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European startup dubbed 'Airbnb for food' eyes London base after new funding

French food experience platform VizEat will soon be setting up shop in London after a new €3.8m (approx. £3.1m) funding round that is set to propel the startup across Europe.

The firm, which was founded in 2014, has drawn investment from current investor Eurovestech plc along with a lineup of other unnamed ‘world class’ investors as the travel business looks to set up new offices in London and Germany.

VizEat bills itself as the ‘meal sharing platform’ which allows travellers to discover and engage with local culinary cultures through bookable travel experiences such as cooking classes, dinners with locals and food tours, which users can then rate and review.

The platform now has over 20,000 hosts spread across 110 countries in major cities such as Barcelona, New York and London.

Co-founder Jean-Michel Petit says that the new funding round will help boost the startup’s growth plans, allowing VizEat to bring ‘ultimate local food experiences’ to even more people in more countries.

He added: “For many holidaymakers, a VizEat food experience with locals is often the highlight of any trip. Because travellers don’t have to radically change their travel habits to enjoy these great experiences, VizEat has partnered with a range of hospitality providers, harmoniously aligning itself with the tourism industry.”

The French firm has also taken the opportunity to strengthen its management team with the appointment of former Head of Mobile Acquisition Marketing of Meetic-Match Group Europe, Pierrine Griffiths.

Investment firm, Eurovestech, have previously invested €1m in the business back in November 2014 and Chief Executive Officer at the group, Richard Bernstein, has high hopes for the food experience platform.

He said: “The unique way VizEat enables users to exchange with people from around the world and discover new cultures around food is revolutionary.

“The success the company has achieved so far highlights the business’ future potential, which is a huge source of excitement.”

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