In this podcast series, Alex Shandrovsky interviews investors about benchmarks for funding Alt Proteins in 2026 and uncovers the investment playbooks of successful Climate Tech CEOs and Leading VCs.
Podcast Host Alex Shandrovksy is a strategic advisor to numerous global food tech accelerators and companies, including alternative proteins and cellular agriculture leaders. His focus is on investor relations and post-raise scale for agrifood tech companies. This podcast is syndicated through our media partners, Foodtech Weekly and Vegconomist.
Episode 99: SHIFT Invest – Jonas von den Driesch on the €8M Food Forecast Series A and why European VCs run Due Diligence Post-Term Sheet
In this episode, I sit down with Jonas von den Driesch, an investor at SHIFT Invest, a Dutch impact venture capital fund that just launched its fourth fund with a first close of €90M. Jonas breaks down the exact timeline and thesis behind their recent €8M Series A co-lead investment in Food Forecast, an AI-driven platform optimizing ultra-fresh bakery production to eliminate food waste. We dive deep into the cultural nuances of European venture capital, specifically why it is standard practice to run heavy, external due diligence after a term sheet has already been signed. Jonas also explains why non-Dutch startups must have commercial proof points to secure funding, and how Food Forecast proved its “land and expand” growth model within enterprise bakery accounts.
Listen to the full episode to hear Jonas’s take on the SaaS AI threat and why a proprietary “data moat” is the only way to survive the rise of LLMs like Claude.
Key Facts SHIFT Invest:
- Jonas von den Driesch
- Website: https://shiftinvest.com/
- Headquarters: Amstelveen, Netherlands
- Goal: To combat climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion by leading or co-leading Seed and Series A rounds across Food & Ag, Energy, Mobility, and Green Industries.
- Milestone: Recently launched “Shift IV” with a €90M first close, actively deploying €500K to €4M initial checks across Northwestern Europe while targeting 10%–20% ownership stakes.
SHIFT is an impact-first venture capital fund with 14 years and 65+ portfolio companies behind it — backing innovative startups with the potential to meaningfully restore the balance between nature and society. Where conventional investors stop, SHIFT steps in: taking the financial and impact risks required to accelerate the sustainability transition across smart food and agriculture, green industries, energy transition, and sustainable mobility and logistics. SHIFT invests from pre-seed through commercial scale, combining growth capital with deep impact expertise, a high-value partner network, and the long-term commitment — including follow-on capacity — that early-stage environmental entrepreneurs actually need to succeed.
Link to Apple Podcast here. Link to YouTube here.
