Food waste is one of the most solvable challenges of our time. And yet, it remains one of the most overlooked drivers of economic loss, food insecurity, and climate change. Across the supply chain, innovators are developing technologies and models that can dramatically cut waste, but many of them face a familiar barrier—the lack of early, flexible funding needed to prove, test, or scale their ideas.

That’s where catalytic capital comes in. Over the past three years, the ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund (CGF) has shown what’s possible when this type of capital is deployed strategically.

Scaling Solutions With Early, Flexible Capital

Launched in 2022, the ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund was designed to fill one of the biggest gaps in the food waste ecosystem: funding that is early enough, risk-tolerant enough, and flexible enough to help promising solutions reach their next level of impact. To date, the Fund has raised more than $7.5 million and supported 21 grantees, over half led by diverse executive teams. Collectively, these organizations have:

• Raised $35.3 million in follow-on funding

• Diverted 1.1 million pounds of food from landfills

• Formed 60+ new partnerships

These numbers reflect a growing ecosystem, one where innovation is accelerating, new business models are taking hold, and more communities are benefiting from reduced waste, lower emissions, and improved food access.

Fast forward to today, the ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund has entered a new phase of scale and focus, marked by rising demand across the food waste ecosystem and a new, dual-track open call. Earlier this year, the On-Farm Open Call introduced a new cohort of food waste solution providers developing initiatives and technologies that prevent waste at the earliest point in the supply chain. And then, recognizing the urgent climate implications of food waste, the Fund launched its Methane Open Call, aimed at advancing diversion solutions and reducing food waste in the beef and dairy sectors.

As ReFED continues to deploy capital through these open calls, its existing portfolio of grantees have demonstrated the impact catalytic capital can have.

Stories From the Field: Catalytic Capital in Action

Here are a few highlights from this year’s portfolio activity:

Food Cycle Science

Using decentralized, food waste diversion systems, Food Cycle Science has scaled their impact across the United States and internationally. Their increased traction, supported by CGF funding and technical assistance, allowed them to reach financial sustainability and expand without further fundraising.

Green Dining Alliance

By implementing the Green Business Tracker, with support from ReFED, Green Dining Alliance has helped restaurants dramatically improve waste measurement and accuracy. Participating restaurants increased composting by 45% and diversion of more than 6,700 tons of food waste annually. Their strong results have led to expansion opportunities in surrounding cities and national recognition from the National Recycling Coalition.

Fieldwork Robotics

Due in part to ReFED’s funding, Fieldwork’s berry-harvesting robots are gaining significant commercial momentum. After completing major commercial trials, they are in the process of securing a global market leader in fresh berries as a customer and have launched a 24-month collaboration with Costa Group. They also received a $2.2 million Innovate UK Climate Grant and secured commitments toward a multi-million-dollar equity round.

Wisely, Inc.

At a pivotal stage of development, Wisely used catalytic funding to finalize product design, strengthen engineering partnerships, and prepare for market launch. Early support allowed the company to validate their approach and unlock future opportunities.

Why Catalytic Capital Matters

These milestones and achievements have come amid a backdrop of rapidly growing need. In just three years, the Catalytic Grant Fund has received requests totaling over $146 million, with our most recent open call attracting more than $25 million from over 100 applicants, a signal that catalytic capital is urgently needed. The success of our grantees demonstrates that catalytic capital isn’t just funding, it’s a powerful accelerant for innovation, scaling solutions, and driving meaningful food waste reduction across the system.

Interested in learning more about the ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund, contact Angel Veza at [email protected].