Green Guides GmbH

What Green Guides GmbH does

Green Guides GmbH is a privately held German software and consulting company founded in 2020 in Plankstadt by Torsten von Borstel, focused exclusively on the out-of-home catering market (canteens, hospitals, senior care facilities, hotels, schools, and corporate restaurants). The firm combines proprietary digital tools with hands-on kitchen consulting to measure, forecast, and reduce food waste while quantifying environmental and health impacts of menus. The technology stack centers on three SaaS products: FOODWASTE4U, a configurable wet-waste measurement system accepting form-, scale-, and camera-based inputs with Wi-Fi/SIM transmission; FOODCAST4U, an AI-driven sales-forecasting tool that ingests historical POS data; and FOODPRiNT4U, a lifecycle-assessment-based (ISO 14040/44, EU PEF) balancing engine that scores recipes and menus on CO2, water, land use, and a proprietary NutriRecipe Index using an A–E scale. Hardware includes proprietary Wi-Fi/SIM-connected digital scales and an AI camera system for waste monitoring, and the platform is designed to operate independently of external POS or inventory interfaces.

The business model blends recurring subscription revenue (€5,000–€15,000 per year per facility for FOODWASTE4U; pricing dependent on scope for FOODPRiNT4U, used by 100+ businesses) with usage-based AI forecasting fees, hardware sales for measurement devices, and professional services delivered via the INWASTEMENT strategic concept. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by inside sales, content marketing, webinars, an online savings calculator, and active presence at industry events (INTERGASTRA, Grüne Woche, Nachhaltigkeitskongress Stuttgart, Altenpflege, ZUKE Green Health Kongress). Customer segments are diversified across healthcare, senior care, hotels, corporate catering, education, and central kitchens, with reference clients including Charité Berlin, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Compass Group, Dussmann, H-Hotels, WH Care Holding, Augustinum, Freudenberg, KfW, and the City of Ulm.

The firm operates with a 13-person interdisciplinary team (chefs, kitchen masters, food technologists, business economists, computer scientists) and is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investment. Recent strategic activity centers on ecosystem buildout via partnerships with CoolCooking (EGV Group), EGV AG (15,000-article catalog balancing), Henkel (employee app integration), and the United Against Waste / KAHV certification pathway, culminating in winning the Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis Unternehmen 2026. Cumulative reported impact across 300+ client projects includes 540 tonnes of food waste reduced, 126 tonnes of CO2 saved, and the equivalent of 350,000 bathtubs of water saved.

Name

Green Guides GmbH

Legal name

Green Guides GmbH

Website

https://green-guides.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Green Guides GmbH is a German software and consulting firm that helps out-of-home catering operations (hospitals, senior care, hotels, schools, corporate canteens) measure and reduce food waste and quantify menu environmental impact via three SaaS tools (FOODWASTE4U, FOODCAST4U, FOODPRiNT4U) and on-site consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Waste and Sustainability Software for Catering

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly) (THAFAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly) (HSACAGAH)

Keywords

• Food waste management
• Catering sustainability software
• CO2 food balancing
• AI sales forecasting
• Kitchen analytics software

Headquarters

HQ city

Plankstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Food Waste Management Consulting & Software (FOODWASTE4U): Full-service food waste management consulting combined with proprietary digital measurement tools. Includes site audits, waste measurement, data analysis, coaching, and report generation. Pricing varies by facility size, number of tools deployed, and intensity of support. Implementation phase typically lasts 2-3 months.
2. Foodprint4U Subscription / Usage: CO2, water, land, and health balancing tool for menu planning. Sold as a subscription with pricing dependent on requirements. Used by over 100 businesses.
3. Foodcast4U AI Forecasting: AI-based sales forecasting service. Revenue generated through subscription or usage-based pricing tied to data volume and analysis complexity.
4. INWASTEMENT Concept: Strategic food waste reduction concept combining measurement, analysis, and investment advisory. Positioning resources released through waste reduction into quality improvements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Green Guides GmbH develops and sells a suite of proprietary digital tools (FOODWASTE4U, FOODPRiNT4U, FOODCAST4U) along with the INWASTEMENT strategic concept to operators of large-scale communal catering in the out-of-home market, enabling measurement of food waste, environmental (CO2, water, land) and health balancing of menus, and AI-based sales forecasting to reduce overproduction. The offering is bundled with consulting, training and on-site implementation services delivered by chefs, nutritionists, and IT specialists.

