GiftAMeal is a technology company.
GiftAMeal has raised $480K across 1 funding round.
GiftAMeal has raised $480K in total across 1 funding round.
GiftAMeal has raised $480K in total across 1 funding round.
GiftAMeal's investors include ASDF Ventures, GSV Acceleration.
GiftAMeal is a mobile application that enables restaurants to fight hunger by donating meals to local food banks whenever customers upload photos of their meals at partner locations.[1][2][3][7] It serves restaurants seeking guest engagement and loyalty, while addressing food insecurity through user-generated content; restaurants pay a monthly fee (starting at $79), and each photo triggers a 25-cent donation—equivalent to 1.2 pounds of food—with bonuses for social shares.[3][7] The platform has donated over 2.5 million meals, drives 39% higher visit frequency, 20% more spend per visit, and 32% higher tips from users, fueling growth via integrations with tools like Incentivio, Lunchbox, Olo, and others.[3][4][6][8]
GiftAMeal was founded in 2014 by Matt Glantz, a business student in St. Louis, inspired by the prevalence of food selfies and a desire to channel them into social good for restaurants and food pantries.[3] Launching while still in school, it quickly gained traction with a couple hundred local restaurants, raised nearly $800,000 from investors, and earned dozens of accolades over six years, donating hundreds of thousands of meals in St. Louis alone.[3] The idea evolved from a simple photo-donation mechanic into a broader guest engagement platform, now recognized as an award-winning enterprise blending "profits with a purpose."[1][3]
GiftAMeal rides the wave of purpose-driven tech in hospitality, where restaurants leverage mobile apps for loyalty amid post-pandemic recovery and rising social responsibility demands.[3][4] Timing aligns with explosive growth in restaurant tech stacks—SaaS platforms like Olo and Lunchbox dominate multi-channel ordering and engagement, making GiftAMeal's plug-and-play integrations timely for virtual kitchens and chains combating 20-30% customer churn.[4][6] Favorable market forces include consumer preference for brands with impact (40% of users multi-share for extra donations) and food insecurity affecting 44 million Americans, positioning it to influence the $1T restaurant ecosystem by blending UGC marketing with philanthropy.[3][7]
GiftAMeal is poised for national expansion through deeper tech partnerships, potentially scaling beyond 2.5 million meals as AI-driven guest platforms proliferate.[4][6][8] Trends like composable restaurant tech and ESG-focused investing will amplify its model, evolving it from a St. Louis startup to a standard loyalty tool—watch for enterprise deals with chains via Olo or Performance Foodservice.[4] Its "profits with a purpose" hook could redefine restaurant marketing, turning every photo into loyalty and impact.[1][3]
GiftAMeal has raised $480K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $480K Seed in June 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2021 | $480K Seed | ASDF Ventures, GSV Acceleration |