New Investment: Topanga

Jeremy Harkey
May 6
2 min read

P O R T F O L I O U P D A T E

New Investment

TOPANGA:

Software for Food Service Waste Reduction

Groundswell Ventures is excited to announce our investment in Topanga, a company which automates and optimizes food service workflows to reduce food and packaging waste. This is our fourteenth Fund II investment.

Why Are We Excited?

Food and Packaging Waste Mitigation

Topanga addresses the critical issue of waste in the food service industry, which contributes to 8-10% of global GhG emissions.1 This environmental inefficiency is aggravated by expensive packaging waste and labor inefficiencies. Through partnerships with food service industry leaders like Aramark and Compass Group, Topanga is scaling sustainable practices across healthcare, business, and hospitality sectors.

Topanga has two main products. The ReusePass platform helps food service companies track and manage reusable packaging, saving an estimated 12.2 tons of GHG CO2e annually. Its StreamLine analyzes food waste to help kitchens improve efficiency and reduce waste, resulting in an estimated avoidance of 7 million tons of CO2e.

Watch a Video Overview of Topanga's Solution

Commitment to Environmental Sustainability

Our investment in Topanga reflects our confidence in their cutting-edge solution to inefficiencies in food systems. Kaitlin Pratt, a Groundswell Ventures intern and student at Cal Poly, has the following to say about using Topanga in the university's dining hall system:

"I rely heavily on campus food services, where single-use containers are typically provided. With the introduction of Topanga’s reusable containers, I’ve been able to significantly reduce my plastic waste, while benefiting from the financial incentive offered for using reusable trays. This effort has been well-received across campus, with many students embracing the opportunity to contribute to a more eco-friendly environment, demonstrating the positive impact of Topanga’s sustainability initiatives on our student body." -Kaitlin Pratt

Groundswell Intern and Environmental Management and Protection major at California Polytechnic State University