Profile

Atul Chopra

Founder & CEO
FreshOnTable

Atul is a serial entrepreneur, a Chartered Accountant, and a Lawyer by training, he spent the first part of his professional journey in Investment Banking. He started his career with one of India’s largest private I Bank as a Bond and Equity Trader, eventually moving and later heading their Project Finance practice. He subsequently set up a boutique Corporate Finance Investment Bank with the backing of International Investors. As an MD of this venture, he has to his credit some of the path breaking International M & A deals in the core sector, representing some of the top names in the Telecom vertical. He became a Tech entrepreneur in early 2000 by acquiring a small IT product company in Bangalore, the Silicon capital of India. In a short span of a decade, he scaled the business to over 700 engineers, with a leading footprint across emerging markets. In 2009, it attracted IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank, to acquire a minority interest. Post exiting from this business in 2012, he has been an active investor in select startups, where he could also add value. His journey with FreshOnTable, an Agri tech platform, started in 2018, initially in France followed by a ‘POC’ in the State of Maryland, USA. In 2019, attracted and encouraged by UAE’s food security and sustainability missions, he started focusing in this region. FreshOnTable is a preferred sustainability partner for over 290 fine dining and hotel chains, including The Atlantis, Hilton, Hyatt, Rotana, IHG, and Accor. It also collaborates with more than 90 small and medium farms across the northern emirates and partners with SILAL for HORECA services. Atul’s professional achievements have won many accolades including • “Best Sustainable Agri-Food CEO 2020 in the UAE” • No. 1 F&B Game changer in the MENA Region by Caterer Magazine for 2021 • Sustainable UAE Eating Award by Gulfood, 2021 • First catalyst for Local farms in UAE • First C02 emissions saver meter by supporting Local Produce