Brazilian Foodtech Foozi Raises $1.02 Million Pre-Seed for AI-Powered Restaurant Purchasing

Foozi, a Brazilian foodtech startup that runs purchasing for restaurants using AI, has raised $1.02 million in a pre-seed round led by Quartzo Capital. Angel investors also participated in the round, which closes out Foozi's six months in Quartzo's acceleration program.

In local currency, the pre-seed totals R$5.6 million. That includes R$3.1 million from Quartzo — R$560,000 invested during the accelerator and a R$2.5 million direct check afterward — plus R$2.5 million raised earlier from angels, according to a Portuguese-language report.

How Foozi Works

Founded in Espírito Santo in 2023, Foozi functions as an outsourced purchasing department for restaurants. Owners place orders through WhatsApp, and the platform's AI takes it from there — requesting quotes from suppliers, tracking responses and hunting for better prices.

Human specialists supervise the AI and handle higher-stakes strategic negotiations. Foozi also uses collective bargaining across its customer base to win better terms than a single restaurant could secure on its own.

Restaurants pay a monthly subscription, while suppliers pay no platform fees — a model designed to keep vendors engaged and the supplier network growing.

Traction So Far

Foozi says it serves more than 900 restaurants across 19 Brazilian states and works with a network of more than 11,000 suppliers. The company manages about R$400 million in purchases and is targeting R$700 million under management by 2027.

Its sweet spot is restaurants generating R$150,000 or more in monthly revenue — particularly those where the owner still handles purchasing personally. Active markets include Fortaleza and João Pessoa.

Where the Money Goes

Led by CEO and co-founder Felipe Araújo, Foozi plans to use the capital for commercial expansion, prioritizing Brazil's Southeast — especially São Paulo — and the Northeast. The company also plans to grow its team and continue developing its purchasing technology.

Why It Matters

Food and ingredient costs are among the biggest line items for any restaurant, and procurement is often handled informally — through phone calls, text messages and long-standing relationships rather than structured price comparison. That leaves money on the table, especially for independent operators without a dedicated purchasing team.

By meeting restaurant owners on WhatsApp, the dominant messaging app in Brazil, Foozi lowers the barrier to adoption while layering AI-driven price discovery on top. It's a pattern showing up across Latin America: vertical AI tools built around the channels small businesses already use every day.

With a fresh round and an accelerator partner now on the cap table, Foozi's next test is whether it can replicate its regional traction in São Paulo, Brazil's largest and most competitive restaurant market.

Source

The SaaS News — "Foozi Raises $1.02M Pre-seed"