Rice in Action — Pre-seed (estimated) · €438K

Madrid foodtech Arroces la Bomba, founded by Cristina Querol and Christophe Pais (the team behind the La Bomba Rice Bar and La Bomba Bistrot restaurants), closed its first funding round at €437,500 via the Startupxplore platform, hitting 125% of its €350,000 target — the regulatory maximum — within hours and drawing over 60 investors. Backers included Fabian Gosselin, former CEO of Alsea, and Jean Philippe Azoulay of Roquette; its patented technology encapsulates broth and flavourings in the rice grain and cuts cooking time by 80%.