Meet Foodetective co-founder Andrea Tassistro and discover how the Venture Leader Technology simplifies restaurant operations 

28.10.2021 07:15, Isabelle Mitchell

Foodetective transforms the restaurant industry: The startup develops a unified platform that enables restaurant owners and managers to centralize and manage their entire tech stack from a single interface—from delivery to food waste to accounting. Meet Andrea Tassistro, the co-founder and CEO of Foodetective, learn more about his expectations for the Venture Leaders Technology experience, and find out which magazine helped him choose the company name. 

Earlier this year, 10 technology startups—covering a range of topics such as computer vision, cloud solutions, cybersecurity, logistics, and sustainability—joined the Swiss National Startup Team. To advance their global growth, the Venture Leaders Technology 2021 will travel to Silicon Valley to showcase Switzerland’s innovative power and network with investors and industry leaders. To ensure you know which startups transform the technology industry, we will introduce you to the startups selected by the expert jury. We asked each entrepreneur to complete a short profile and choose at least six questions from a questionnaire about their personal and professional life. 

Name: Andrea Tassistro 
Location: Geneva, Switzerland 
Nationality: Swiss/Italian 
Graduated from: University of Westminster, BA in Entrepreneurship, 2015 
Your job title: Co-founder and CEO of Foodetective
Number of employees: 25 
Money raised: USD 2 million 
First touchpoint with Venturelab: In 2017, to pitch my previous startup, Let’s Brunch 

“Foodetective provides restaurants with a single platform—an operating system—to manage their entire tech stack and operations.”

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
Foodetective’s mission came about from my own experiences in the restaurant space. First, at Tommi’s Burgers in London (2012), then launching the Green Van Company in Lausanne (2015), and finally, at Let’s Brunch in Geneva (2017). For more than six years, I witnessed how restaurant systems (POS, delivery, bookings, socials, stocks, etc.) were great on their own, but how fragmented they were when it came to sharing data or being integrated. This led to the realization of a major pain point all restaurateurs and managers face daily: The decentralization of all their systems, hindering a precise overview of the restaurant’s operations in real time. 

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision? 
As we prepare for our global expansion, we expect to meet the right investors, partners, and distributors for our US rollout. Additionally, we want to bolster our European standing and continue our growing success in the most advanced yet challenging restaurant tech market. The business and investor network available through the Venture Leaders roadshow is a golden opportunity to secure our next investment and deploy Foodetective at scale. 
 
What would be the title of your biography? 
The Restaurant Intelligence. Showcasing how our technology will have transformed the industry from pen a paper to an intelligent online manager supporting millions of businesses around the world. 
 
What is the one talent you wish you had? 
To speak all languages, coding included. 
(Credits to Edouard, my co-founder.)
 
What is your favorite podcast?
It’s a show called How I Built This by Guy Raz. 
To me, the podcast shows the real face of entrepreneurship: Usually, two or three people with an idea, some traction leading to an endless amount of struggles, yet immense resilience that, at the end of the road, leads to success.
 
What are you most proud of? 
The Foodetective team. (Obviously!)
 
How did you come up with the name of your startup? 
I was reading an article in the EasyJet magazine about gastronomy in Prague. The article was about a group of foodies whose job was to spot the best restaurants and chefs around their city. The journalist called them the “Food Detectives.” Bingo!
 
What is your favorite productivity tool? 
Right now, I think it’s JIRA. 
 
Where and when are you most productive?
At my home desk, on Saturdays and Sundays, in the early morning. 
 
How and where do you clear your mind? 
When kitesurfing with my friends. 
 
Which startup do you wish you had founded? 
Square—a stellar product
Rippling—I am a compound startup guy as well
Airbnb—for the unique experience

Last but not least, could you show us your workspace? 
Here is a picture of Foodetective co-founder and COO Edouard Thimon (left) and me. 



For more information and updates on Foodetective and the Venture Leaders Technology, follow the Venture Leaders Technology 2021 team with #VLeadersTech on social media or subscribe to our newsletter.  
 
The Venture Leaders Technology 2021 program is organized by Venturelab and supported by dpd Switzerland, EPF Lausanne, ETH Zurich, Intel, Kellerhals Carrard, Rothschild & Co, and the Canton of Vaud.