The investment, which closely follows capital injections in 2020 and 2021, includes new investors such as Goeie Grutten Impact Fund, Oost NL, Koppert Cress, and De Smaakmaker.
“The investment will be used to reach important milestones,” said Jochem Bossenbroek, founder and CEO of Verdify.
“This includes further validation of NooryMed in various clinical settings (breast cancer and obesity), the first introduction of the platform in healthcare, and preparing for international use.
“Other than that, we're upscaling our presence in food retail to reach more people in the Netherlands, UK, and other countries.”
Personalised meal plans for patients undergoing medical treatment
The investment coincides with the current testing of Verdify's NooryMed application as a complementary tool in breast cancer treatment, in collaboration with Roche.
The technology enables healthcare professionals to provide nutritional assessments and personalised nutrition programmes for their patients, making it easier for patients to adhere to their nutritional recommendations at home.
It does this by automatically adjusting recipes to address the challenges while aligning with the healthcare provider’s recommendations
"A good nutritional status can prevent worsening of side effects, prevent additional hospitalisation, and prevent early treatment drop-out," said dietitian Fleur Pasman, COO at Verdify.
"However, a large proportion of patients become malnourished due to taste changes, swallowing problems, and nausea resulting from chemotherapy."
Verdify’s tech will assist consumers make more sustainable and healthier choices
The investment will also see Verdify increase its activities in the retail sector, in which its technology is already operational on 40 recipe websites, directing consumers to make food choices with a neutral, or preferably positive, environmental impact.
“We are focused on guiding consumers towards better food choices in retail,” explained Bossenbroek.
“Our swap algorithm selects alternative products that are close to the original in terms of nutritional values, texture, and relevance to the meal and preferably offer an advantage such as a lower ecological footprint.”
These choices include more sustainable and healthier products such as plant-based alternatives, where Verdify will soon introduce “swap” buttons on recipe websites.
With one click, recipes can be converted to a vegetarian version or an alternative with lower carbon emissions.
The firm is currently in ongoing discussions with supermarkets and food companies to implement swap technology on their websites.
The potential of personalisation in sports and healthy ageing
“The great thing about personalisation is that you can cater for anyone with any type of goal,” said Bossenbroek, who also commented on the personalised nutrition possibilities in sports nutrition and healthy ageing.
“As long as there are nutritional guidelines or other levels of scientifically well-established evidence we can follow, any type of diet can be created on our platform, alongside matching meal plans.”
Looking ahead to the idea that consumers may one day be able to select products with certifications such as Fair Trade and Palm-Oil-free, Bossenbroek said this was technically possible by adding such data points to their ingredient database.
“From our market research activities we know there is a subset of consumers interested in foods with such advantages,” he said.
“But the same subset is also critical about other nutrition and sustainability factors, so for them, the entire product profile will be important – not just a single label.”
Arnaud Zwaal, investment manager of food at Oost NL, said: "Verdify's software platform offers a solution that cuts both ways. Through personalised nutrition, we assist individuals in enhancing their health.
“Simultaneously, it's a challenge to enhance the sustainability of food production and consumption to reduce negative environmental impacts. Verdify contributes by making sustainable choices more accessible."
