CoCooking

What CoCooking does

CoCooking, Inc. (株式会社コークッキング), founded December 2015 in Tokyo by CEO Kazuma Kawagoe and headquartered in Shibuya-ku, is a Japanese food-tech company that builds software- and operations-driven platforms to convert edible food surplus into revenue for restaurants, retailers, and agricultural producers while reducing Japan's food loss. Its flagship product is TABETE, a consumer mobile app (iOS, Android, web) that connects restaurants and food retailers with surplus meals near closing time to price-conscious urban consumers, operating on a zero-registration-fee, transaction-commission model. The company has scaled TABETE to 1,500+ listed stores and 400,000+ registered users as of May 2021, with cumulative impact of 110,000+ rescued meals and 57+ tons of food loss reduction.

Beyond the consumer marketplace, CoCooking operates three B2B-adjacent service modules. TABETE RESCUE DELI is a B2B service for commercial facility operators (JR East at Tokyo Station GRANSTA, Japan Airport Building at Haneda Airport, railway stations) in which CoCooking purchases unsold packaged goods from tenant stores at per-kilogram pricing and resells them to facility employees, generating a buy-resell margin. TABETE RESCUE BULLETIN is a direct e-commerce marketplace for agricultural producers to sell surplus or cull-grade produce to TABETE's user base. TABETE RESCUE DIRECT SALES is a rail-based agricultural supply chain developed in partnership with Tobu Railway, JA Saitama Chuo, and others to transport rural produce to urban stations. A fifth line, Pattern Language consulting and Washoku Language educational products, monetizes the founders' methodology for codifying organizational tacit knowledge.

The business model is primarily transaction-based (commissions on TABETE marketplace sales, buy-resell spread on RESCUE DELI), supplemented by small-dollar professional services and physical product sales. Customer segments span long-tail SMB restaurants and individual consumers on the marketplace side, plus a concentrated set of enterprise commercial facility operators and municipal governments on the partnership side. The company has signed cooperation agreements with 15+ Japanese municipalities, generating promotional and community-credibility leverage rather than direct revenue. As of the latest disclosed funding (Series A of ¥110M yen in January 2022, plus a 2024-09 round led by Miraidoa), cumulative capital raised is approximately ¥260M yen, with no public revenue disclosure and an estimated headcount of 11–50 employees.

Name

CoCooking

Legal name

株式会社コークッキング

Website

https://cocooking.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CoCooking operates TABETE, a Japanese food-sharing mobile app that connects restaurants with surplus meals to urban consumers, plus B2B services (RESCUE DELI, RESCUE BULLETIN, RESCUE DIRECT SALES) for commercial facility operators and agricultural producers to reduce Japan's food loss.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. TABETE Commission / Transaction Fees: CoCooking earns a commission on each meal rescued through the TABETE platform. Restaurants list surplus items free of charge and pay a transaction fee when sales are completed. The company previously charged no initial registration fee or running costs for stores.
2. RESCUE DELI Procurement and Resale: CoCooking purchases unsold goods from tenant stores at closing time (per-kilogram pricing, from tens to hundreds of yen per kg), aggregates the products, and resells sets to commercial facility employees. Revenue is generated as a margin on the buy-sell spread.
3. Pattern Language Consulting and Products: CoCooking offers Pattern Language creation and consulting services to organizations, as well as publishing related books and card sets (e.g., Washoku Language cards at ¥2,000, books at ¥2,500) for workshops and education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CoCooking operates the TABETE mobile app and web platform that connect restaurants and food retailers with surplus meals near closing time to consumers who purchase them at discounted prices, reducing food waste. The company also operates RESCUE DELI for commercial facilities (buying unsold goods from tenant stores and reselling to facility employees), TABETE RESCUE BULLETIN for agricultural produce direct shipping, and a Pattern Language consulting and product line (Washoku Language cards and books) that uses a methodology for codifying tacit organizational knowledge.