Product overview

Green Guides GmbH offers a modular platform with three core digital solutions for communal catering and food service operations: FOODWASTE4U for food waste measurement and reduction, FOODPRiNT4U for CO2/climate/environmental/health meal balancing, and FOODCAST4U for AI-powered sales forecasting. The platform is supported by the NASSMÜLL KPI entry module and the INWASTEMENT service concept. These solutions work holistically to optimize kitchen processes, reduce food waste, improve climate impact, and enhance economic efficiency across hospitals, senior care facilities, company restaurants, hotels, and school catering operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FOODPRiNT4U: Food and environmental impact profiling tool that calculates CO2, water, land use, and health scores for meals and recipes.
• FOODCAST4U
• FOODWASTE4U
• NASSMÜLL-KPI
• INWASTEMENT

Products and services

• FOODWASTE4U Digital tool that captures and analyzes food waste in communal catering kitchens, enabling operators to track waste volumes and identify reduction opportunities without requiring interface to cash or merchandise management systems. Targeted at hospitals, senior-care facilities, hotels, schools and central kitchens.
• FOODPRiNT4U Digital tool for measuring the environmental footprint (CO2, water, land, regionality, animal welfare, health) of recipes and menus. Provides a balanced diet view and supports DGE-conformity assessment. Used by communal caterers to optimize menu sustainability and nutrition.
• FOODCAST4U AI-based sales forecasting tool for communal catering operations, designed to reduce overproduction by forecasting demand based on historical data, weather, and calendar effects. Piloted with leverCASE and intended for hotels, hospitals, central kitchens and corporate catering.
• INWASTEMENT Strategic consulting concept for organizations to systematically reduce food waste, combining Green Guides digital tools (FOODWASTE4U, FOODCAST4U, FOODPRiNT4U) with on-site consulting, training and awareness raising via the Held der Tafel webinar series.
• CoolCooking Integration Combined offering of Green Guides' food waste software with CoolCooking's cooled cooking processes, enabling faster cooling and earlier reuse of prepared food to reduce waste. Targeted at communal caterers adopting cool-cooking processes.
• Awareness Webinars (Held der Tafel) Webinar-based awareness series aimed at kitchen teams and catering decision-makers to reduce overproduction, complementing the Green Guides software products (FOODWASTE4U, FOODCAST4U, FOODPRiNT4U).

