Turin's NANDO secures €3.3 million to scale municipal and food waste optimisation technology

Italian startup NANDO has raised €3.3 million to expand its AI-driven waste monitoring platform, offering real-time data solutions to optimize kitchen operations and reduce costs in the catering and food service sectors.

Revolutionizing Kitchen Operations: The Rise of AI-Driven Waste Management

Italian startup NANDO has successfully secured €3.3 million in seed funding to scale its AI-driven waste monitoring technology. While the investment originated in Europe, its implications for the global F&B sector-particularly within the MENA region’s high-volume catering and cloud kitchen environments-are significant. The platform leverages advanced sensors and machine learning to provide real-time data on food waste, offering a granular look at operational inefficiencies that have long plagued large-scale food service providers.

For kitchen operators, waste is not merely an environmental concern but a direct hit to the bottom line. NANDO’s technology automates the tracking of discarded ingredients and prepared surplus, categorizing waste types to identify patterns in over-production or supply chain mismanagement. By integrating this data into unified dashboards, operators can make informed, data-driven decisions that immediately optimize workflow and reduce raw material costs.

Enhancing Profitability Through Precision Data

Efficiency in the kitchen is the cornerstone of delivery profitability. In markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where the cost of premium ingredients is high and delivery margins are often thin, reducing food waste by even a small percentage can lead to a substantial increase in net profit. NANDO’s solution moves beyond manual logging, which is often inaccurate and time-consuming, providing a scalable way to monitor multiple sites simultaneously.

The ability to synchronize waste data with supply chain procurement means that brands can transition from reactive ordering to predictive inventory management. This level of precision is particularly valuable for multi-brand operators and cloud kitchens that manage diverse menus and complex ingredient lists. By identifying which menu items consistently contribute to waste, brands can engage in more effective menu engineering, removing or adjusting low-performance dishes that drain resources.

A Global Shift Toward Circular Kitchen Operations

The funding of NANDO reflects a broader global industry trend: the digital transformation of the "back-of-house." As F&B brands face increasing pressure from both regulators and consumers to adopt sustainable practices, technology that aligns ecological responsibility with financial gain is seeing rapid adoption. For catering companies and hotel F&B departments, this technology offers a path to achieving ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) targets while streamlining labor-intensive waste audits.

As this technology scales globally, we expect to see similar AI-driven monitoring systems integrated directly into POS and ERP systems. For the modern food service operator, the goal is clear: total visibility. Whether managing a single fine-dining establishment or a massive regional catering operation, the integration of real-time waste analytics is no longer a luxury-it is a fundamental component of a competitive, modern kitchen operation.

Source: Bebeez