Ganiga secures €2.5M to expand its AI-powered food waste technology

Italian deeptech startup Ganiga has secured €2.5 million in funding to expand its AI-powered food waste management technology. Led by Italian contract catering company Vivenda, the round also saw participation from London-based NextSTEP and three angel investors, complementing €1 million from Smart&Start Italia. Ganiga, established in Pisa by Nicolas Zeoli, specializes in blending artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotics to enhance waste management and cut food waste.

Initially focusing on robotic waste sorting, Ganiga sold over 300 devices for various sectors across Italy, Japan, Australia, and other European nations. Building on data collected, the company shifted focus to food waste management with HooolyFood, an AI system for catering operators to monitor and reduce waste. By analyzing discarded food without weighing, HooolyFood offers insights into inefficiencies, aiding purchasing and menu planning decisions.

Deployed in settings serving over 30,000 meals daily, the technology's data platform aggregates waste patterns, cost estimations, and container fill levels in a unified dashboard. Ganiga is also automating ingredient ordering and menu planning while developing sensors for municipal and other waste streams. The EU's 2030 food waste reduction targets, with approximately 58 million tonnes of food waste generated in 2023 according to Eurostat, underscore the urgency for advanced waste management solutions.

Nicolas Zeoli, Ganiga's founder and CEO, emphasized that the investment will bolster their scale in commercial settings. Zeoli noted that understanding wasted dishes and reasons enables actionable insights for purchasing, menu planning, and service delivery. With the new funding, Ganiga intends to expand its technical and commercial teams, further develop HooolyFood and its data platform, and boost recurring revenue.

The company plans to initially target contract catering with Vivenda before venturing into event catering, hotels, and other foodservice sectors.