Noahs is a rapidly growing Copenhagen-based food tech startup revolutionizing food inside service stations, supermarkets, and travel hubs. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Noahs co-founder and CEO, Daniel Baven, to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Daniel Baven’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Baven said:
“I’m Daniel Baven, the CEO and co-founder of Noahs. I started my career as a chef, driven by a passion for great food and creativity in the kitchen. After launching Lucky 13 Sandwich, a successful restaurant chain in Thailand, I gained firsthand experience in scaling operations and innovating customer experiences. This entrepreneurial journey sparked my fascination with technology-driven solutions, leading me to co-found Noahs. With Noahs, I’m now combining deep expertise in foodservice with technology to transform traditional retail spaces like service stations into vibrant, digital-first food hubs. As CEO, my focus is on setting the strategic vision, driving growth through partnerships, and fostering a culture of innovation.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Baven shared:
“The idea for Noahs emerged from observing a growing challenge within traditional retail: physical stores, particularly service stations and convenience stores, faced declining revenue streams from tobacco and fuel, coupled with fierce competition from online platforms. We recognized these retailers had prime real estate, high foot traffic, and customer trust, yet lacked the digital capabilities to capitalize on the booming online food delivery economy. We saw an opportunity to bridge this gap by turning these existing locations into dynamic, digitally connected foodservice hubs, offering consumers high-quality meals via delivery apps and self-service kiosks. Leveraging my experience from the restaurant sector and understanding the complexities of food production, we developed an integrated technology and brand platform to simplify operations, eliminate traditional barriers like high labor costs, and enable retailers to quickly tap into new revenue channels. Our mission became clear: empower retailers with plug-and-play solutions to transform their businesses for the digital age.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Baven reflected:
“One of my absolute favorite memories was attending the Oracle-sponsored Formula 1 event in Belgium. It was a luxurious experience where I got backstage access to meet Max Verstappen and connected with numerous industry leaders. Most importantly, that event is where I met Mischa Botterweck for the first time—we immediately clicked and began a working relationship that’s become a significant part of our company’s journey and culture. Another memorable highlight was two years ago, sitting at a summer house in Spain, enjoying sangria with my family, and closing two major deals with corporate partners remotely. Those moments perfectly captured the blend of personal fulfillment and professional momentum that defines my journey at Noahs.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Baven explained:
“At Noahs, we offer three interconnected products designed to transform traditional retail spaces into digital-first food hubs. First, our Technology Platform is an omnichannel operating system enabling retailers to digitize their offerings instantly—connecting seamlessly with food delivery platforms, self-service kiosks, and analytics tools, all activated simply through a Wi-Fi connection. Second, our Brand Platform acts like a streaming service for popular food brands, allowing retailers to effortlessly adopt proven digital-first brands and menus, significantly boosting their food revenues without upfront investment. Lastly, our Modular Smart Kitchens are compact, scalable kitchen units ranging from 1 to 20 m², optimized for easy integration into retail environments, enabling efficient preparation of high-quality meals at scale. Together, these products form a turnkey solution, dramatically simplifying digital transformation, cutting labor costs, eliminating complexity, and opening entirely new revenue channels for retailers.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Baven acknowledged:
“Absolutely. One of the biggest challenges has been convincing large, traditional retailers to embrace a new operational model. Many of them are used to predictable margins from fuel and tobacco and are wary of food due to its complexity and labor demands. Add to that a resistance to change and slow internal decision-making, and it becomes a real test of patience and persistence. We’ve overcome this by proving results through pilot projects—like increasing food sales by 400% and with minimal additional labor costs —showing that our model isn’t just a nice idea, but a business case they can’t ignore. It’s also about speaking their language: focusing on ROI, speed of deployment, and minimal disruption. Once they see the numbers and the simplicity of our plug-and-play approach, the hesitation starts to fade.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Baven noted:
“When we first launched, our tech was fairly straightforward—essentially a way to centralize digital orders and connect them to a basic kitchen flow. Since then, it has evolved into a robust, modular operating system tailored specifically for the different types of retail environments. We’ve built integrations with Oracle POS, Deliverect, delivery platforms, kiosk solutions, and real-time BI tools. We’ve also developed a proprietary backend that enables frictionless onboarding of new brands and menus, predictive reporting, and automated order routing to optimize kitchen output. Importantly, everything is designed to be plug-and-play, minimizing setup time and eliminating the need for additional labor. The biggest evolution has been moving from just enabling delivery to powering an entire digital food ecosystem within stations and stores.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Baven cited:
