OrderEAT, a Latin American platform that digitizes school cafeteria operations, has closed a US$2 million seed round led by Chile Ventures. The investment includes participation from Driven VC, Add Ventures, Seedstars, and angel investors Sergio Fogel and Avedis Boudakian. Founded by Uruguayan entrepreneurs based in Mexico, the company now operates in more than 600 schools and serves over 250,000 active students across five countries.
A Digital Wallet Built for Trust and Efficiency
OrderEAT was created to solve a clear problem in school cafeterias where cash functions as a barrier of distrust. Families often hesitate to send money when they cannot verify what their children will consume, and that hesitation reduces sales before they reach the counter. The platform operates as a closed-circuit wallet, allowing families to load funds and place preorders from an app while students pay without cash and operators manage menus, inventory, nutrition, and sales in real time.
Chile as a Strategic Growth Market
The new capital will be partly used to strengthen the company's operations in Chile, with more installations and closer support for concessionaires. OrderEAT currently operates in more than 50 Chilean schools, including La Salle de Temuco, Colegio Alemán de Concepción, and The International School Nido de Águilas in Santiago. Founder Matías Craviotto stated that the participation of funds with deep market knowledge reflects Chile's strategic importance and the company's commitment to install well, accompany well, and grow in the country.
Rapid Regional Expansion
The company has expanded from 400 to more than 600 schools in less than six months, a pace that underscores growing demand for digital cafeteria management. Its presence is strongest in Mexico, where it operates approximately 400 institutions, while activity is increasing in Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru. OrderEAT has set a target of reaching one million active students within the next 18 months, a goal that will depend on both the new funding and referrals from satisfied operators.
A Problem Observed from the Cafeteria Line
The origins of OrderEAT trace back to the founders' own experience of waiting in cafeteria lines during their school years. They programmed the first version at age 17 and, three years ago, committed fully to the business by moving to Mexico. That early friction with cash, queues, and manual records shaped a platform that now processes daily choices for hundreds of thousands of students across the region.
Measurable Operational Improvements
One example from Oak's Leadership School in Mexico illustrates the platform's value proposition. The school recorded a 70 percent increase in cafeteria sales, reduced transaction time from roughly two minutes to 20 seconds per student, and saved about four hours of daily administrative work after two years. Andrea Molina, who administers the school cafeterias, explained that parents who once feared losing money or not knowing what their children consumed now use the app with confidence.
Founder Perspective and Use of Funds
The founders, Matías Craviotto, Juan Manuel Rodriguez, and Luis Pedro Carrero, described the raise as fuel and responsibility rather than a measure of success. They said success means cafeterias sell more, families know what their children ate, and the product improves every week. The funding will support the goal of serving one million students within 18 months and strengthen the company's presence in strategic markets.
With fresh capital and a growing network of school partners, OrderEAT is positioned to accelerate its expansion across Latin America. The company's cashless model addresses a tangible need for transparency, speed, and control in school cafeterias. As it pursues the one million student milestone, its performance in existing schools will likely remain a central measure of success.