A Chicago startup building a food delivery search engine just raised a seed round as it looks to grow its business and expand its marketing initiatives.
FoodBoss, formerly known as Bootler, announced Tuesday that it raised more than $2 million in a round led by Cleveland Avenue, a food and beverage-focused venture capital firm founded by the former CEO of McDonald’s, Don Thompson.
Founded by CEO Michael DiBenedetto in 2015, FoodBoss has created an online search engine that aggregates available information about food delivery options and fees for several restaurants into one app. The startup, which provides delivery information for more than 50,000 restaurants across 50 markets nationwide, gives consumers the chance to compare their options before placing an order.
FoodBoss shows restaurant delivery options from popular providers, such as Postmates, Uber Eats and Eat Street.
“I wondered whether it would have been faster to just run out of my apartment and grab a bite to eat. I literally said, ‘There should be a search engine for all this stuff like there is for travel,’ and as soon as the words came out of my mouth, the concept was born,” said DiBenedetto in a statement.
Cleveland Avenue, founded in Chicago in 2017, has also invested in other notable food startups, including Chicago’s Farmer’s Fridge and Los Angeles’ Beyond Meat.
“FoodBoss is honing in on what’s absolutely crucial in today’s evolving marketplace: innovation in customer convenience,” Thompson said in a statement. “Our investment reflects Cleveland Avenue’s mission to strategically grow emerging brands that leverage technology to make life easier for consumers.”
