Digitalizing Vending

Boostbar was founded during the first lockdown in 2020, to provide a completely modular, staff-less catering solution to companies: anything from coffee to complete meals can be offered through smart fridges and vending machines. These vending machines operate in workplaces, hospitals, schools, and hotels. 

What differentiates Boostbar from traditional vending operators like Selecta or Dallmayr is the in-house technology that enables businesses of all sizes to run their own self-service food and beverage outlets. This vending technology and management solution allows to

• digtise any point of sale, including their UI (e.g. touchscreen)
• automate operations like logistics for refilling
• connect any payment solution

From 0 to over 200 customers in 3 years despite Covid

Since its launch in Switzerland, Boostbar has become a global technology partner with more than 200 customers in Europe and overseas. Among them are big brands like Kellogg's, Coca Cola and Marriott.

But the way up wasn't straightforward. “Working from a half-empty co-working space, it took us 8 months to convince the first customer. In retrospect, it feels crazy that we kept going despite the lack of success. But the adversities we faced in 2020 made us strong for the time after and got us where we are today - only two years later, we have a strong track record," says Pascal Uffer, Co-Founder of Boostbar. "The Covid time also brought advantages to us."

Tough times are there to learn and grow

It is hard to believe that a company for on-site food corners benefits from Covid, but Pascal highlights major advantages:

• Suppliers had much more time to dedicate to us and our product development
• Established players were struggling whilst we were gaining momentum.
• Great people were open for new job opportunities

The slow start also meant we spent most of our time talking to customers, leading to critical pivots: it became clear that our original focus on automated coffee corners was too narrow. Customers demanded a complete F&B solution.

And due to the lack of readily available technology, we invested in the development our own platform: our core product today, which we provide to other operators internationally.

World-class team will be challenged by further growths

The team is a crucial success factor: Co-founders Johannes and Pascal both started their career at McKinsey and know the vending industry: Johannes as the CEO of a co-working space, Pascal was Group COO of industry leader Selecta. In record time, they were able to assemble an exceptional leadership team, including successful tech-founders, industry leaders and a total of 5 INSEAD MBA alumni with international management experience.

 As of June 2023, Boostbar employs a team of 70 people. "We will be around 150 people by the end of 2024," Pascal says proudly. In the hiring process, Boostbar is especially concerned about the mindset of the candidates.  "The mindset is the most important to us. We have close to zero fluctuation because we weigh that so much in every hire. And if the person doesn't bloom in their position but has the right mindset and motivation, we can keep the person in the company but in another position." For their further growth plans, roles will undoubtedly change and challenge the leaders, as leading in a company of 20 people or a large corporate is much different than leading a fast-growing company of 150+ people.