Snack to the Future with Alberts

In Episode 162, out host Matt Eastland speaks with Glenn Mathijssen, co-founder and CEO of Alberts, a Belgian food robotics company tackling one of the most overlooked problems in public health: how hard it is to eat fresh, healthy food on the go.

Glenn’s team has spent the last decade building a new type of vending machine... one that makes fresh blends like smoothies, soups, and frappés on demand, using frozen ingredients and minimal waste. Their goal is simple: to make healthy eating convenient, affordable, and scalable.

The technology is impressive, but the real innovation is how they’ve designed every part of the machine to work for the people who operate them. They know that if it doesn’t work for the vendor, it won’t scale. And if it doesn’t scale, it won’t change anything.

Key Takeaways

The vending industry is built for shelf life, not health

Most vending machines are stocked with ultra-processed snacks because they’re cheap, stable and profitable. Fresh food doesn’t last, costs more to deliver, and comes with waste. That makes it a poor fit for the business model most operators rely on.

Alberts created a new category, not just a new product

Instead of trying to fit into the old system, Alberts designed something new: a machine that blends smoothies, soups or custom drinks from frozen whole ingredients, right in front of you. It uses no plastic bottles, generates no food waste, and fits in the same footprint as a standard vending machine.

Scaling isn’t about the tech, it's about the operator

Most food robotics companies fail because they build for the consumer but forget the person who has to stock, clean and service the machine. Alberts built their model around what vending operators actually need: reliability, simplicity and a path to profitability.

EIT Food helped unlock real opportunities

An encounter at an EIT Food event led directly to a partnership with Danone’s Alpro brand, helping Alberts integrate plant-based milks and reach new audiences. These kinds of connections, Glenn says, only happen when you get out from behind your desk.

Growth takes time, consistency, and a reality check

Getting the hardware right took years. Now the machines are live in six countries. Glenn is honest about the challenges ahead. Cost remains a hurdle, and no model works if it can’t deliver a return. Even with the right product and the right partners, scaling is hard work.

Featuring

Glenn Mathijssen, Co-founder and CEO, Alberts

If You’re Building Something Similar

Glenn offers three big pieces of advice for food robotics startups and other deep-tech ventures:

Start with a plan for scaling. Don’t just build something cool. Make sure you know who will operate it and how it will get into the market.

Focus on quality and consistency. One good prototype isn’t enough. Your product needs to work in hundreds or thousands of real-world locations.

Pay attention to return on investment. Especially in hardware, costs need to make sense from day one. Operators won’t take risks unless your model helps them succeed too.