What SIRPLUS does

SIRPLUS is a Berlin-based impact startup founded in 2017 by Raphael Fellmer that operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform rescuing surplus food products from 700+ German producers and wholesalers and reselling them at discounts of 40–90% off retail. The company serves environmentally conscious German consumers through its Shopify-based online storefront at sirplus.de, offering 270+ rescued SKUs across categories including organic, vegan, gluten-free, beverages, snacks, cosmetics, and household goods. Cumulative impact metrics disclosed by the company include 5+ million kg of food rescued since inception, 13.5 million kg of CO2 emissions avoided, and 1+ million school meals financed through a charitable partnership with Mary's Meals.

The business operates two primary revenue streams: transactional one-time product sales and a recurring subscription box service (SIRPLUS Box) priced at €29.99/month for a 12-item box and €34.99/month for a bestseller curated box, plus gift cards ranging from €10 to €1,000. Free shipping is offered above €39.90. Each order funds 2 school meals through Mary's Meals, anchoring the company's social-impact value proposition. Distribution is exclusively domestic via sirplus.de; the company is described as a "deutschlandweit agierendes Impact-Startup" (Germany-wide acting impact startup). Marketing relies on content (Retterwissen blog, SIRPLUS Talk podcast), organic social, SEO, email, PR, and a 2022 brand ambassador partnership with Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht tied to a SevenAccelerator (ProSiebenSat.1) corporate investment.

The team consists of approximately 9 listed employees including CEO Raphael Fellmer (a co-founder of foodsharing.de with 600,000+ volunteers), with recent 2025 hires in partner management, customer success, and digital solutions. Technology infrastructure is a standard Shopify e-commerce platform with no proprietary AI/ML capabilities. The company has won the federal Bundespreis "Zu gut für die Tonne 2018" and placed second in the Ernst & Young Public Value Award (2017).

Name

SIRPLUS

Legal name

SIRPLUS

Website

https://sirplus.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SIRPLUS is a Berlin-based DTC e-commerce impact startup that rescues surplus food from 700+ German producers and wholesalers, selling 270+ discounted products and monthly subscription boxes to over 160,000 sustainability-conscious consumers across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rescued & surplus food e-commerce

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Subscription Boxes & Curated Product Subscriptions (CRAFAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh Food Subscription/CSA & Produce Box Retail (CRAHAHAG), Meal Kits & Recipe Box Delivery (CRAFAFAD)

Keywords

• Rescued food retail
• Surplus food ecommerce
• Food waste reduction
• Subscription grocery boxes
• Sustainable food shopping

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (E-commerce): One-time purchase of rescued food products at discounted prices (up to 90% off retail). Products include pantry items, beverages, snacks, cosmetics, household products, and more.
2. Subscription Boxes: Recurring monthly subscription boxes (SIRPLUS Box) offering curated rescued products. Options include: 12er Abo at €29.99/month, Bestseller Box at €34.99, and trial/sample boxes. Provides predictable recurring revenue.
3. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations from €10 to €1000, providing one-time revenue and customer acquisition opportunity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SIRPLUS runs a direct-to-consumer online shop that sells rescued surplus food and household products at 20–90% off retail, sourced from around 700 producers and wholesalers. The core offering includes a curated monthly subscription box (SIRPLUS Box), a trial/sample box, and digital gift cards, with every order financing two school meals through Mary's Meals.