Product overview

CoCooking operates a platform-based product portfolio centered on food loss reduction through its core TABETE food sharing service, supplemented by three specialized service modules: TABETE Rescue Deli for commercial facility employees, TABETE Rescue Bulletin Board for direct-to-consumer agricultural product sales, and TABETE Rescue Direct Sales Office for rail-based agricultural logistics. Additionally, the company offers a Pattern Language consulting service using the knowledge systematization methodology, with a published product called Washoku Language consisting of cards and books for Japanese food culture education. The TABETE platform serves as the primary consumer-facing service while the auxiliary modules address different distribution channels and stakeholder segments in the food ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TABETE Food Sharing Platform A consumer-facing mobile app (iOS/Android) and web platform that enables consumers to discover and purchase surplus meals from nearby restaurants and food retailers at discounted prices near closing time, reducing food waste. Free for stores to list; transaction commissions on each sale.
• TABETE RESCUE DELI A B2B service for commercial facility operators (railway stations, airports, shopping malls) where CoCooking purchases unsold goods from tenant stores at closing time and resells them to facility employees at designated locations, with no cost to the facility or tenant stores.
• TABETE RESCUE BULLETIN A direct-to-consumer e-commerce marketplace on the BASE platform that enables producers and sellers nationwide to list surplus/cull-grade agricultural produce and food items for purchase by TABETE's user base, with no listing fee and commission charged on sales.
• TABETE RESCUE DIRECT SALES OFFICE A rail-based agricultural logistics service that purchases unsold produce from JA direct sales offices and transports them via Tobu Railway to urban stations (e.g., Ikebukuro) for consumer sale, combining agriculture, government, academia, and railway logistics partnerships.
• Pattern Language Consulting and Workshops A consulting and workshop service that uses the Pattern Language methodology to help organizations codify tacit knowledge and shared values into reusable 'patterns,' fostering collaboration, creativity, and communication activation for corporate clients.
• Washoku Language Cards and Book A physical creative tool consisting of cards and books describing 47 characteristics of Japanese food culture (Washoku) with illustrations and historical context, sold through the CoCooking official BASE online shop for use in workshops and educational programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 110,000+ cumulative meals rescued; 57+ tons food loss reduction; 101.3 tons CO2 reduction; 36.8 tons annual food loss reduction
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kyoto City GovernmentcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 August 2025Kyoto City signed a cooperation agreement with CoCooking on August 8, 2025 to promote food loss reduction citywide. The city ran a free initial registration campaign (October–November 2025) for Kyoto-based food retailers and restaurants on TABETE. Part of Kyoto's OPEN LABO public-private collaboration program.
• Sumida Ward (Tokyo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 May 2025Sumida Ward signed a cooperation agreement with CoCooking on May 21, 2025 to reduce food waste at restaurants and improve citizen awareness of food loss reduction. The ward promotes TABETE to local food businesses and residents.
• Meguro Ward (Tokyo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 April 2024Meguro Ward signed a food loss reduction cooperation agreement with CoCooking on April 19, 2024. The ward promotes the 'Meguro Tabeki Kyouryoku Store' certification program and encourages increased TABETE registrations among ward restaurants.
• Toshima Ward (Tokyo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 March 2021Toshima Ward signed a food loss reduction cooperation agreement with CoCooking on March 29, 2021. The ward was selected as an SDGs Future City and promotes TABETE among certified food waste reduction restaurants.
• Shibuya Ward (Tokyo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 November 2020Shibuya Ward signed a food loss reduction cooperation agreement with CoCooking on November 17, 2020. The ward promotes TABETE through its official channels and integrates it with the 'Shibulan 3-Star Restaurant' certification program.
• Shinjuku Ward (Tokyo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 October 2020Shinjuku Ward signed a food loss reduction cooperation agreement with CoCooking on October 20, 2020. The ward promotes TABETE to Shinjuku Food Loss Reduction Cooperating Stores and provides PR support.
