Winnow

Winnow Solutions, a UK-based technology firm founded in 2013, has established a significant presence in the food waste management sector for the hospitality industry. The company was established by Marc Zornes and Kevin Duffy with the mission to address the substantial issue of food waste in commercial kitchens. Zornes's background as a former McKinsey consultant, where he led research on resource efficiency and co-authored a report on global resource management, directly informed the company's data-centric approach. This foundation in analytics is a core element of Winnow's operational strategy.

The firm's business model centers on providing a suite of hardware and software solutions that enable professional kitchens to measure, monitor, and ultimately reduce their food waste. Its primary product, Winnow Vision, employs artificial intelligence and computer vision to automatically identify and track the types and quantities of food being discarded. A camera positioned above a waste bin captures images of discarded items, and the AI system, which has been trained on a vast library of food images, recognizes the items and records the waste event. This process provides kitchen staff with precise data on what is being wasted and why, without requiring manual data entry. This detailed analytics allows chefs and managers to make more informed purchasing and production decisions, leading to significant cost reductions and a smaller environmental footprint. Winnow's client base includes major hospitality groups such as Hilton, Accor, and IKEA, operating in over 77 countries. The company's revenue is generated through a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, where clients subscribe to the technology and data analytics platform.

Over the years, Winnow has secured notable funding to fuel its expansion and technological development. A significant Series B funding round in 2019 raised $20 million, co-led by Circularity Capital and with participation from other investors including Ingka Group (IKEA). This capital injection has been instrumental in scaling the deployment of its AI-powered technology globally. Winnow's impact is quantifiable, with the company reporting that its systems have helped customers save over $42 million annually, which translates to preventing over 36 million meals from being wasted each year. The company's achievements have been recognized through various accolades, including a B Corp certification, underscoring its commitment to social and environmental standards.

Keywords: food waste management, hospitality technology, AI in kitchens, food cost control, commercial kitchens, SaaS, computer vision, sustainability tech, resource efficiency, data analytics