Sydney startup, Good & Fugly, has just raised $528,628 through a recent crowdfunding campaign via Birchal. After an unprecedented EOI response, over 650 savvy investors jumped on board to own a piece of the rebellious startup taking on the supermarket giants.
What is the market offering of Good & Fugly?
Good & Fugly launched in 2020 to make saving the planet convenient and delicious. Working directly with farmers, Good & Fugly curates weekly produce boxes out of fruit and vegetables that are cosmetically unsuitable for supermarkets and delivers them direct to consumers.
The cosmetic standards of supermarkets mean that an astounding amount of great food produce never reaches our plates. In fact, 30% of all the world’s farmland is used to produce wasted food, with 25% of all Australian produce not even leaving the farm all together.
What were the executive’s thoughts on the funding?
Richard Tourino, founder of Good & Fugly said, “The price of fruit and veg is skyrocketing, and still, major supermarkets are rejecting produce based on looks alone. I’m excited to be launching our first ever crowdfunding campaign in a way that allows everyday Aussies, who have a true passion for the environment and Australia’s food waste issue, to get on board. Together, we can fundamentally change the way Australians buy and eat their fruit and veg.”
Good & Fugly’s crowdfunding campaign launched in late June and the team are thrilled with the final result. Tourino said, “We were blown away by the community response and were heartened to see that so many people support our mission to fight food waste.”
“We had over 2351 total campaign followers, close to 2,000 EOIs, and 652 investors. Their support will super-charge our next stage of growth in the fight to give ugly fruits their rightful place as we expand across Australia. We will also be turning to this community for the feedback, ideas and the energy that we need to make a difference and spread the word.”
What is the market reach of Good & Fugly?
In the two years since launch, Good & Fugly has had impressive traction in the market; outgrowing its warehouse multiple times and tripling its workforce, while also:
- Generating over $1million in revenue in this FY alone;
- +2,400% annual growth;
- Delivering over 200,000 kgs of fruit & veg;
- Amassing almost 2000 regular subscribers;
- Expanding its delivery zones significantly to cover all of Greater Sydney;
- Donating all excess produce to OzHarvest;
- Launching its Farmer’s Hotline, “13 – Triple Zero – FUGLY” allowing farmers nationwide to get a fair price for produce that otherwise would be thrown away;
- Partnering with like-minded companies and NGOs like Cornersmith, Coastrek, Skutopia, Work-it, Cailie Ford Nutrition, and NSW Circular;
- Supporting the health and wellbeing of Australian workers through its work with CBA and a range of mid- to large- sized enterprises.
Good & Fugly have big plans to keep building their fast-growing network of farmers, clients and community stakeholders, while expanding across the country. They’ll also be using some of the funds to support education around the issue and the movement to rescue “fuglies”.
Find out more, please visit the website.