• Adachi Ward (Tokyo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 October 2020Adachi Ward signed a food loss reduction cooperation agreement with CoCooking on October 2, 2020. The ward promotes TABETE through its food waste reduction programs and consumer PR activities.
• Arakawa Ward (Tokyo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 August 2020Arakawa Ward signed a food loss reduction cooperation agreement with CoCooking on August 28, 2020. The ward promotes TABETE to its 'Ara! Mottainai Cooperating Stores' and citizens as part of its broader 'Arakawa Mottainai Project'.
• Ota Ward (Tokyo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2020Ota Ward signed a food loss reduction cooperation agreement with CoCooking on August 1, 2020. The ward promotes TABETE to its 'Ota Food Waste Reduction Supporter' registered businesses.
• Fukuoka PrefecturecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 May 2020Fukuoka Prefecture signed a cooperation agreement with CoCooking on May 8, 2020 to promote food loss reduction using TABETE among prefecture residents and businesses. The agreement leverages Fukuoka Eco Movement cooperating stores.
• Fukuoka CitycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 April 2020Fukuoka City signed a food loss reduction cooperation agreement with CoCooking on April 27, 2020. The city promotes TABETE to Fukuoka Eco Movement cooperating stores and verifies the effectiveness of food waste reduction efforts.
• Suginami Ward (Tokyo)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2020Suginami Ward signed a food loss reduction agreement with CoCooking on April 22, 2020, the first such agreement in central Tokyo. The ward promotes TABETE among its 'Zero Food Leftovers Support Stores' and provides public awareness support.
• Kobe CitycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 March 2020Kobe City signed a food loss reduction cooperation agreement with CoCooking on March 24, 2020. The city promotes TABETE and hosts food waste reduction seminars for citizens and businesses.
• Osaka CitycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 January 2020Osaka City signed a 'Zero Food Leftovers' promotion cooperation agreement with CoCooking on January 28, 2020. Osaka promotes TABETE among its 'Osaka Zero Food Leftovers Promotion Stores' and integrates it with food culture and environmental initiatives.
• Kanazawa CitycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 June 2019Kanazawa City partnered with CoCooking to introduce TABETE to local food businesses starting June 2019. Supported the Japan Open Innovation Award application as a collaborating municipality.
• Hamamatsu City (Shizuoka Prefecture)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 June 2019Hamamatsu City signed a food loss reduction pilot experiment agreement with CoCooking on June 20, 2019. The city conducted a pilot with citizen monitors to test and verify TABETE's effectiveness in reducing food waste from food service businesses.
• Yokohama CitycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 June 2019Yokohama City partnered with CoCooking in June 2019 to reduce food waste citywide. The city supported TABETE store recruitment and citizen awareness campaigns. Supported the Japan Open Innovation Award application.
• POTLUCK (RYM&CO.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2018POTLUCK, a monthly subscription lunch takeout service, partnered with TABETE on October 19, 2018 to reduce food waste from its restaurant partners. POTLUCK's cancellation risk is reduced by TABETE absorbing surplus, while TABETE gains access to POTLUCK's Shibuya restaurant network.
• Legulo Inc. (株式会社レグロ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2016Legulo partnered with CoCooking on November 15, 2016 around shared visions of growing father-coaches and Pattern Language for a creative society. The partnership involved sales and technology collaboration.
• JR East Startup Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015JR East's startup subsidiary partnered with CoCooking to launch RESCUE DELI at Tokyo Station. JR East provides physical space, employee access, and institutional backing for food waste reduction at railway facilities. The partnership progressed from pilot to full-scale operations in March 2021.
• Tetsudo Kaikan Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015Co-developer of the Tokyo Station commercial area (Gransta) with JR East. Partnered with CoCooking for the RESCUE DELI pilot and full-scale operations in the Gransta Tokyo facility.
• Japan Airport Building Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015Operator of Haneda Airport terminals partnered with CoCooking to launch Japan's first airport-based RESCUE DELI pilot in December 2020.
