Australian vegan meal kit subscription service, Just Add Vegan, has opened an AUD$700 thousand seed round to upgrade its subscription platform, enhance operational efficiency, and officially launch in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
Just Add Vegan was founded in 2021 by Padma Lianos and Arthur Voorwinden as Australia’s first health-focused meal kit service, operating at the intersection of plant-based eating and convenience.
“We can become a major player in the plant-based food-delivery category”
Since its establishment, the company has tested its concept by delivering over 12,000 meal kits to more than 300 customers, allowing it to assess its viability, enhance its operations, and measure its potential success.
“It was tremendously rewarding to see our vision come to life and to hear from customers that Just Add Vegan was actually ‘life-changing’ for them. Probably the strongest indicator of our success is the average number of orders per customer, 12 – three times as much as HelloFresh,” commented Lianos.
A large and growing market
According to the company, Australia is the world’s third fastest-growing market for plant-based foods and the fifth largest for meal kit delivery, with revenues projected to increase by 60% in the coming four years. To capture this enormous market, Just Add Vegan will primarily target flexitarians, the largest group of plant-forward consumers, maximising its marketing efforts through influencers and events.
“We have everything in place to capture a significant share of this large and growing market. We offer better flavours, higher nutritional value and more choice than the big foreign brands. In addition, we are 100% Australian family-owned, purpose-driven and more sustainable,” commented Voorwinden.
Evolving into a “one-stop” shop
Just Add Vegan says it aims to become the convenient and comprehensive source for all plant-based food needs every week — a “one-stop” shop. In addition to meal kits, the brand offers a range of add-on products from premium third-party brands, including Syndian sausages and dips, Suzy Spoon‘s meat alternatives, and Miller Lane Foods‘ cheeses (which they also use in their meal kits).
“Our customers love the option to add products to their weekly box, instead of ordering them elsewhere. It saves them time and shipping fees,” says Lianos.
According to the company, add-on products increase customers’ spend per order. They have a good profit margin, helping to improve the overall profitability of the business. Additionally, they can be ordered when needed, reducing excess inventory and minimizing waste.
“We will be significantly increasing the breadth and depth of our third-party product range, including superfoods and supplements. We are also extending the Just Add Vegan brand with add-on products, including spice mixes, sauces, cereals, snacks and a limited range of ready meals,” adds Lianos.
A growing future
Besides expanding its portfolio, Just Add Vegan has announced ambitious milestones for the coming five years: launching gluten-free range, calorie-smart, and high-protein meal plans; attaining plastic-neutral and B Corp accreditation; expanding locally, overseas, and its tech and operational capacity.
“During our test market we gained first-hand insight into the key success factors for our business. Over the last few months we have fine-tuned our strategy and updated our business plan and financial projections,” says Voorwinden. “We are more convinced than ever that Just Add Vegan has a great future ahead of it and that we can become a major player in the plant-based food-delivery category,” added Voorwinden.
