Jane Dimitrova is the co-founder of Foodobox, a platform that lets you save money while eating deliciously. After spending about 5 years in Italy and Latin America, she returns to Bulgaria to introduce an idea that has been successfully implemented in the West for years.
What inspired you to return to Bulgaria and start your own startup after years in Italy and Argentina?
In fact, the decision came by itself – with the onset of Covid, I decided to return to Bulgaria to be close to my family, supposedly until the wave passed. But returning home had a good effect on me, and I started building the foundations of the Foodobox platform.
When COVID passed, I had already found a team to work with, and we were just getting started. At that stage, I was still working in Italy, so I had to spend 1-2 weeks a month there. But the moment I decided to dedicate myself entirely to Foodobox, I quit my secure job and stopped distracting myself with side things.
Foodobox is a platform through which users buy food from restaurants left over at the end of the day, with at least a 40% discount.
How did the idea for Foodobox come about, and what was your first step towards realizing it?
The idea for the platform is not mine. I saw a similar one in Italy when I was a student, in 2019 - I really liked it and started saving food through it often. Later, I applied for a job there and was part of their team for about 2 years. When I returned home, I suggested to the other platform that we open a new branch in Bulgaria. For better or worse, they cut me off, and that's how the idea of creating Foodobox was formed, so that we could save food in our country too.
The first step was to find like-minded people. In the person of Velin Kerkov, I found a true partner who believed in me and the idea and decided to dedicate himself fully to it. He sold his own functioning IT company and became the CEO and co-founder of Foodobox.
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How did you meet Velin Kerkov and how did your partnership in creating Foodobox take shape?
We met through a mutual friend – his former classmate from SMG and a family friend of mine – who had heard that I was looking for a partner with technical skills. He immediately decided to connect us. We had a meeting at the office of his IT company, and my initial idea was to hire her for a one-time development of the platform.
Actually, at the time, I didn’t really realize how important it is to have a co-founder-STO. After going into details, we both concluded that it was better to work together long-term, as partners, rather than as a contractor and client. So far, it’s working out for us.
What challenges did you face in the beginning and how did you overcome them to build the largest platform in our country against food waste?
Different challenges arose at different stages of development.
At the very beginning, the main ones were to gain traction – i.e., to include users and partners in the platform and generate our first sales. This was also an important step in obtaining financing.
Fortunately, about a year after we launched, we received our first external investment.
What are the key benefits for restaurants that join Foodobox, and why should they become part of your network?
Our partners, in addition to bakeries, pastry shops, and restaurants, are also hypermarkets. Foodobox is a useful tool for all types of businesses in the food industry, helping them to:
Sell their unsold food and drinks with an approaching expiration date;
Reach new customers who come to the establishment on site;
Generate additional revenue from their unsold food;
Build an image of a responsible business.
Foodobox launches collaboration with Kaufland to combat food waste.
How did this process go, and what does this step mean for the future growth of the platform?
The process was slow. It took a long time because we contacted them when we were still quite new to the market, and it was not clear whether we were a reliable partner and whether we would survive. For a retailer the size of Kaufland, such a partnership only makes sense if it has real potential to reduce food waste and is a proven good partner that can be relied on. I believe that Foodobox is exactly that.
Is there a story from a user or partner that has particularly touched or inspired you over the years?
Oh, yes!
My favorite story is about a bakery in downtown Sofia, whose registration we completed over the phone.
The owner was quite skeptical that any customer would even make their way to the establishment to save food that was a surprise, and convinced us that it wouldn't work.
Still, he agreed to let us upload 2 boxes for testing, and while we were still on the phone, they were sold and a few minutes later the customer who was looking for them showed up.
What are your plans for the future – new markets, new functions, new causes?
We have launched a new initiative - donations of rescued food to people in need. The campaign is aimed at young people from the "Home of Opportunity" program of the Foundation for Social Change and Inclusion.
FSPV maintains a network of family-type housing, which has been supporting young people leaving institutions for children deprived of parental care for 15+ years. By donating an amount of your choice, with which we then purchase food, anyone can get involved, both an individual and a company.
What motivates you personally to move forward every day on this mission – and what place do Ang and Yuruchi occupy in your work and rest rhythm?
They are my favorite cats. And my personal motivation comes from the fact that
I see meaning and positive influence in the environment in which I live.
Additionally, Foodobox helps me grow personally and professionally and unlocks many doors for me - meeting people, opportunities, and traveling.
And finally, who would you recommend we invite as the next guest in the column and why?
Boryana Lefterova from Infinity toy box, because her platform is great and saves time, money, and space at home for parents with children.
Foodobox on social networks:
🌎 Website: foodobox.com
🔗 Instagram: @foodo.box
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