local expertise and an existing customer base. This transaction is intended to be merely the first of its kind”,
says Afreshed co-founder Bernhard Bocksrucker.
Co-founder Lukas Forsthuber also emphasizes the significance:
“Etepetete has always been a role model for us and has significantly shaped the market. The fact that we are now acquiring this company is a special step for us.”
What is particularly noteworthy about the transaction is the combination of market entry and consolidation: rather than growing organically, Afreshed is acquiring an established player with a nationwide customer base through Etepetete – particularly in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Berlin. For the Munich startup ecosystem, this represents another exit in the food and sustainability segment.
Logistics as a differentiating factor in the food startup market
A central lever of expansion is proprietary logistics infrastructure. Afreshed deliberately does not rely on traditional parcel services, but instead on an integrated delivery model with its own fleet and software. Planned is the development of a nationwide reusable container system in Germany that goes beyond traditional e-commerce: instead of external delivery services, company vehicles are used, with routes optimized for CO₂ emissions using specially developed software. At the same time, drivers enable the return of reusable containers, creating a closed packaging cycle. Expansion will proceed gradually from southern to northern Germany.
For this, the organic delivery service has completed a financing round in the mid-seven-figure range. The investor is the Raiffeisen Holding Lower Austria-Vienna, which specializes in food and beverages among other areas and is acquiring a 25.1 percent stake in the company. With this model, Afreshed aims to clearly differentiate itself from competitors and make the “last mile” – the step from the distribution center to the customer’s front door – more efficient and sustainable.
“The fresh capital flows into the expansion of logistics infrastructure and selective product expansion”,
says co-founder Maximilian Welzenbach.
Growing market for food e-commerce and food rescue
The acquisition falls within a growing market: online grocery retail in Germany reached a volume of approximately four billion euros in 2024, with a growth rate of over 7 percent.
At the same time, food waste remains a structural problem, as Germany alone generates around 11 million tons of food waste annually. Approximately 200,000 tons of this come from agriculture. 35 percent of preventable household waste is from fruit and vegetables.
This is where models like Etepetete and Afreshed come in: they market products that do not enter regular retail due to cosmetic deviations from standards. The founding idea of both companies is fundamentally the same: rescuing food and delivering it directly to consumers.
Etepetete founders Christopher Hallhuber and Georg Lindermair note:
“We thank our team, our investors, and partners for the excellent collaboration over the past years, without which Etepetete’s positive development would not have been possible. We are excited and look forward to following Etepetete and Afreshed’s further development in the years to come.”