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-51% food waste reduction across client facilities
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CoolCooking (EGV Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Strategic partnership connecting CoolCooking's safe, digitally controlled meal regeneration processes with Green Guides' wet waste KPI measurement. The integration creates an end-to-end solution from production to return transparency. CoolCooking provides reliable, gentle regeneration technology, active cooling, and digital remote monitoring via MeinConnect, while Green Guides adds waste measurement and data-driven decision capabilities for catering, school/kit catering, senior facilities, and clinics.
• ProVegminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 January 2025Joint webinar partnership on 'Planetary Health Diet: The Menu of the Future – Implementation in Practice.' Combines Green Guides' FOODPRiNT4U measurement technology with ProVeg's recipe development expertise to show how to develop climate-friendly, PHD-compliant recipes that both protect the environment and delight guests.
• NiNo GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2025Partnership where NiNo supports social institutions with holistic CO2 balances on their path to climate neutrality. Green Guides provides additional depth in analysis and helps customers implement measures to actively reduce identified emissions in the kitchen area.
• BIOLANDminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 January 2025BIOLAND partnership provides member facilities with guidance and concrete pathways for implementing sustainability in catering effectively and economically. Green Guides contributes practical solutions, sound analyses, and measurable progress through the partnership.
• O-CycleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2025Partnership where O-Cycle's technology transforms bio-waste into value creation. Combined with Green Guides' measurement solutions, the partnership creates a holistic approach that not only reduces bio-waste but converts it into genuine economic value.
• Smart4EcominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2025Smart4Eco, led by CEO Andreas Wolf, combines its expertise in sustainable catering management with Green Guides' passion for resource-conserving future solutions to advance digitalization and sustainability in the health economy.
• Estella Schweizer (Author & Expert for Climate-Friendly Cooking)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 January 2025Partnership with author and climate-friendly cooking expert Estella Schweizer to make the impact of climate-friendly and whole-food recipes visible in a scientifically grounded, practical and understandable way, bringing healthy and sustainable eating to a new level.
• EGV AGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 December 2024Complete FOODPRiNT4U balancing of the EGV AG product range in terms of environment and climate. Over 15,000 articles now display CO2 values, water consumption, and land use in EGV AG's online shop.
• EGV SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2024Co-presentation with Christof Reichenberger of EGV Solutions at the ZUKE Green Health Kongress 2024 on sustainable catering management. Showed how clinics and other out-of-home catering operations can reduce food waste and improve CO2 balance through optimized kitchen processes.
• HenkelminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 8 October 2024FOODPRiNT4U technology licensed and integrated into the Henkel employee app, enabling Henkel employees to consider environmental metrics when selecting meals in the company canteen.
• KLUG (Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 October 2024Partnership for Green Kitchen Live cooking sessions at the Green Week 2025 trade fair. KLUG's Matthias Kurandt co-hosted live cooking demonstrations with Green Guides, showing how healthy and sustainable eating looks in practice.
• INL (Institut für nachhaltige Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2022Co-developed the 'Footprint4u' (predecessor to FOODPRiNT4U) balancing tool with INL's nutrition science expertise. Toni Meier, nutrition scientist and INL Managing Director, contributed scientific methodology including CO2, water, and land footprint calculations based on Planetary Health Diet and EAT-Lancet Commission standards. INL is a non-profit association for sustainable agriculture and food economy.
• United Against Waste e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2021Green Guides is a partner of United Against Waste e.V., the association driving the National Strategy for Food Waste Reduction. Through this partnership, clients who measure food waste at least twice per year qualify for the national food waste reduction certification program. UAW manages the KAHV (Kompetenzstelle Außer-Haus-Verpflegung) initiative.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Compass Group: World's largest contract catering company and a Green Guides customer. Comparable as a customer/partner rather than competitor, but its scale and digital procurement make it a channel-distribution peer for any foodservice SaaS.
• MEIKO: Large German manufacturer of commercial dishwashing, food waste handling and cleaning equipment for professional kitchens. Comparable as an incumbent foodservice technology provider; Green Guides' Key Account lead Joel Nachtigall previously sold MEIKO waste systems, indicating direct adjacency.

Direct peers

• Winnow Solutions: UK-headquartered provider of AI-powered food waste tracking and analytics for commercial kitchens (hospitality, contract catering, hospitals). Directly comparable as a vertical SaaS targeting the same out-of-home catering buyers with similar measurement, benchmarking and cost-saving outcomes.
• Orbisk: Dutch food waste monitoring startup using AI image recognition to identify and quantify waste in professional kitchens. Comparable as a European direct peer with the same target customers (hospitality, healthcare, contract catering) and similar AI-camera + dashboard stack.
• Leanpath: US-based food waste prevention platform combining scales, AI image recognition and analytics for foodservice operators. Closely comparable in technology (digital scales, AI vision, KPI dashboards) and customer base (hospitals, universities, hospitality, corporate dining).
• Kitro: Norway-based food waste measurement company using automated scales and analytics for hotel, restaurant and catering kitchens. Comparable as a European niche SaaS with similar measurement hardware and benchmarking approach.

Others

• ProVeg: International food-tech NGO promoting plant-based and sustainable food. Green Guides' joint webinar partner on Planetary Health Diet menu implementation — adjacent ecosystem player in the foodservice sustainability narrative.
• EGV Group: German food wholesale and CoolCooking regeneration technology group that has integrated FOODPRiNT4U across 15,000+ articles and partnered on cool-chain/waste transparency. Comparable as a strategic distribution partner adjacent to the kitchen-operations stack.
• United Against Waste e.V. German industry association running the KAHV (Kompetenzstelle Außer-Haus-Verpflegung) certification and National Strategy for Food Waste Reduction. Ecosystem partner of Green Guides whose certification framework Green Guides helps clients achieve.

Emerging players

• Too Good To Go: Surplus food marketplace connecting caterers, restaurants and retailers with consumers. Adjacent rather than directly competing: addresses downstream waste valorization rather than kitchen-level measurement, but operates in the same foodservice sustainability space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-guides-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenguidesgmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Green Guides GmbH