OrderEAT raises US$2 million to expand its school meal platform in Latin America
OrderEAT closes a US$2 million funding round and accelerates its expansion in Latin America, with a presence in more than 600 schools and serving 250.000 students.
OrderEAT, a platform that digitizes the management of school cafeterias and dining halls across Latin America, closed a US$2 million funding round led by Chile Ventures, with participation from Driven VC, Add Ventures, Seedstars and angel investors Sergio Fogel and Avedis Boudakian.
Founded by Uruguayan entrepreneurs based in Mexico, the company now operates in more than 600 schools in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru, where it serves more than 250.000 active students.
A platform to digitize school meals
OrderEAT was founded to address a problem identified by its founders, Matías Craviotto, Juan Manuel Rodriguez and Luis Pedro Carrero: the use of cash can become a barrier to trust in school cafeterias.
When families are unsure how the money they send with their children will be used, there is a risk that the purchase may not happen.
To address this issue, OrderEAT works as a closed-loop wallet. Through the app, families can add funds and place orders in advance, while students can pay without using cash.
At the same time, vendors can use the platform to manage menus, inventory, nutrition, and sales in real time.
Chile becomes a strategic market for OrderEAT
Some of the funding raised will go toward strengthening OrderEAT’s operations in Chile, with more installations and closer support for vendors.
The company currently operates in more than 50 schools in Chile, including Colegio La Salle de Temuco, Colegio Alemán de Concepción, Colegio Pedro de Valdivia in Peñalolén and Providencia, St Margaret’s School in Concón, Pumahue Puerto Montt, and The International School Nido de Águilas in Santiago.
For Matías Craviotto, the fact that funds with in-depth knowledge of the Chilean market led the round reflects the importance of the country to the company’s growth strategy.
“The fact that the funds that know this market best led the round says something simple: Chile is strategic for us. This capital is for setting up well, providing strong support, and growing in Chile,” Craviotto said.
OrderEAT’s regional expansion has also advanced rapidly: its network grew from 400 to 600 schools in less than six months.
The company aims to reach one million active students over the next 18 months.
The results of digitizing school cafeterias
One example that demonstrates OrderEAT’s value proposition is Oak’s Leadership School in Mexico.
After two years of operation, the school reports a 70% increase in sales, while checkout time fell from 2 minutes to 20 seconds per student. In addition, implementing the platform saves nearly 4 hours of administrative work each day.
The experience has also affected how families engage with school meal purchases.
“We had parents who were worried: ‘What will my child buy? What if they lose the money?’ With OrderEAT, they had no doubts: I add money to the account and place the order for them from my app,” explained Andrea Molina, the school cafeteria manager.
OrderEAT plans regional growth
With the new US$2 million funding round, OrderEAT aims to continue strengthening its operations while expanding its presence in the markets where it already operates.
The company, which currently serves more than 600 schools and 250.000 active students in five Latin American countries, plans to reach one million active students over the next 18 months, with Chile playing a strategic role in its expansion.
