Too busy for healthy food? This Japanese startup just got $424,000 to deliver it to you

Between the cigarettes, the canned coffee, and the seemingly endless overtime required to keep Japan Inc. running, the country’s notoriously hardworking salarymen (and their female equivalent, “OLs”) hardly have time to sleep – let alone make healthy eating decisions. When even a 15 minute lunch break can be too much, grabbing the first Cup Noodle or bento box at the nearest convenience store is often the only dining option. Enter Tokyo-based Kompeito, the startup behind veggie delivery service Office de Yasai that allows even the most time-strapped desk jockey enjoy a healthy snack for a reasonable price.

Kompeito today announced that it has received a JPY 50 million (US$424,000) investment from ubiquitous mayonnaise producer Kewpie – mayonnaise is a bit of a cutural phenomenon in Japan, and Kewpie is the country’s most popular brand. In addition to raising capital, the two entities will form a partnership that will see Kompeito benefit from Kewpie’s more than 100 years of purchasing, logistics, and product development experience.

The startup, launched in April this year, differentiates itself from other on-demand delivery services like Dely and Line Wow by installing refrigerators at offices that subscribe to the service. Each week, it is stocked with single-serving packs of fresh, domestically-grown vegetables that cost between JPY 100 and 200 (US$0.85 to 1.70). The service operates on an honor system – workers drop coins into a payment box attached to the fridge. Companies don’t pay anything for the fridge rental, but must commit to a minimum delivery plan based on the staff’s needs.

Initially limited to Tokyo’s 23 wards, serving approximately 200 locations throughout the capital as of October 2014, the new funds and partnership will allow Office de Yasai service to spread across the entirety of Japan. The startup expects to increase distribution to 1,000 locations by next spring – with a goal of 2,000 locations by the end of 2015.

(H/T to The Bridge)

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