A new beginning for the two companies in 2025

In February, the two startups announced during a press conference that they will fuse and concentrate their food-saving efforts on a common direction. Thus, there will be a single application taking over all users and partners, but what about the investors, shareholders, management teams, as well as the employees?

Grégoire and Kirill told us that the fusion of the two companies is a lengthy process that will take over a few weeks to complete, but everyone that's been involved in the development so far will remain together in the new entity, as well, although the name of the new company wasn't made public yet. This means that all employees, investors, partners and shareholders should stay by the side of Bonapp and Munch to fight food waste together.

Both Bonapp and Munch offer expertize and market oversight, both elements being valuable in this joint effort and each company has an ace up its sleeve.

Grégoire says that the advantage that Bonapp brings to the table is the market overview, as it is the better-known company of the two in our country, while Munch comes with a better-developed application, thus, the new app, which could be launched on March 1st, will be easier to use and more efficient for consumers and partners alike.

A common purpose with the same vision

Maybe the most important factor that led to this fusion was the fact that both companies shared the same vision regarding their mission, which is fighting food waste.

"It's about our strategic vision, we have these guys (Munch), which are very well developed on three markets, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and then there's us, who have developed strongly here, in Romania. We though this is a good opportunity to join forces in order to become regional leaders", said the cofounder of Bonapp.eco.

"At Munch, we have the international background, we have the processes, the development team and the funds, while Bonapp has a very good local expertise, a solid local network of partners and a well-known brand in Romania", added Kirill Perepelica.

The efforts of both companies had an important impact on the local market, because as the two representatives mentioned, people started to become more conscious about food waste prevention measures, and the partners and authorities are getting involved more often than before in these efforts. Kirill said that by using these apps, people don't only think about the economic advantage, but also of how valuable food can be.

A more powerful network of partners

Maybe one of the biggest questions was that regarding the investors and partners of the two companies and how they see the fusion process. The good news here is that all partners, the management and the employees will remain beside Munch and Bonapp and this brings multiple benefits.

The first is about the partners of both companies, which will be transferred to the new application, and this way, customers will benefit from an even larger selection of products to choose from, while partners will sell their products faster.

"Our ambition is to work with all major retailers, all HoReCa business and all the SMEs from these industries. We have to maximize our footprint and among the partners are gas stations, as well", said Grégoire.

Two of the major hotel brands that Bonapp collaborates with currently are ibis and Pullman, but the two startups look for other hospitality providers to join in the mission.

Are investors backing down?

Roca X and Early Game Ventures are among the investors that financed Bonapp throughout the years and Munch also brings to the table its own funds and investors, so how will all of these make peace in the new company?

Munch and Bonapp officials told Green Start-Up that all investors will remain beside the new company and will support it in its development.

"Investors didn't back down, so the VCs that supported us will continue to remain involved in the business, they continue to believe in what we are doing and are committed to stay beside us in the long run", Grégoire Vigroux mentioned.

In a press release, investors from Early Game Ventures said that the VC will remain a shareholder in the new entity.

“The alliance with a major leader at a time when the field of fighting food waste is going through a period of consolidation is very good news for both Bonapp and the startup ecosystem in Romania. Our role as a fund in the lives of the companies we invest in is not only to provide them with financing or participate in syndicated rounds but also to subsequently support them to take the most appropriate steps towards another chapter in their lives,” said Cristian Munteanu, Managing Partner of Early Game Ventures. The fund participated in the seed financing round announced by Bonapp.eco in early 2022, just two months after the launch of the application.

At the same time, Bonapp's cofounder will continue to remain involved in the business at least as much as he was until now to support Kirill and the team as the application will continue to expand to new markets.

Growing the customer base up to three times

An important part of the process is the growth that Munch and Bonapp can have together compared to the separate development of the two solutions. Kirill says that a growth in the customer base will be visible only after the fusion is completed and the app will be completely developed and launched. Still, he estimates that the YoY (year-over-year) growth for the customer base in Romania will be two or three times what it is now.

In the coming weeks, the two companies will be working on integrating the new teams, on developing the new application, as well as extending their presence on the markets that they focus on for 2025, those being Bulgaria, Slovenia, Greece and Croatia.

At the same time, since Munch already has an experience when it comes to working together with Food Banks in Hungary, the company wants to leverage this expertise in order to replicate this success in Romania, which could further help reducing food waste.