Cloud kitchens buoy food delivery boom

NO DINE-IN CloudEats commits to deliver “restaurant quality” meals at “fast-food” prices. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The sky is now the limit—almost—for people who have gotten into the habit of having their food delivered because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to put Filipino lives and health in peril.

CloudEats, a pioneering cloud restaurant company in Southeast Asia, expands food delivery choices through the online-only restaurants it owns and operates within its multibrand cloud kitchens.

“The food delivery market in Southeast Asia continues to experience explosive growth, allowing digitally native brands, such as ours, to carve their own space and win in the market. We aim to become the largest online food group in the region by building persona-driven, highly innovative cloud restaurants with delicious food that our consumers love and value,” says cofounder Kimberly Yao.

Among CloudEats’ popular brands are: Burger Beast, craft burgers by chef Carlo Miguel; Healthy To Go, which offers daily healthy and affordable meals; and 24/7 Eats, a 24-hour online food court where clients can order from top brands in CloudEats’ catalog.

The company also partnered with celebrities like Rhian Ramos, Coleen Garcia and Billy Crawford, Kiefer Ravena and Alyzza Valdez, and BoysNightOut (Sam YG, TonyToni, SlickRick), among others, to create restaurants inspired by their respective lifestyles. Their menus have now become fan favorites.

Building a regional footprint

CloudEats now has several locations across Luzon and will expand in Visayas and Mindanao early this year. It is also launching in Vietnam and in other markets in Southeast Asia in 2022.

“We are very excited to launch operations in Vietnam … and continue our aggressive expansion in the Philippines,” says cofounder Iacopo Rovere.

The cloud kitchens work with food delivery services to provide high quality and affordable restaurant brands catering to specific customers.

CloudEats guarantees convenient restaurant-quality dining at fast-food prices while ensuring the safety of clients since they do not have to leave their homes.

Capital buildup

The company closed recently a $5-milion series A round of funding led by Vulpes Investment Management of Singapore and Gobi Partners. Notable investors included Alibaba-backed BAce Capital, Intera Investments Ltd., and prominent angel investors such as Monde Nissin CEO Henry Soesanto.

The funding support from leading venture capital investors across Asia is seen to confirm the strong regional opportunity for CloudEats.

Funds raised will be used to scale CloudEats’ proprietary smart kitchen technology, open cloud kitchens in more markets across the region, and develop new champion brands like Burger Beast.

Field Pickering, head of Venture Investing at Vulpes Investment Management, says: “The team at CloudEats is one of the strongest founding teams we have seen in Southeast Asia and its unique approach to providing next generation cloud kitchens is a perfect fit for the young and digital savvy populations of Southeast Asia. We couldn’t be more excited about being part of the CloudEats journey.”

Yao, who was born and raised in the Philippines, has been named one of Forbes’ “100 to Watch” and TechNode’s “Top 50 Rising Women” in Southeast Asia. She leads the team with cofounder Rovere, former CEO of Foodpanda Philippines.

Cloudeats made it to the inaugural Forbes “100 To Watch” list that fetes “notable small companies and startups on the rise across the Asia-Pacific region.” —Linda B. Bolido, CONTRIBUTED