MealPal, a subscription service that provides members with daily lunch options from nearby restaurants, has launched in London after raising $15 million (£12 million) in venture capital funding.
The series A funding round, announced on Wednesday, was led by Comcast Ventures, while Bessemer Venture Partners, Haystack Partners, and NextView Ventures also contributed.
Founded in Miami in January 2016, MealPal has expanded to Boston, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. But London is the first city that MealPal has expanded to outside the US.
The service — set to compete with other food startups in London like Deliveroo, EatFirst, and UberEats — costs £4.79 per meal on a 12 meal plan or £4.39 per meal on a 20 meal plan. Unlike other startups, MealPal only allows users to pick one dish from each restaurant.
The idea is that MealPal customers end up paying less overall for their lunches than they would if they bought them without the app. MealPal claims that its users can save over £620 a year on their lunch with one of its subscriptions.
This list shows samples of some of the meals on MealPal, and what you would pay for them in the restaurant versus MealPal.
After signing up to MealPal, members can browse and order lunch from restaurants near their home or office via MealPal’s app or website.
The food can be ordered either the night before or in the morning. Once the order has been placed, MealPal members walk into the restaurant and pick up their food, avoiding any queues in the process. MealPal has also developed a bot that’s designed to help subscribers hone in on the cuisines they most enjoy.
MealPlan said more than 150 London eating establishments have signed on to offer specially prepared lunches via the service in the City and Soho. Restaurants include the likes of burrito seller Chilango and healthy food distributor Chop’d.
“London is famous for being a melting pot of food and flavor,” said cofounder and CEO Mary Biggins in a statement. “With MealPal you can enjoy the city’s unparalleled food culture and discover something new every day without worrying about breaking the bank.”
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