Analysis

November 2, 2020

Meal kit company Gousto hits unicorn status

But founder Timo Boldt doesn't care all that much about valuations.


Amy Lewin

8 min read

Timo Boldt, founder and CEO of meal kit company Gousto, has some impressive numbers to lob about. 

Jmpwt lcpzw, Cckuea yrptuzdo 5z jkguj ye xbkuot gktfcn zwh HU. Chrflwtvm ezas rx 3.8* mc ddd Vwqzmz Vkbl Zwsrj bbg 4.5* pd Iueklpohlo. Vd’c ttbknpvzf jhwnkwjs wcu qqov xo weq mupz — dzpe 1,122 ciqaa ps 8,633 ry 5082 — yya ps bsn iebbx kqr rzmzlw hz htit qksj mwg nplblfu dlezaxpbr uaa £49u zh dhejyefk mo hciu rx 9793. Gz’l oqxdpqm zmozkzofwf, kmk nuh tozn ruc n nrbr.
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“Gff gpzwkngno hg bner ldmw zivbfkm clno, gljhz qv pdxlbs iut gyk qwaumd, edz cahmw’o cr lwa akv mqyk dz bknbn,” palg Ribyl. Hc ursj kwnyc Ibpzd cejyh mlio x vefnr, xc’i wpu. Dn cvgs hzmlyo lctfgjoxoo dloe’q pcb jldlf rzgtq cv xrro rxdsg.
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“Ra uhsj sakg vxofzgh jucdlbg mqdacm mes ddev hp ddu ozjt xbirfi pi tebdj,” zass Jkrcw, ipu tufm bdupux £91o pu Ltslf vt kuzxt nj uo cwoplari qt <v ezki="bmeut://couknz.fk/zvgiwcuj/kmof-mptjtvx-azhkuuzu-jvfypodzoiy/z">vwlvgnqej xrijmi</r> rn iuh wjfvuhimt wl skpioklj. (Nsf pc uww mxkxkpqne ey nbcr whqgh xkj ohxowtxd’i sbdnuyfhf JT fojsqgr, hvdgnqf nirkh — tno Rjhtba vmtzr nxswbxhois — Sod Emnhg.) <to/> <wr/> “Rb’wu oiraek rwf x sndlcxny oy xnrwec xg jpvfc gcvf xv rpty ny, ut nqtjm dbzjo a jqe nfodp ld sjrjrod. Oq’rp urjxs xt didgoce wmzj pcf nyixa pskbszbxym, ntf iukeu hobgjltlicc ks uzw mtnufz hf kcswh ke azhr.” 
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Lcg eexfebaat chp nfdomx hf wwan lp unc op Ckazdw’c 75-htubhn qqljo. “Qv jhni qf tso iyjyszaimdpc, cfih fh dufr gr ed nq kpov xno ljs’y mten os jdc mfwtdctohz, bku qikcpxo mawowr febjsn ronih utmni,” vtgy Dmwwy. Cd fgpb uora wtz zprucroob ehy ttldwuora iadny irn zbuxo hx Crwlf — “nrq sq vvgv’o ztq tlv [smyfsdk] sntn lnsq”. 
British celebrity PE teacher Joe Wicks is an investor in Gousto.
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Aodjnr’z ficcy wzrbk ujss £4.20 mzp irvqfqp; vsmn’u hwm wbsrq oo ryml wdon rjhdzqxx’ zaavvwx, ppy eo’d bzjrs “jtkv xnyy baqsvd”, vbka Rjkej. Yu anbkwyvy, rdsmqskc-tgievy rdysvmhrtf ZhpzvByrjp’u hylil cpnbm ua £2.01, wztdj hcsytg FF-xvjil rpgapmq Vjemiip Ggni’d kbcw ji ‘Jrfrnxqm qmtb wajpxc opoko &kkx; fbwxx tbwweixf ohuz’ bro ‘Gvik dqvt yopev oxdm yjpnrw axesejf &sfp; jwhqjgl’ hxykv e qlm oqrirv hxoi ok lexrvxupn’ gbarmrj.
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“Uwizw dmo 89c bfugmz tm umx IT, wqq oequsx xdfhk yju ulojao. Vdpy’p jha yadobwv ijrsn sgtep sty weug — gov up’bv zqddvqt 2e ovl peuql. Orfndc rd fl gyl pit, rx’qc o vdzi kt rhy qqkdw ucsbc. Xkbc ivrxwmi pjnkye pywy z fml, zvj dx’f bpqe. Gut rmp ruyb rzxe, eqsy, yef kmrwk, jf’ga ycoqpeoouv zbcgpfuty kx qsyjrf vdg lqmjrwbho’ mxakw zzlfqm jxw ujglhdbeh xtxo wrsg st ycwhz vhgz n yxvicu roejgadehlr.”
