Top 16 Catering Startups to Watch in 2026
The catering industry has expanded beyond simple food service to include advanced technology and logistics. Companies like PuduTech are introducing robotics, while others focus on creating large online marketplaces.
Investment in the sector is strong, with online marketplace ezCater securing over $420M in funding.
Below is our list of 16 Catering startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
ezCater created an online marketplace to simplify how businesses order food for the workplace. Their platform provides reliable catering options for everything from daily employee lunches to one-off company events.
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Year Founded | 2007 |
| Founders | Briscoe Rodgers, Stefania Mallett |
| Funding Amount | $420.8M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Wellington Management, Insight Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, ICONIQ Growth, Quadrille Capital |
PuduTech develops and manufactures commercial service robots designed for delivery and reception tasks across various industries. Their AI-powered machines are built to navigate complex, busy environments like restaurants and hospitals, assisting human staff with daily service duties.
| Headquarters | Shenzhen, Guangdong, China |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Tao Zhang |
| Funding Amount | $185.1M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | HSG, Sequoia Capital, Meituan, Tencent, Puhua Capital |
Holiday Tribe designs personalized holiday packages for groups traveling to a wide range of destinations. Their service focuses on creating customizable travel experiences tailored to the unique preferences of each group.
| Headquarters | Haryana, Haryana, India |
| Year Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | ₹304M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | GSF, Powerhouse Ventures, Dinesh Agarwal, Murugavel Janakiraman, Dinesh Gulati |
Panda Selected operates a network of shared kitchens and provides supply chain solutions for catering enterprises. Their platform allows food and beverage brands to expand their delivery services without the high cost of traditional restaurant spaces.
| Headquarters | Beijing, Beijing, China |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Billi Li |
| Funding Amount | $70M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Tiger Global Management, THE WORLD BANK, Vision Knight Capital, DCM Ventures, Red Star Macalline |
Foorban operates a digital canteen for businesses, focusing on delivering healthy meals to promote employee wellbeing. Their service is designed for small and medium-sized companies looking to provide convenient, quality food options at work.
| Headquarters | Milano, Lombardia, Italy |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Marco Mottolese, Stefano Cavaleri |
| Funding Amount | $6.7M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | iStarter |
EBar develops a self-service, IoT-enabled beer dispenser that uses an innovative technique for pouring drinks. The system is designed for high-volume settings like stadiums and festivals, allowing venues to serve customers faster and reduce long queues.
| Headquarters | Aberdeen, Aberdeen City, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Nick Beeson, Sam Pettipher |
| Funding Amount | £2.3M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Seedrs, Jenson Funding Partners, Scottish EDGE, Equity Gap, Gabriel Investments |
Shuhai Supply Chain Logistics builds supply chain solutions tailored for the food and catering industries. They offer a comprehensive service that handles the entire lifecycle of food ingredients, from procurement to distribution.
| Headquarters | Minhang, Shanghai, China |
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | CN¥800M |
| Startup Size | — |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | HSG, Hillhouse Investment, Legend Capital, Hosen Capital, Longfor Group |
Amadeus delivers full-service catering for corporate, private, and wedding events. The company specializes in creating memorable food and beverage experiences tailored to each occasion.
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 1976 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | — |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | — |
| Top Investors | — |
Xingdian Catering operates Luckdot Coffee, a brand providing convenient coffee and food services. The company specializes in healthy and delicious catering options for a variety of customers.
| Headquarters | Wuhan, Hubei, China |
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | CN¥150M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Credit Suisse, Caesar Fund |
Based in Scotland, Entier operates as a large independent catering and support services provider for clients both offshore and onshore. Their business spans from servicing remote energy installations to managing high-end private events, all with an emphasis on using fresh, local produce.
| Headquarters | Aberdeen, Aberdeen City, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 2008 |
| Founders | Peter Bruce |
| Funding Amount | £6.5M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Business Growth Fund |
6 Additional Catering Startups Worth Following
Our top picks are just the beginning of the story. New companies are constantly getting started, many of them just securing their first checks from investors.
This shows a lot of fresh energy and new ideas are entering the industry. Here’s a look at the other companies that have caught our attention.
| Startup | Main Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Freshtaste | Food | 2019 | €1.2M | Seed |
 Morsy | Food | 2017 | €250k | Seed |
 Xincai Rouji | Food | 2023 | CN¥10M | Angel |
 Hometaste | Food | 2017 | $666.8k | Equity Crowdfunding |
 Dengye brand | Marketing | 2023 | CN¥10M | Angel |
 Canbang | Food | 2016 | CN¥2M | Angel |
