What etepetete does

etepetete GmbH is a Munich-based German company founded in 2014 that operates a direct-to-consumer subscription service delivering boxes of rescued organic fruit and vegetables — produce discarded by conventional supply chains due to cosmetic imperfections but still fit for consumption. Through its e-commerce platform etepetete-bio.de, the company targets sustainability-conscious consumers and households seeking affordable organic produce via recurring delivery, addressing both food waste and organic affordability pain points. The business model is a recurring subscription with revenue generated per delivery cycle; no specific pricing is publicly disclosed. Distribution runs entirely through the company's own online storefront and direct-to-doorstep delivery within the DACH region (primarily Germany). In May 2023 the company raised EUR 1.79 million via equity crowdfunding on Econeers from 812 retail investors, with stated use of funds to digitize packaging and shipping processes and scale the subscription operation. On March 31, 2026, etepetete was acquired by Austrian food-waste startup Afreshed in a consolidation of the DACH region's 'ugly produce' subscription services, supported by a strategic investment from Raiffeisen-Holding Niederösterreich-Wien; the combined entity now operates etepetete as a German-market brand leveraging Afreshed's logistics infrastructure.

Name

etepetete

Legal name

etepetete GmbH

Website

https://etepetete-bio.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

etepetete is a Munich-based direct-to-consumer subscription service delivering boxes of rescued organic fruit and vegetables to sustainability-conscious households across Germany. Founded in 2014 and acquired by Austria's Afreshed in March 2026, it consolidates DACH-region 'ugly produce' subscription operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Produce Subscription Retail

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (445230), Food and Beverage Retailers (445)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic Grocery E-commerce & Delivery-Only Retail (CRAHAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAE), E-commerce Packaging Optimization & Sustainable Packaging Operations (TLAIADAL)

Keywords

• Organic produce subscription
• Rescued food delivery
• Ugly produce box
• Food waste reduction
• Organic vegetable delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Subscription Box Delivery: etepetete generates revenue through a subscription model delivering rescued organic fruit and vegetables to consumers on a recurring basis. Customers subscribe to receive regular boxes of produce that would otherwise go to waste.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Core offering

etepetete operates a subscription-based e-commerce service that delivers boxes of rescued organic fruits and vegetables directly to consumers' homes on a recurring basis. The company sources organic produce that fails cosmetic retail standards but remains edible, preventing it from being discarded as food waste. Following its March 2026 acquisition by Afreshed, distribution is supported by combined DACH-region logistics.

Product overview

etepetete operates a single core product offering: a subscription box service delivering rescued organic fruit and vegetables to consumers. The company focuses on 'ugly produce' — organic fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste due to cosmetic imperfections. The business model centers on sustainability and reducing food waste through a subscription delivery model. As of 2026, the company has been acquired by Austrian rival Afreshed as part of a consolidation of food-waste startups in the DACH region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rescued Organic Fruit and Vegetable Subscription Box

Quantifiable outcome

• Rescued organic produce from being wasted due to aesthetic imperfections

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AfreshedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Afreshed, an Austrian organic food rescue company, acquired etepetete in March 2026 in a strategic move to expand into the German market. The acquisition aims to strengthen market position and increase brand awareness of rescued food in German-speaking regions by combining etepetete's established customer base with Afreshed's logistics infrastructure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Querfood: Munich-based startup operating a rescued-produce subscription model in southern Germany. Closely comparable D2C subscription model in the same regional market as etepetete.
• Afreshed: Austrian subscription service for rescued organic fruit and vegetables and the company that acquired etepetete in March 2026. Operates an essentially identical 'ugly produce' subscription model in the DACH region, making it the closest direct comparable.
• Misfits Market: US-based direct-to-consumer subscription service delivering 'imperfect' and surplus produce. Operates the same anti-food-waste subscription model as etepetete, providing a benchmark for category economics in a larger market.
• Imperfect Foods (now Misfits Market): Originally a US D2C subscription service for surplus and cosmetically imperfect groceries; merged with Misfits Market in 2022. Closely comparable subscription-based rescued-produce model.
• Oddbox: UK-based subscription service delivering 'wonky' fruit and vegetables to households. Highly comparable business model, customer segment, and category positioning in another European market.

Broad incumbents

• Picnic: Large European online-only grocery delivery operator. While not focused on rescued produce, it competes for the same household grocery-delivery wallet share and could enter the anti-waste niche.

Emerging players

• Too Good To Go: Pan-European marketplace connecting consumers with surplus food from restaurants and retailers. Adjacent anti-food-waste business model with overlapping consumer base and brand association.

Regional players

• Eat Grim: Nordic subscription service for surplus produce with operations across Sweden and other Scandinavian markets. Closely comparable model in a different European geography.
• Sirplus: German online retailer selling surplus and near-expiry food at discount, including produce and pantry items. Operates in the same German market with a closely overlapping sustainability / anti-waste proposition.
• Knackig.de: German D2C retailer for cosmetically imperfect organic produce sold in mixed boxes. Direct German-market parallel to etepetete's subscription offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/etepetetebio
• Facebookfacebook.com/etepetete
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/etepetete

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 etepetete