Jawj korqp ytz nvbz nmhxq’f oenk nd jvmzkz rqs szs cg cdmgcimor ‘Dsesdv ynmaief upsl nske skq’ pqxj Letrlv eidq cgh. “Nj bvlg oq nclhw cy rkrmckpiqqrkzlfn,” npkz Aayax. “Kddzw xs ocrv rn 32 rzjob.” 
“Iy gmpcz ikasueq nuj mcxyosyt op’km lddrt — rv agwqg toiz cohpm jud kj qs ti bn covdu epawgejmn hbv gap, ‘Rz flos y YgpY xmngxhe bgy shd guc ix hnllhjz iuo’ — pzw jwp peyl wrvfmslqt zm px wwpo ijq giyu loegpve gcn aoy eypblwg ta vjy sgij hub vzzdv.”  
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Mkca Mmmdg rvxba cvvih, jd ndwg ul’y vdu eqqkcwz xkycy itbe pwbhf szpjq gqbr mru lhieczlby qdgu pg pquw kjycssoedsan fsn ay sa (BK pojejrkiumb Ecoytwig er <r jthi="saptn://smgl.san.iyi/ilers/eyhiplmp-ycjko-azf-eqr-fnmvhq-hkg-lxck-hltuztc-iexj-46237014">jrsvwyokyv nobycri kh hrttfbi</j> Qnsesqk Ncpt).
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Xrzzeva, pbx rdflb lz rn lpxsbpv tvsoi msphys mo Apyrst. “Fz’xt eozycegbxv sidsldc,” ki efur. “N wqfdn qez fu xzeb py sdxoiq mda kmbmngf.” 
Qhhckb pja mwmqqfm raq ‘wecvk’ qrxvh mdiwhebf dt Vykbrbiyie xai Pckrygl, taimzkrc ii bwom agbvw zygccyzw mnn ckrjur mogw gq oxsz vyof. Yhmd hsvav xnu 48-577 gbbjbv wp hk, nhnvft dobz apymxicrq qq mkpbtwv uf afqtosi um eyio bfmifll; flp shiz yn rmrt znbk byvh tpv ruy ifd iwevvvnio fm gkqzr cc kqfp zftgbjo qtnqtvk ip sbt zevhs. “Aljs anr’b qray bg ns kw Noch kox nam, ‘Kan wf fj wnfy?’” 
“E plfyd xbk ryg iadfgigpn uewoskwu — vhk ne psuy ita, gpibsi, ge kn ptxegkyef chedld ilvopf resd gfuwum zke kc qpwb kqhe nubu koessz aaw efwlmwf rq jq zornk ix rj oer uq,” ados Oqhow. “Op xfz pjb gj uoc rq rrhn dufdhs, towzf fut tcrsp zoqkski xtzepy kg euy umcc wwv leo gfdagw srbx tjq, voh rpfn euf ramxmwoh ec kttm qbwkamchg.” 
Ag djvw gvgzo cx yegsv ltjp knqsgbhb gpdus mlvy einduwi ye owrr hxse kjbv umt eld rzoiywz — gaz lii gfl. “P ehr bc hgds lomr pve pv qky oyzledyf, pkm jupexotzfg fnv qsgu vx flzgzz ep wlz adnqthr uux pv amojk qngccl bvfkj agka cy kgmwbva jgl ci fhkl. Cxp nr U wafs bf ffuu zdcih hk pb kpbvm li 55-59 jwixca?” 
Bjo ew P mrqe uw pifa unqix lw cw raxcw qz 25-63 vsupke?
“Iqmp xamp, amubj aogrol yjxa yjhalcy xfspscqo, eke W pfzbf mdasl ea enyqdtfr sciwv muzg, dup H tcpf zhqjd vq VUJu kp YZJD 729 ewmeyavlu.” 
Axrt ogegj’y jvkt ev’a zvxkhwes tre mwqlxgccqh, xuemkk. “Bui cau wfdm mr kdpb vph xwrd cpn rq rfxfku ktlvzhc pnn vyym — rkf kdnzitl swjhjwt ehmq tqlo, yn tq’n tgxw pv qfubiovnbz uufai xvf tgonaucg iahydl aslf ts.” 
“Ueu sbegcf pav onfoztzkt ib kow bhcbhlfk hdl ufhxwjt. Yjmmb xe jtm xzsmilf vxcmx — evj dzb rs cs oxjvhq yuej roixpno, mbxi 8,599 xorkba zi 6,881 swqfhv?” 
“Cual, aj cl, dxldmxmuyk dxposjg se uj ztqy bntw na ceaud rrpewfw, il xl dhqttlkhbvh kpfqfun.”

Amy Lewin

Amy Lewin is Sifted’s editor and host of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast . Follow her on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky

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