Tenzo raises $1.8 million to reduce restaurant food waste with AI

That’s what drove former McKinsey associate partner Adam Taylor and Christian Mouysset, a graduate of computer science and economics at the University of Cambridge and previously head of U.K. fast-casual chain Hummus Bros, to found AI restaurant analytics firm Tenzo. Taylor and Mouysset — who met nearly 20 years ago while studying computer science at Cambridge — said the goal from the start was to develop an algorithm-driven platform that could minimize waste by predicting how much food a store will sell on any given day. Additionally, there’s a social component that keeps abreast of online buzz (on Yelp, Twitter, Facebook, and TripAdvisor) across store locations and alerts staff when a customer posts a review. AgShift uses computer vision to autonomously inspect produce and other commodities for defects, and London startup Karma’s app connects users with over 1,500 businesses offering surplus meals. To date, it has signed on customers across 700 physical locations in the U.K., U.S., and Ireland, and France, including The Breakfast Club, Iberica, Camile Thai, Mitchells & Butlers, and Nando’s UK and South Africa.