“One of our most significant milestones was launching our first pilot with Q8 Denmark, which validated the model at scale and opened the door to a broader national rollout. That success led to Noahs now being live in over 90 locations across Denmark. We’ve also gone international, with publicly announced partnerships in Belgium and Luxembourg, marking our entry into the European market, as well as successfully securing a recent partnership with Maxol in Ireland. Another major milestone was signing a national master franchise agreement with MENY supermarkets, with plans to roll out across 100+ locations in the coming year. We’re also working closely with Danish Shopping Centers (DSC) to digitize their food and beverage offerings, from individual restaurants to entire food courts. On the operational side, we’ve reached a point where we can now roll out 100+ locations within weeks—demonstrating real scalability. And finally, the addition of industry heavyweight Frank Gleeson and Dan Munford to our Board of Advisors brought deep strategic insight and further validated our long-term vision. As Frank is now entering the new role of President and CEO of NACS, and closes his chapter as Chair of Advisory Board at Noahs, we are grateful for the leadership, sharp perspective and industry insight he brought into Noahs.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Baven highlighted:
“One standout success story is our pilot with Q8 Denmark. In just six months, we helped increase food sales at the station by 374%, transforming a previously underutilized space into one of the network’s top-performing units. What’s even more striking is that up to 80% of the orders now come through delivery platforms—a channel Q8 had never tapped into before. Labor costs were cut in half, and the station now generates more food revenue than three average stations combined. This success proved that with the right tech and operational model, even legacy fuel retailers can compete against restaurants in the online food economy and unlock entirely new growth trajectories.”
Funding/Revenue
Are you able to discuss funding and/or revenue metrics? Baven revealed:
“We have wrapped 2025 with raising €1.9M in new funding to accelerate our expansion across Europe. The round was led by PSV Tech, a Copenhagen-based VC firm. The investment round was also joined by angel investors, Kraen Nielsen (Executive Advisor & Tech Investor, Former Group CEO & CTO of Coop Denmark) and Bob Stein, (President RBS & Associates).
With the recent investment injection Noahs will accelerate its move from concept to category leader, powered by partners who understand that the future of retail food is digital, modular and global.
Regarding the revenue model, Baven added: Our core business model is built on recurring revenue: service stations and retailers pay €350 per month for access to our technology platform, and an additional €585 per month to stream curated food brands from our brand platform.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Baven assessed:
“We’re targeting a global market of around 4 million locations across supermarkets, fuel stations, and convenience stores—formats that are under increasing pressure to modernize and tap into new revenue streams. These sites already have the footfall, trust, and real estate, but lack the tools to participate in the digital food economy. Our solution is designed to be low-friction and scalable, turning these traditional retailers into delivery-first food hubs without the need for extra labor or capex.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Baven affirmed:
“Most companies in this space either sell hardware, offer food brands, or build software—but rarely all three in one seamless solution. What sets Noahs apart is our fully integrated platform combining technology, digital food brands, and scalable kitchen infrastructure into a single, plug-and-play system. We enable retailers to enter the delivery economy and boost in-store food sales without added labor, capex, or operational burden. Crucially, while others are focused on retrofitting solutions into existing restaurant infrastructure—which is often already overstretched—we’re building specifically for the retail segment. Service stations, supermarkets, and convenience stores are our core, and we design everything around their needs, not the restaurant world. That focus, paired with our modular, asset-light approach, allows us to scale fast and help retailers take control of their own digital future.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Baven emphasized:
“Our goal is to build the infrastructure that connects third-party food brands with the retail world. Think of it as the Spotify of food—a brand streaming platform where culinary concepts can scale through existing retail locations like supermarkets and service stations. Retailers get instant access to high-performing, delivery-ready food products without complexity, while food brands get a distribution model that bypasses traditional restaurant limitations. In a world where foodservice is becoming increasingly fragmented and commoditized, we believe this model can simplify operations, support quality, and enable a new way for people to eat. Noahs sits at the center—as the broker between brand creators and retailers—helping both sides thrive.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Baven concluded:
“Only that we believe this transformation is just getting started. As retail, mobility, and foodservice continue to converge, the winners will be those who rethink infrastructure—not just menus. We’re excited to work with partners who see the same opportunity: to turn everyday retail spaces into powerful, digital-first food destinations. And we’re always open to connecting with bold thinkers—whether investors, brand creators, or retail operators—who want to be part of that shift.”
