FoodCloud has been awarded €500,000 in research and development funding from Enterprise Ireland.
The money has come from the EI Agile Innovation Fund.
It is to be used to help the social enterprise to develop its food redistribution platform further.
FoodCloud's aim is to increase the amount of food rescued by 15% and add 8.25 million meals a year by 2025.
14 new jobs will be supported by the funding.
"This Enterprise Ireland Agile Innovation Fund grant marks a significant milestone for FoodCloud as we strive to accelerate the impact of food redistribution and cut food waste at scale through our Foodiverse technology," said FoodCloud’s Head of Engineering James Clifford.
"As of now, FoodCloud has redistributed more than 98,000 tonnes of surplus food through its technology platform and physical hubs, which amounts to 235 million meals and the reduction of more than 315,000 tonnes of CO2- equivalent."
Founded a decade ago, FoodCloud’s platform connects retailers, food businesses and restaurants that have surplus to food banks, community groups and charities that can use that food.
It currently operates in five markets around Europe and Africa.
"Enterprise Ireland is investing in digital and climate resilience, and has backed FoodCloud since its early days," said Jenny Melia, Executive Director at Enterprise Ireland.
"A leader in both digital innovation and the fight against climate change, as FoodCloud implements this research and development as part of its ambitious growth strategy, we are confident that the business will continue to accelerate impact and deliver tangible solutions to food businesses internationally," she added.
