John Lewis Partnership & L Marks back WeFiFo

by Startacus Admin

'Airbnb for your kitchen table' startup WeFiFo have been backed by the John Lewis Partnership and investment specialists L Marks, following WeFiFo’s participation in JLAB, the leading UK retail accelerator programme.
Boosting WeFiFo’s mission to bring social eating and communal dining to the UK and beyond, WeFiFo had previously spent 12 weeks on the JLAB programme, working alongside partners in Waitrose and John Lewis focussing on offering supper clubs and other dining experiences in select Waitrose and John Lewis stores, as well as introducing their partners and customers to the wider WeFiFo community.
And as reported in today's Telegraph, WeFiFo will now gain £100k in investment from the continued partnership, with half coming from the retailer and half from investment specialist L Marks, which runs JLab.
WeFiFo was founded in 2016 to bring about a revolution in social eating, (We featured WeFiFo on Startacus in September). The company, based in Sussex, is the brainchild of Seni Glaister, a life-long food enthusiast, entrepreneur and the co-founder of The Book People. Standing for We Find Food, WeFiFo, aims to transform our attitudes towards eating out and is a platform for home cooks, supper club hosts and pop up restaurants to create and host food based events in their own home. WeFiFo markets these events to the hosts’ local community and connects people who love cooking, with those who love eating.
Speaking about the John Lewis Partnership backing WeFiFo CEO Seni Glaister says:
“Investment from the John Lewis Partnership – bringing with it as it does its association with trust, provenance and amazing food quality - is a real milestone for WeFiFo. We believe passionately in our mission to bring people together with food and to combat social isolation through eating together - a partnership with JLP will bring new audiences, talents and influence to bear.”
Going on to say:
“We are to the kitchen table what AirBnb is to the spare room. We want to be at the forefront of a social eating revolution that will see tens of thousands of people across the UK cooking for their neighbours and other guests who will quickly become new friends.”
The JLP investment follows WeFiFo’s recent award success, winning JLAB’s People’s Choice award, the Sussex Life Food & Drink award for Innovation and being shortlisted for the Lloyd’s Bank National Business Awards. Congrats to WiFiFo from team Startacus!
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Tech Nation calls for tangible support to secure capital, talent, growth and exits needed to accelerate the growth of UK tech in decade ahead.

Glasgow-based This is Milk seeks investment for Neve Learning, its cloud-based Ed-Tech platform that has inclusivity and accessibility at its core.

With the UK facing a clear digital skills gap, Amy Caton, Digital Talent and Impact Senior Manager at BT Group shares some insights on what businesses should do to close that divide.

The lowdown on Berlin-based Beazy and its innovative solution that helps teams to plan, produce and deliver creative content and helps businesses to connect with talented content creators.

The lowdown on Fluffy, the app offering dog training, 24/7 vet messaging and insurance to give pet owners peace of mind and support them with their pet care responsibilities.

Huckletree's new Web3 HQ aims to put London’s West End at the forefront of Britain’s tech superpower ambitions.

Leading sports marketing platform, OpenSponsorship announces move into music sector, the first new vertical industry for the trans-Atlantic martech business.

Kingussie High School scoops first place for Junior and Senior categories at this year’s Growing Future Assets Competition.

The lowdown on Manchester-based Arctic Shores and its innovative recruitment solution to help candidate potential count as much as skills and experience.

With the demand for tattoo removal now greater than ever, specialist NAAMA Studios makes a bid for a further £11m in funding.
Published on: 27th November 2017
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Tech Nation report reveals UK Tech could quadruple in value by 2032 with right conditions 23rd Mar 2023 Tech Nation calls for tangible support to secure capital, talent, growth and exits needed to accelerate the growth of UK tech in decade ahead.
- Neurodiverse learning and training platform Neve shares major six-figure investment opportunity 22nd Mar 2023 Glasgow-based This is Milk seeks investment for Neve Learning, its cloud-based Ed-Tech platform that has inclusivity and accessibility at its core.
- Huckletree opens new London hub for tech companies pioneering Web3 solutions 16th Mar 2023 Huckletree's new Web3 HQ aims to put London’s West End at the forefront of Britain’s tech superpower ambitions.
- OpenSponsorship making its move into the music sector 16th Mar 2023 Leading sports marketing platform, OpenSponsorship announces move into music sector, the first new vertical industry for the trans-Atlantic martech business.