Mercado Diferente Secures $1.6M in Pre-Series A Funding Round

Mercado Diferente, a Brazilian foodtech company specializing in subscription services for organic products, has raised $1.6 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by Collaborative Fund, with participation from Caravela Capital. The funds will be utilized to expand the company’s product portfolio and enhance its operational infrastructure, particularly its distribution center and proprietary artificial intelligence system, PitaIA.

Founded in 2022, Mercado Diferente offers a unique service by providing organic items that do not meet traditional aesthetic standards but are still perfectly healthy. This approach allows them to sell products at lower prices than conventional stores, thus combating food waste while making healthy food more accessible. The company currently serves 53 cities in Brazil and offers 300 SKUs.

Co-Founder and CEO Eduardo Petrelli emphasized the company’s commitment to expanding its offerings and improving the customer experience through advanced technology and personalized service. “Our objective in 2024 is to expand the variety of food to establish the company as the most complete online market in Brazil and to bring increasingly more healthy options to our clients,” said Petrelli.

The recent funding will also support the introduction of new product categories, including refrigerated and frozen items such as dairy, poultry, beef, fish, and nuts. Additionally, Mercado Diferente plans to launch private label products, including juices, sauces, and eggs under its own brand.

To further solidify its market position, Mercado Diferente intends to intensify its marketing efforts by hiring creative leaders and implementing new strategies focused on brand activations and more robust projects. An innovative AI-controlled sales platform via WhatsApp is also in development to facilitate better customer interaction.

With these initiatives, Mercado Diferente aims to reach a revenue of over R$ 60 million by the end of 2024, strengthening its foundation as a comprehensive online market and enhancing the shopping experience for its customers.