From Zero to Acquisition: Tessa van Meerten's Foodprepper Story

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-06-25

### Starting from Scratch with Zero Capital April 2020. The company where Tessa van Meerten worked went bankrupt due to COVID-19. In that same period, she founded Foodprepper, a meal box service for families too busy to cook healthy meals at home. Her starting capital? Zero dollars. Today, Foodprepper delivers across all of Flanders and Brussels. And since 2024, it's become part of Smartmat, the company behind Foodbag. That's a massive leap from a startup with no funding. ### The Pivot from Dream to Reality In this conversation, Tessa reveals how she moved from a vague dream to a concrete business idea. She did everything herself in the beginning, never valuing her own time. But there came a moment when she realized growth without outside investment just wasn't possible. She explains how she found her first investor, how that journey eventually led to the acquisition by Smartmat, and what she had to let go of along the way. It's a raw, honest look at the trade-offs every entrepreneur faces. ### What She'd Do Differently We also talk about what she would change if she could start over. One big lesson: learning to trust data over gut instinct. Tessa shares how she grew from a junior employee mindset into a confident business owner. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. She opens up about the summer dips, the moments of doubt, and the personal growth that came with each challenge. ### Working on the Business, Not Just in It Now, as part of a larger group, Tessa gets to work on her business rather than just in it. That shift has been transformative. She can focus on strategy, partnerships, and scaling, instead of getting bogged down in daily operations. This episode is for anyone who's ever wondered if an idea without money deserves a shot. Tessa's story proves that passion, persistence, and smart decisions can take you further than any checkbook ever could. ### Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs - Start with what you have, even if it's nothing but an idea. - Learn to value your time early on. - Know when to seek outside investment. - Trust the numbers, not just your intuition. - Embrace the bumps in the road; they're part of the journey. ### A Special Offer for Our Readers Visit [Foodprepper](https://foodprepper.be/) and use the code ONDERNEMER45 to get $15 off your first three orders. That's a great way to taste what all the buzz is about. ### More Episodes and Partners For more inspiring conversations, check out the full series. And a big thank you to our partners: Teamleader and Cloudpoint, your IT partner for every small and medium business. If you found this valuable, subscribe and give us 5 stars. Your support helps us bring more stories like Tessa's to light.