Unverschwendet

What Unverschwendet does

Unverschwendet is an Austrian food-rescue company founded in 2016 in Vienna by siblings Cornelia and Andreas Diesenreiter. It sources surplus and 'imperfect' fruits, vegetables, and food byproducts that would otherwise be discarded due to cosmetic standards, overproduction, or manufacturing byproducts, and transforms them through proprietary production processes into a portfolio of gourmet products including jams/Fruchtaufstriche, syrups, mustards, chutneys, vinegars, and the specialty 'Kein Gin' spirit line.

The company's operating technology is deliberately lean and non-proprietary: a Shopware-based e-commerce storefront for direct-to-consumer sales, Stripe and Klarna for payment processing, and standard digital marketing tooling (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Hotjar, LinkedIn Insight Tag). The real technical and IP value sits in the upstream: repeatable food-rescue sourcing processes, recipe development for variable surplus inputs, and a co-development network with established Austrian food manufacturers (Manner, Gölles, Zotter) and the BIO AUSTRIA organic farmer association.

Unverschwendet operates four distinct go-to-market motions: (1) direct-to-consumer via its own online shop shipping within Austria and to Germany, with free shipping above €50; (2) flagship retail distribution through the HOFER partnership under the exclusive 'Rettenswert' private label, covering all HOFER stores in Austria; (3) B2B corporate gifting with custom branding and 100-unit minimum orders; and (4) physical market stands at Vienna's Schwendermarkt and Naschmarkt. Unit pricing on the DTC site ranges from roughly €3.67 for a single mustard jar to €36 for a 500ml Kein Gin bottle, with curated gift boxes at €13-30. The company reports being founder-owned with no disclosed external equity funding and operates with approximately 15 employees.

Name

Unverschwendet

Legal name

Unverschwendet

Website

https://unverschwendet.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Unverschwendet is a Vienna-based food-rescue company that transforms surplus fruits, vegetables, and food manufacturing byproducts into gourmet products (jams, mustards, vinegars, spirits), selling via its own e-commerce shop, the HOFER retail partnership (Rettenswert brand), B2B corporate gifting, and Vienna market stands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Foods

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies (2033), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Condiments, Sauces & Pickles Wholesale (AFAIAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Functional Packaged Foods (Gluten-Free, Keto, Organic, Medical/Allergen-Friendly) (CRADAAAI)

Keywords

• Food rescue products
• Surplus food upcycling
• Sustainable gourmet foods
• Corporate gift solutions
• Organic specialty foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (B2C): Revenue from selling gourmet products directly to consumers through the online shop. Products include jams, syrups, mustards, chutneys, vinegars, and specialty spirits. Consumers purchase individual items or gift combinations with prices ranging from €3-40 per product.
2. Retail Distribution (Rettenswert): Revenue from wholesale distribution through HOFER partnership under the Rettenswert brand. Products are sold in HOFER stores across Austria as a private label collaboration.
3. B2B Corporate Gifting: Revenue from selling customized gift products to corporate clients for events, holidays, and employee appreciation. Offers customization including branding, custom labels, and packaging with minimum orders of 100+ units.
4. Market Stand Sales: Direct sales at physical market stands in Vienna (Schwendermarkt and Naschmarkt) where consumers can purchase products in person.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Unverschwendet rescues surplus fruits, vegetables, and food byproducts that fail to meet retail aesthetic or volume standards and transforms them into premium gourmet products including jams, syrups, vinegars, mustards, chutneys, pickles, sauces, and spirits (Kein Gin). The company sells through its own e-commerce shop, physical market stands in Vienna, a flagship private-label partnership with HOFER (Rettenswert brand), and customized B2B corporate gifting solutions for businesses.

Product overview

Unverschwendet is a food rescue company that transforms surplus fruits, vegetables, spices, and other food surpluses into premium gourmet products. The core offering is Unverschwendet Feinkost, a line of jams, syrups, vinegars, mustards, chutneys, pickles, sauces, and spirits (Kein Gin). The company also operates Rettenswert, a sub-brand in partnership with HOFER for daily-use products sold exclusively at HOFER stores. Additional offerings include physical market stands (Kostbar Markt), a curated book by co-founder Cornelia Diesenreiter, customizable corporate gifts and Christmas gift boxes, greeting cards, and an e-commerce platform powered by Shopware. Products are distributed through the online shop, physical market stands, and retail partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rettenswert: Sustainable private label brand in cooperation with HOFER, selling everyday products (spreads, sauces, fruit spreads, snacks) made from rescued food surplus from agriculture and production.

