Misfits Market
Online grocery delivery service that rescues surplus and ugly produce, offering organic fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy, and pantry staples at up to 30% less than grocery store prices while fighting food waste.
The Story
In 2018, Abhi Ramesh stood in a loading dock outside Philadelphia staring at pallets of perfectly good carrots rejected by regional grocery chains for small, cosmetic blemishes. The produce was fresh and edible, but headed for a landfill. Ramesh had spent weeks cold-calling local farms to take the surplus off their hands, no fee, just the cost of hauling it away.
That weekend, he packed 50-pound boxes of the rejected produce in his apartment, listed them on a simple website for $19 apiece, and delivered the first 20 orders himself in his personal sedan. He called the venture Misfits Market, named for the lumpy peppers, crooked cucumbers, and undersized apples that didn’t fit the grocery industry’s narrow beauty standards. The first month, he sold 400 boxes. He quit his day job by the end of the quarter.
What began as a scrappy one-man operation rescuing ugly produce has grown into a full-service online grocery store delivering to over 40,000 zip codes. Misfits Market now offers organic produce, meat, seafood, dairy, pantry staples, snacks, beverages, and household essentials, all curated for quality and sustainability rather than appearance. The company acquired Imperfect Foods in 2023, launched a B2B logistics service in 2024, and rescues an average of 500,000 pounds of food from landfills every week.
Key Facts & Metrics
Products & Services
Odds & Ends Chocolate Bar Pieces
Assorted chocolate bar pieces rescued from outdated packaging or broken bars. Sweet, indulgent treats that would otherwise be discarded, saving thousands of pounds of chocolate annually.
Odds & Ends Cold-Pressed Orange Juice
32-ounce bottle of cold-pressed orange juice made from not-quite-perfect-looking oranges rescued from going to waste. Bright, just-squeezed flavor preserved without additives or concentrates.
Odds & Ends White Jasmine Rice
5-pound bag of premium white jasmine rice rescued for having a few broken kernels. Perfectly good for cooking, sustainably sourced, and available at a lower price than grocery store equivalents.
Company Timeline
2018 — Founded in Philadelphia
Abhi Ramesh founded Misfits Market in Philadelphia, starting by rescuing 'ugly' produce from local farms and delivering it himself.
2021 — Achieved unicorn status
Misfits Market raised $200 million in Series C funding, reaching a $1 billion valuation and becoming a grocery unicorn.
2022 — Acquired Imperfect Foods
Misfits Market acquired rival Imperfect Foods, uniting two of the largest rescued grocery platforms to build a more sustainable food system.
2024 — Launched B2B logistics service
The company expanded beyond consumer delivery by launching a B2B logistics service, offering storage and delivery capabilities to other retailers.
2025 — Acquired The Rounds
Misfits Market acquired The Rounds, a startup focused on reusable packaging and sustainable last-mile delivery solutions.
