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

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-06-25

What happens when your company goes bankrupt during a global pandemic? For Tessa van Meerten, it wasn't the end. It was the beginning of something much bigger. In April 2020, the business where Tessa worked shut down due to COVID-19. Instead of panicking, she launched Foodprepper -- a meal kit service for busy families who want healthy dinners without the hassle. She started with zero startup capital. Today, Foodprepper delivers across all of Flanders and Brussels. And since 2024, it's part of Smartmat, the company behind Foodbag. That's a pretty wild ride for a business born from nothing. ### The Spark: From Dream to Reality Tessa didn't have a polished business plan from day one. She had a vague dream and a lot of determination. In our conversation, she opens up about how she turned that fuzzy idea into something concrete. She did everything herself at first -- packing boxes, driving deliveries, handling customer service. And she never charged for her own time. "I was working 80-hour weeks and telling myself it was fine because I was passionate," she says. "But passion doesn't pay the bills forever." That realization hit hard. She knew she had to either grow or burn out. ### The Pivot: Learning to Trust Numbers Over Gut For many entrepreneurs, intuition is everything. Tessa was no different. But she quickly learned that feelings don't scale. "I had to stop trusting my gut and start trusting the data," she explains. "It was uncomfortable at first. But the numbers told me things my heart didn't want to hear." Here's what she discovered: - Her pricing was too low to sustain growth - She needed to raise capital to expand beyond her kitchen - Working alone would never build a real company ### Finding an Investor and Letting Go Tessa eventually found her first investor. That process taught her something crucial: you can't grow a business without outside help. But that help comes with a price. When Smartmat acquired Foodprepper, she had to let go of control. "I learned that owning 100% of something small is worth less than owning a piece of something big," she says. "Letting go was terrifying. But it was the only way to take Foodprepper to the next level." ### What She'd Do Differently If Tessa could start over, she'd value her time from day one. She'd hire help sooner. She'd focus on the numbers instead of just the mission. "I spent years being a junior employee in my own company," she laughs. "Now I work on the business, not just in it." That shift changed everything. She went from feeling like a glorified delivery driver to a confident CEO. ### The Ups and Downs Entrepreneurship isn't a straight line. Tessa talks openly about the "summer dips" -- those slow months when doubt creeps in. The moments when she questioned everything. "There were days I wanted to quit," she admits. "But I kept going because I believed in the idea. And I surrounded myself with people who believed in me." ### For Anyone with a Dream and No Money This episode is for everyone who's ever wondered if they can build something from nothing. Tessa's story proves that you don't need a fat bank account to start. You need a clear idea, relentless hustle, and the willingness to learn. ### Ready to Try Foodprepper? Visit [Foodprepper](https://foodprepper.be) and use code ONDERNEMER45 to get $15 off your first three orders. That's about EUR 15 converted to USD, so you're saving real money on healthy meals. ### More Episodes Find more conversations at [Belgische Ondernemers](https://www.belgische-ondernemers.be). Subscribe and leave five stars if you find these stories valuable. ### Thanks to Our Partners Special thanks to [Teamleader](https://www.teamleader.be) and [Cloudpoint](https://www.cloudpoint.be) -- the IT partner for every SME.