Berlin founder with Indian roots just raised €6.5M to reinvent supermarket stocking with AI

Food waste is a massive global issue, both ethically and economically. In Europe alone, grocery retailers throw away aroundfour million tonnes of food every year, the equivalent of 11 kilograms per person. This level of waste doesn’t just harm the planet, it cuts deeply into retailers’ margins, sometimes slashing profits by up to 50%.
Freshflow, a Berlin-based AI startup, is determined to change that. The company just closed a €6.5 million seed funding round, with plans to drastically reduce food waste in supermarkets by making fresh food supply chains smarter and more efficient. With this, the startup’s total funding stands at €8.7 million.
This investment round was led byWorld Fund, Europe’s top climate-focused VC, along withCapnamicand Venture Stars.Caesar Venturesalso joined the round. Their backing highlights the problem’s scale and the potential Freshflow has to make a significant environmental and commercial impact.
This new capital will fuel Freshflow’s ambitious growth plans, helping the company expand across new product categories, such as dairy, meat, and bakery, and into more grocery distribution centres. The company also plans to grow its 24-member team to 50 by 2026 and fuel expansion across Europe.
Freshflow was founded in 2021 byAvik Mukhija, a machine learning scientist and serial entrepreneur of Indian descent, based in Germany. The idea for Freshflow came to Avik while doing a Master’s placement that involved hands-on work in a supermarket. He directly observed the chaos and inefficiency in fresh produce inventory and ordering there.
Driven to solve the problem with AI, Avik built Freshflow to be Europe’s first machine-learning-based waste prevention solution focused specifically on ultra-fresh products, like fruits and vegetables that spoil quickly, vary in quality, and are often loosely packaged or miscounted.
At its core, Freshflow offers a plug-and-play AI-powered platform that integrates into supermarkets’ existing systems. The technology is designed to transform ordering from a gut-feeling guesswork process into a precise, just-in-time and lean operation.
According to the company, retailers using Freshflow’s system have reported 20% + reductions in food waste and a 2–5% increase in revenue.
The platform’s intelligence considers variables like store layout, local weather, seasonality, and spoilage risk, helping staff make better stock decisions daily. Major retailers including Carrefour, Edeka, and Intermarché have already adopted Freshflow’s solution and seen tangible improvements in their fresh produce operations.
With a total addressable market (TAM) of around €4 billion in Europe and a broader fresh produce market worth over $350 billion, Freshflow has no shortage of opportunity. The startup plans to expand geographically across Europe, move into additional product categories, and continue refining its AI technology to better serve retailers.
The founder envisions a climate-smart, efficient, and low-waste supply chain for fresh food. With strong investor support, a proven platform, and a growing client base, Freshflow is on track to turn that vision into reality.
Bastien Gelinis CEO of Groupe Yabe, one of the largest Carrefour franchisers in France, and has deployed Freshflow in all its stores: “We have been working with Freshflow’s AI for nine months. Thanks to the application and Freshflow’s team, we have radically improved our process in the fresh produce departments. We have seen strong results: more inventory turns, less waste, and more freshness.”
Avik Mukhija, Freshflow founder and CEO, said:“We’re seeing incredible demand from retailers, because we offer the first AI in Europe specifically built for the needs of their fresh departments. Having proven our system across many stores with 93% order acceptance and glowing reviews from fresh produce managers, demand from retailers is accelerating further. With the support of our investment partners, we can now build on this traction and serve retailers across Europe, moving one step closer to our vision to achieve a just-in-time, lean and climate-friendly fresh food supply chain.”
Nadine Geiser, Principal at World Fund, said: “Until now, no one has offered European retailers a cost-effective and easy-to-implement solution to avoid fresh food waste. Freshflow is that solution. Avik has the vision, expertise and contacts to grow this into a global company, as evidenced by Freshflow’s impressive traction over the last year. We are very excited to be doubling down on our investment in Freshflow and its talented team.”
Markus Merz, Investment Manager at Capnamic, said: “The Freshflow team’s customer obsession knows no bounds and left a lasting impression on us as investors. While their strong traction came as no surprise, it nonetheless exceeded our expectations and prompted us to deepen our commitment to this partnership further. The team is primed to scale, and we’re excited to support them on their journey.”