• Tobu Railway Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015Tobu Railway partnered in the TABETE RESCUE DIRECT SALES initiative, transporting surplus agricultural produce from Higashimatsuyama (via Forest Park Station) to Ikebukuro Station for sale to urban consumers. This unique rail-transport supply chain leverages Tobu's railway infrastructure.
• JA Saitama Chuo (Japan Agricultural Cooperative)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015Agricultural cooperative partnered with CoCooking for the RESCUE DIRECT SALES initiative. JA's direct-sales stores provide surplus unsold agricultural produce that CoCooking purchases and redistributes.
• Daito Bunka University (Dai-Toku)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015University partner in the public-private-academia TABETE RESCUE DIRECT SALES initiative. Provided academic legitimacy and participated in the industry-government-academia food waste reduction collaboration.
• Tokyo University of AgricultureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015First university in Japan to deploy TABETE in its student cafeteria. The university's consumer cooperative jointly promotes the service with CoCooking. Supported the Japan Open Innovation Award application.
• Higashimatsuyama CityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015City government of Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture, partnered with CoCooking in the 5-party RESCUE DIRECT SALES initiative. Signed the 'City, Human Resources, Jobs Creation Agreement' in August 2021.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FoodCloud: Irish food redistribution platform that connects surplus food from retailers and food businesses to charities and community groups. Comparable to CoCooking in mission and B2B supply-side onboarding, though primarily donation-based rather than consumer paid marketplace.
• ResQ Club: Nordic food surplus marketplace that lets restaurants sell unsold portions at reduced prices to nearby consumers via a mobile app. Same consumer marketplace model as TABETE, with comparable restaurant onboarding and transaction-based revenue model.
• Yume: Australian food surplus marketplace platform that connects restaurants and food producers with surplus food to consumers and charities. Operates the same transactional surplus food marketplace model as CoCooking's TABETE, with additional food donation logistics.
• Phenix: French anti-food-waste company that recovers unsold inventory from retailers, restaurants, and manufacturers for redistribution via multiple channels including consumer marketplaces. Directly comparable to CoCooking's multi-channel approach combining TABETE consumer marketplace with RESCUE DELI B2B operations.
• Too Good To Go: Global leader in food surplus marketplace apps connecting restaurants and bakeries with consumers to rescue unsold meals at discounted prices. Closest direct competitor to CoCooking's TABETE service, operating across Europe and North America with the same two-sided marketplace model.
• Olio: UK-based food sharing app that connects neighbors and local businesses with surplus food to nearby consumers. Operates a similar peer-to-peer and business-to-consumer surplus food model to CoCooking's TABETE, though with stronger household-to-household sharing.
• Karma: Swedish-origin food surplus app letting restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores sell unsold food at reduced prices through a consumer mobile app. Operates the same core business model as CoCooking's TABETE in Sweden, the UK, France, and the US.

Others

• AEON Group: Japan's largest retailer with active food loss reduction programs across its supermarket and food service operations, and one of the few Japanese players operating at scale in food waste reduction. Thematically aligned with CoCooking's mission and a potential ecosystem partner or acquirer, but not a direct marketplace competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Leanpath: US-based food waste prevention and tracking platform serving commercial kitchens, hospitality, and foodservice operators. Adjacent to CoCooking's RESCUE DELI service with overlapping commercial facility focus, though focused on measurement and prevention rather than redistribution.
• Winnow Solutions: UK-based food waste technology company providing AI-enabled smart kitchen tools for commercial kitchens to measure and reduce food waste. Operates upstream of CoCooking by addressing prevention rather than redistribution, but tackles the same commercial kitchen waste problem for enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/co_cooking

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors18 records

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 CoCooking