Product overview

SIRPLUS operates as an online food marketplace and subscription box service focused on rescuing surplus food. The core offering consists of an e-commerce platform selling over 270 rescued food products across 20+ categories (baking ingredients, organic, bread & spreads, drinks, gluten-free, bulk packs, canned goods, milk alternatives, muesli, pasta/rice/grains, snacks, SIRPLUS-branded products, merch, savory snacks, sauces/spices/oils, dietary supplements, vegan, drugstore/cosmetics, household, printed items, fashion & beauty, and gifts). The SIRPLUS Box subscription provides a monthly curated selection of rescued foods delivered to customers, with options for trial/sample boxes. Gift cards are also available as an add-on product. All offerings center on sustainability, waste reduction, and offering products at up to 90% discount with savings passed directly to consumers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIRPLUS Online Shop (rescued food marketplace) Direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront offering 270+ rescued surplus food, beverage, household, cosmetic, and merchandise products at 20–90% discounts versus manufacturer retail price. Targeted at environmentally conscious German consumers seeking affordable sustainable shopping.
• SIRPLUS Box Subscription Recurring monthly subscription box delivering a curated selection of rescued surplus products (Bestseller box at €34.99/month; 12-item "12er Abo" at €29.99/month). Targets convenience-oriented, sustainability-focused consumers in Germany who want predictable discovery of rescued products.
• SIRPLUS Box as Sample (Trial Box) One-time trial/sample version of the SIRPLUS Box subscription designed for first-time customers to evaluate the recurring box service before committing to a monthly subscription.
• SIRPLUS Gift Card (Gutschein) Digital gift voucher sold in denominations from €10 to €1,000, redeemable in the SIRPLUS online shop and against first SIRPLUS Box subscription orders; 3-year validity. Functions as both gifting product and customer-acquisition tool.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% average savings, up to 90% on individual products compared to retail prices
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mary's MealscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partnership where SIRPLUS donates 2 school meals per customer order to Mary's Meals for children in Malawi. Already over 1 million meals financed through this partnership.
• Jimi Blue OchsenknechtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand ambassador partnership announced with 2022 SevenAccelerator investment. Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht serves as brand ambassador to boost media visibility.
• Campo VerdeminorOthersPartner brand listed on SIRPLUS partner page. Campo Verde is a sustainable food brand available through the platform.
• VeganzminorOthersPartner brand listed on SIRPLUS partner page. Veganz is a vegan food brand available through the platform.
• Tony's ChocolonelyminorOthersPartner brand listed on SIRPLUS partner page. Tony's Chocolonely is an ethical chocolate brand available through the platform.
• HeinzminorOthersPartner brand listed on SIRPLUS partner page. Heinz is a major food brand whose products are available rescued through the platform.
• HeimatgutminorOthersPartner brand listed on SIRPLUS partner page. Heimatgut is a sustainable food brand available through the platform.
• OstmostminorOthersPartner brand listed on SIRPLUS partner page. Ostmost is a Berlin-based sustainable food/drink brand available through the platform.
• BioveganminorOthersPartner brand listed on SIRPLUS partner page. Biovegan is a vegan/bio food brand available through the platform.
• PukkaminorOthersPartner brand listed on SIRPLUS partner page. Pukka is an organic tea/herbs brand available through the platform.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• OLIO: UK-based app for sharing surplus food between neighbors and businesses. Adjacent business model and mission in food waste reduction, primarily UK-focused.
• Too Good To Go: Pan-European mobile marketplace connecting consumers with surplus food from restaurants and retailers. Same surplus-food thesis as SIRPLUS but executed via an app-based marketplace model rather than DTC e-commerce; significantly larger scale and capitalization.
• Phenix: French surplus-food platform connecting retailers, caterers, and consumers to redistribute unsold inventory. Operates in a similar space to SIRPLUS with a stronger B2B waste-management angle.
• Motatos: Swedish-origin online retailer selling surplus and short-dated grocery products at discount, with active operations in Germany. Closest direct comparison to SIRPLUS's e-commerce DTC model and category mix.
• ResQ Club: Finnish-founded marketplace offering surplus restaurant meals and surplus food at discount. Comparable in surplus-food mission and European geographic footprint.
• Wefood: Denmark's first surplus grocery store, operated as a non-profit retail concept. Comparable mission (rescuing food that would otherwise be wasted) but physical retail rather than DTC e-commerce.
• foodsharing.de: Germany-based food sharing platform co-founded by SIRPLUS's CEO Raphael Fellmer; redistributes surplus food via 600,000+ volunteers. The community/grassroots counterpart to SIRPLUS's commercial model and a natural ecosystem partner.

Emerging players

• Mad Markets: German DTC surplus/short-dated food retailer operating a similar online discount model to SIRPLUS in the German market. Direct domestic competitor with overlapping value proposition.

Regional players

• Imperfect Foods: US-based online grocer specializing in surplus and 'imperfect' produce and pantry items via subscription. Operates only in the US but is structurally analogous in mission, model, and subscription mechanics.

Broad incumbents

• HelloFresh: Germany-headquartered global leader in meal-kit subscription boxes. Overlaps with SIRPLUS only at the subscription DTC food retail level; provides scale benchmarks and category context rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/sirplus_de
• Facebookfacebook.com/sirplus.de
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/sirplusde
• Instagraminstagram.com/sirplus.de
• TikToktiktok.com/@sirplus.de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SIRPLUS