Products and services

• Unverschwendet Feinkost (Fine Foods Product Line) Core product line of gourmet foods made from rescued surplus fruits, vegetables, spices, and other food surpluses. Includes jams, syrups, vinegars, mustards, chutneys, pickles, sauces, and spirits. Sold direct-to-consumer via the online shop and at market stands.
• Rettenswert (Private Label Brand for HOFER) A sustainable private-label brand created in partnership between HOFER and Unverschwendet, offering daily-use food products (spreads, juices, pickled items, chutneys, snacks, ketchups, soups, sauces, pestos, jams) made from rescued agricultural surpluses. Available exclusively at HOFER stores across Austria.
• Kein Gin (No Gin) Spirits Line A line of gin-like spirits made from rescued food ingredients, including Kein Gin Moon (distilled during full moon with mystical notes), Kein Gin Dry, and Kein Gin Chocolate variants, all distilled from rescued Manner waffle crumbs and other surplus foods with classic gin botanicals. Priced at €36.00 per 500ml bottle.
• Firmengeschenke (Corporate Gifts) Customized corporate gift solutions for businesses, organizations, and events, with options for personalized branding, custom designs, and bulk orders starting from 100 units. Offers dedicated sales contact and product catalog for corporate clients.
• Geschenkboxen & Sets (Gift Boxes & Sets) Pre-curated gift boxes and combination sets containing various Unverschwendet products, priced €13-30, suitable for birthdays, weddings, corporate gifts, and other occasions.
• Marktstand Products (Vienna Market Stand Sales) Fresh and seasonal rescued produce and gourmet products available for direct purchase at physical market stands in Vienna at Schwendermarkt (Tue-Fri 15:00-18:00) and Naschmarkt (Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00).
• Kostbar Markt (Kostbar Market) A bridge between surplus food from agriculture and production with social institutions, redistributing rescued food to those in need.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,400 tonnes of food rescued through RETTENSWERT brand
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• MannerflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Collaboration to create 'Kein Gin' (No Gin) products using rescued Manner waffle crumbs as a base ingredient. The partnership produced specialty spirits including Kein Gin Moon (distilled during full moon with mystical notes), Kein Gin Dry, and Kein Gin Chocolate, each featuring rescued waffle breadcrumbs and classic gin botanicals.
• BIO AUSTRIAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023Partnership with BIO AUSTRIA (association for organic farming with ~13,500 members and 360 partner businesses). Focus on expanding product range with organic rescued ingredients, supporting organic farmers, and promoting shared values of food security, sustainability, and quality control.
• HOFERcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2022Flagship retail partnership creating the 'Rettenswert' private label brand exclusively for HOFER stores in Austria. Products made from rescued agricultural surplus are sold in all HOFER stores nationwide. Since October 2022 launch, over 1,400 tonnes of food have been rescued through this partnership, with 39 product varieties available.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Cornelia and Andreas Diesenreiter presented Unverschwendet and the Rettenswert partnership with HOFER to FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu at an invitation from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Agriculture. The FAO showed strong interest in the company's food rescue mission and the retail partnership model.
• GöllescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Partnership with vinegar and specialty food producer Gölles to create Zwiebel Confit (onion preserve) using rescued onions. This collaboration represents the company's approach to partnering with established food producers for product development.
• ZottercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration with Austrian chocolate manufacturer Zotter to create premium fruit spreads featuring Zotter chocolate. Products include BIO Schwarze Ribisel & Zotter Schokolade (Black Currant & Zotter Chocolate) and Erdbeere & Zotter Schokolade (Strawberry & Zotter Chocolate) fruchtaufstriche.
• BIO GarantieminorOthersCertification partner for organic product certification
• NatuerlichgutessenminorOthersPartner organization for sustainable food initiatives

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Too Good To Go: Pan-European marketplace and food-rescue brand that connects consumers with surplus meals and groceries from retailers and restaurants. Direct comparable on the food-rescue mission, though primarily a marketplace rather than an upcycled product manufacturer like Unverschwendet.
• Sirplus: Berlin-based online retailer that rescues surplus and past-BBD food and resells it via its own e-commerce shop and select retail partners. Closest direct peer to Unverschwendet's rescued-food, D2C-plus-retail distribution model in the DACH region.
• WeFood: Denmark's nonprofit surplus-food supermarket concept that sells rescued food at discount through dedicated stores. Comparable on the surplus-to-retail thesis and on physical storefronts, though nonprofit model and Denmark geography differ.
• ResQ Club: Swedish surplus-food marketplace selling discounted meals and groceries from partner restaurants and retailers via an app. Comparable mission and DACH/Nordic reach, though Unverschwendet upcycles rather than resells surplus.

Broad incumbents

• Misfits Market: US online retailer specializing in surplus and "imperfect" produce, organic groceries, and now prepared foods. Comparable on the rescued-produce-as-retail thesis, with materially larger scale and US-only geographic footprint.
• Imperfect Foods: US-based subscription retailer selling "ugly" and surplus produce and groceries direct to consumers. Comparable on rescuing cosmetically imperfect food, but significantly larger scale and US-only geography.
• Spitz (Spitz S.A.): Austrian CPG manufacturer of savory snacks, mustards, condiments, and pickles under Sonnen, Kotányi-adjacent brands. Strongly overlaps Unverschwendet's condiment/chutney/mustard range and competes for the same HOFER-class retailer shelf space, though at materially larger scale and conventional sourcing.

Others

• Foodsharing.de: German/DACH non-profit platform for sharing surplus household and small-business food. Adjacent to Unverschwendet on the food-rescue mission in the same DACH market, but operates a redistribution platform rather than manufacturing upcycled products.

Regional players

• Darbo: Austrian jam, syrup, and fruit-preserve manufacturer of similar size and category overlap. Closest category-overlap peer for Unverschwendet's Fruchtaufstrich and Feinkost range, though Darbo is a conventional CPG rather than a food-rescue operator.
• Sonnentor: Austrian/Czech organic herbs, tea, and specialty food producer with similar Austrian rural origin, sustainability positioning, BIO AUSTRIA-style credibility, and broad DACH retail distribution. Comparable as a values-led Austrian specialty food brand, though different category (dry goods vs. upcycled fresh produce).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cornelia.diesenreiter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unverschwendet
• Instagraminstagram.com/andreasz_com

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Unverschwendet