Dragon Pieter Schoen, the owner of Shoe Investments, announced on Thursday, June 1, that he has invested €1M in Mama’s Meals. This is the largest investment ever made in the popular television programme, Dragon’s Den.
With this investment, Mama’s Meals has formed an exclusive partnership with XXL Nutrition, a sports supplement provider in the Benelux region.
Partnership between Mama’s Meals and XXL Nutrition
The strategic alliance between Mama’s Meals and XXL Nutrition has led to the creation of the new brand named Fitmeals.
Fitmeals will offer a range of ‘healthy, nutritious, and delicious’ meals for athletes and individuals striving for a wholesome lifestyle.
With the launch of Fitmeals, customers can find these offerings online and soon in over 1,000 supermarkets across the region during the summer.
Mama’s Meals is the brainchild of Serdar Tolenaar, Rick Hageman, and Henk Brussaard – three entrepreneurs with backgrounds in the supermarket industry.
It offers freshly prepared meals, salads, and poké bowls.
Despite its relatively short two-year existence, Mama’s Meals is already approaching a €10M turnover, claims the company.
Their products can now be found on prominent retailers such as PLUS, Spar, Coop, Jan Linders, Boon, Versunie, and Getir.
Tolenaar says, “We were not only seeking a commercial investor who could propel our brand’s growth but also a partner with expertise in managing rapid expansion. We are thrilled with our collaboration with Pieter Schoen and have complete confidence that together we will achieve our ambitious objectives.”
Everyone Deserves a Mommy
Beyond commercial success, Mama’s Meals is deeply committed to social impact.
The company is associated with the “Everyone Deserves a Mommy” foundation, which aims to provide foster children with the love, care, and self-assurance they deserve.
Tolenaar, himself a former foster child, holds a personal connection to this cause and strives to make a meaningful difference.
In addition to Serdar, co-founders Henk and Rick, as well as Harry Brouwer, former CEO of Unilever Food Solutions Worldwide, are involved in the foundation.
Schoen says, “I was immediately captivated by these three entrepreneurs and their social mission to support foster children. I myself am very closely involved with World Parents. For twelve years I have organised an annual charity gala to raise money for orphans in South America. This money is used to provide orphans with housing and school education. This made an immediate connection to their social mission.”