How much funding has UPPRINTING FOOD raised?

UPPRINTING FOOD has raised $14.4M in total funding. Key investors include Oikocredit.

Who is the CEO of UPPRINTING FOOD?

Elzelinde van Doleweerd is the CEO of UPPRINTING FOOD. The company was founded in 2017.

Where is UPPRINTING FOOD located?

UPPRINTING FOOD is headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

What funding stage is UPPRINTING FOOD at?

UPPRINTING FOOD is currently at the Active stage.

How many employees does UPPRINTING FOOD have?

UPPRINTING FOOD has approximately 1-10 employees.

UPPRINTING FOOD

Name: AM Companies Database
Creator: AMPulse
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

ApplicationEindhoven, NetherlandsFounded 2017· One of 381 Application companies tracked by AMPulse

3D food printer systems and services that transform food waste into attractive, edible printed products using proprietary extrusion-based printing technology designed for restaurant and institutional use.

CEO / Founder: Elzelinde van Doleweerd
Team Size: 1-10
Stage: Active
Total Funding: $14.4M
Latest Round: Pre-Series A
Key Investors: Oikocredit

Technology & Products

Key Products

3D Food Printer (hardware for commercial kitchens); Chef Training Program (operational certification for kitchen staff); Food Recipe Development Service (custom purees from food waste); Personalized Design Services (custom-printed dishes)

Technological Advantage

Proprietary extrusion-based food printing process for food waste materials; working knowledge of food chemistry and puree viscosity optimization; first-mover advantage in restaurant-integrated model; brand positioning in sustainability and circular economy

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Reduces restaurant food waste by converting residual flows (bread, vegetable trimmings) into premium printed dishes; creates unique dining experiences; enables chefs to create personalized designs; operates within existing kitchen workflows via staff training

How They Differentiate

UPPRINTING FOOD uniquely focuses on food waste/sustainability angle rather than novelty or luxury positioning; embedded chef-training operational model; proprietary residual-food material science; serves circular economy niche not addressed by other AM companies or food tech players

Market & Competition

Target Customers

High-end restaurants, chef-led dining establishments, institutional food services

Industry Verticals

Food & Beverage; Hospitality; Fine Dining

Competitors

3D Systems (ChefJet food printing platform - commercial exit/pivot); Barilla (experimental 3D pasta research, inactive in commercial market); Nestlé (3D food printing pilot programs, not core business)

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Netherlands-based startup founded by Elzelinde van Doleweerd (Eindhoven University of Technology graduate, specialized in food technology at University of Wageningen) and Vita Broeken; focuses on transforming food waste (e.g., unsellable bread, ripe/ugly produce, vegetable scraps) into 3D-printed edible snacks via extrusion technology using purees; collaborates with high-end restaurants for custom designs from residual flows and with Beijing-based 3D Food Company for Chinese ingredients like boiled rice and purple sweet potato; presented at Beijing Design Week and Dutch Design Week.

Major Milestones

Founded ~2017 (inferred from 2018 Dezeen article and Beijing Design Week participation); 2018: Beijing Design Week presentation and collaboration with China-based tech company; Listing in VoxelMatters additive manufacturing company directory; Recognition in Food Tech Brainport and Forward Fooding networks; Cited in UK Food Standards Agency research on 3D printing in food systems

Notable Customers

Adam Atelier; Thuisbasis; Alchemist; Andreas Chrysomallis; Instock Amsterdam; De Karpendonkse Hoeve

https://www.upprintingfood.com

Why this company matters

UPPRINTING FOOD occupies a niche at the intersection of additive manufacturing, sustainability, and hospitality. Rather than pursuing novelty or luxury positioning, the company explicitly targets food waste reduction—addressing the roughly one-third of global food that goes to waste—by converting residual streams such as unsellable bread, vegetable trimmings, and ugly produce into printable purees. Its chef-training operational model embeds the printer into existing kitchen workflows, differentiating it from earlier food-printing efforts by 3D Systems, Barilla, or Nestlé that did not prioritize waste upcycling.

The core technology is a proprietary extrusion-based food printer designed for commercial kitchens. The company develops custom puree formulations from residual food flows, optimizing viscosity and food chemistry for reliable printing. Beyond the hardware, UPPRINTING FOOD offers a Chef Training Program for operational certification, a Food Recipe Development Service to create waste-derived purees, and Personalized Design Services for custom-printed dishes. This service bundle is intended to lower adoption barriers for restaurants unfamiliar with additive manufacturing.

Target customers include high-end restaurants, chef-led dining establishments, and institutional food services. Named collaborators include Adam Atelier, Thuisbasis, Alchemist, Andreas Chrysomallis, Instock Amsterdam, and De Karpendonkse Hoeve. The company has also explored international applications through a 2018 partnership with a China-based tech company, presenting at Beijing Design Week with purees made from boiled rice and purple sweet potato.

UPPRINTING FOOD's strategic moat lies in its first-mover position in food-waste-specific 3D printing and its proprietary material science for residual-food purees. However, the company operates at limited commercial scale with a team of 1-10 and $14.4 million in funding from Oikocredit. The open question is whether the restaurant-integrated model can scale beyond a handful of early adopters and whether larger food-tech or AM players will enter the waste-upcycling niche.