Our model

A food-first angel syndicate.
Investing deal by deal.

Gota Ventures brings together individual investors to back early-stage companies shaping the future of food, one deal at a time.

Founded by Cristina de Mendieta and Vincent Kuiper, Gota grew out of a simple observation: some of the most exciting ideas in food are born early, but struggle to find the right kind of network to grow. We saw it again and again. While major players across the food industry are actively looking for the next wave of innovation, too many founders were building without the right partners around the table. So we built Gota to change that.

Today, we’re an international community of 50+ investors, operators, and industry insiders who back founders early, and stay involved as those ideas turn into real businesses.

Founding partner

Vincent Kuiper

Vincent started actively investing at the age of 16, and hasn’t stopped since. He grew up in the Netherlands, one of Europe’s FoodTech hotspots. With a background in private equity, banking, and equity research, he’s all about spotting great deals early, structuring deals and pro-actively helping companies scale.

Founding partner

Cristina de Mendieta

Cristina grew up immersed in the food industry through her family’s international food company, S. de Mendieta S.A. International Trading, gaining early exposure to food production, supply chains, and global trade. Within the group, she now leads MCI (MendiCafé International Ltd.), one of its core operating companies.

Partnership

Partnering with MCI to shape the future

Gota Ventures invests in early-stage food innovations. MendiCafé International Ltd. (MCI), is a global distributor of food and beverage products, sourcing directly at the origin. Through our partnership with MCI these innovations gain immediate access to global distribution and real commercial scale.

Investor

International angel syndicate investing in early-stage food companies.

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Global Distributor

Global distribution of F&B brands, with direct access to raw materials and ingredient sourcing at origin.

Discover MCI
Our values

The Gota
Commitment

Founders First
We back intrinsically driven, complementary founders obsessed with improving the food industry.
Smart Capital
Our network of food operators and access to ingredient sourcing and retail opens doors that money alone can't.
Innovation That Is Here to Stay
We invest in strong value propositions with proven demand. No fluffy narratives, no technology nobody asked for.
Building Healthy Businesses
We back companies built to last, focused on unit economics, capital efficiency, and sustainable growth.
Our investor community

Spotlight on some of our investors

Our community of 55+ investors from over 15 countries brings together deep industry knowledge and strong networks across the food world.

Christian Wienecke
11 years in Global Supply Chain at Cargill, the world's largest privately-owned agricultural company.
Jarl van den Berg
Managing Director at Hendrix Genetics' shrimp division, with 12 years experience in FoodTech.
Ana Lopez
15+ years in clean-label bakery and snack innovation at Adel Corporation, Canada.
Aad Kuiper
Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Agrocare, Europe's largest tomato producer, and former CEO of Hunter Douglas EMEA.
Maddie Doering
7 years in brand and marketing, including Coca-Cola and Compass Group.
Ruben Jansen
15 years in financial advisory at one of the world's largest AgriFood banks.
Paris De l’Etraz
20+ years in Investment Banking & M&A, startup founder with 3 exits, and Professor of Entrepreneurship at IE University.
Dimitri Varotsis
Ventures & External Innovation at Novonesis, a global leader in bioscience innovation.
Invested companies

Gota is built by a community of 50+ founders, operators, and investors who know the food industry from the inside. People who’ve built companies, scaled teams, and navigated the realities of the food industry. 

From ingredients to infrastructure to brands, we invest across the food value chain.

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