A newly launched household food waste reduction app – Remy – has acquired rival Kitche in order to “drastically scale its user base”.
Remy – which describes itself as an “AI-driven, fully automated digital kitchen management app” – was launched in January this year by university friends Jake Blaisdell and Conrad Kissling, and claims to be “Europe’s first AI-driven platform dedicated to tackling food waste in the home”.
Users scan and upload items from their shopping receipts, so the app can enable users to know what food they have in their cupboards and fridge and when it expires. It can suggest what they make with it using ita proprietary recipe recommendation model, which delivers “hyper-personalised recipes” tailored to users’ soon-to-expire ingredients, allergies, and dietary preferences. The app also features functionality to connect to a user’s online retail and loyalty accounts, and build shopping lists of what’s needed, which can be bought “in less than five clicks”.
Remy described the acquisition as a “significant strategic move” which would allow the company to expand across the UK and Europe “harnessing the reputation and loyal customer base built by Kitche”.
“Kitche’s mission and the innovative product they developed deeply impressed us,” said Kissling, Remy co-CEO. “When the opportunity arose to acquire Kitche, we saw a chance to leverage their strong foundation to improve our offering and grow our user base within Remy, advancing their vision with next-generation technology to drive even greater impact for households and the planet.”
Kitche was launched in 2018, the app allowing users to track their food purchases and cupboard contents, alerting them to products nearing best-before dates and offering relevant recipes. Since a relaunch in 2023, it also enabled users to track the results of their avoided food waste in terms of water, CO2 and money saved; take on challenges, and view a graph of their food waste cost versus the national average.
Last year it partnered with Channel Islands Co-op to help residents of Jersey reduce their household food waste. During a nine-month campaign, the Co-op society encouraged shoppers to download Kitche, through in-store signage and local press advertising. The campaign resulted in 2% of Jersey households downloading the app, and users reporting wasting only 2.6% of their food, compared with a national average of 16% [Wrap]. As the company put it, Kitche (pronounced ‘kitsch’) was “preventing food waste before it happens by encouraging people to eat what they buy and buy what they eat”.
“Kitche’s mission to prevent home food waste in the UK will live on,” Kissling added. “Remy is committed to carrying forward and expanding its impact, ensuring both companies’ shared vision continues to drive meaningful change. Although Kitche’s independent journey is ending, its legacy will thrive as part of Remy. This transition reflects a shared belief that small, meaningful changes at home can greatly impact the planet.”
The Kitche brand will cease to exist in the UK, and the app has been retired.
“This is an amazing opportunity to continue Kitche’s vision into the AI era,’ added Alex Vlassopulos, co-founder of Kitche. “The problem of home food waste is worsening in the UK but we believe AI and Remy’s passion for tackling food waste make them the perfect fit to carry our work forward, using AI to help people save time, money and food.”
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