Hungryroot, a 9-year-old New York startup, seeks to provide users with precise portion sizes to reduce waste. Based on the many questions customers answer, the company is able to infer the best recipes for you and the groceries you deliver. “Hungry Root is completely designed to give you just the food you need for the week,” Ben McKean, the company's CEO, told CNBC.
Food waste is so high in the U.S. that about a third of what we produce ends up in landfills instead of in our stomachs. This increases overproduction, packaging, storage and shipping requirements, all of which have a negative impact on climate change.
A recent study published in the journal Science found that food production accounts for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Food delivery services like HelloFresh, Blue Apron, and EveryPlate take some of this burden off by sending consumers what they need for a particular recipe.
A New York-based startup called Hungry Root is going one step further. The nine-year-old company uses artificial intelligence, of course, but it also provides a more curated experience and provides consumers with the exact amount of food they use.
Customers answer many questions about food likes and dislikes, allergies, health goals, and cooking methods and times. Hungryroot's technology guesses the best recipes and grocery items for each customer.
“Hungry Root is completely designed to give you just the food you need for the week,” the company's CEO Ben McKean told CNBC. “It also provides easy recipes so you know exactly what to do with it, which significantly reduces food waste for our customers.”
Hungryroot sends the user a list of weekly cart contents and allows the user to approve or modify items. Companies can also reduce their own waste. If we determine that the user has no preference between broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and we happen to have more broccoli in our warehouse, we recommend it.
The company says its process contributes to an 80% reduction in food waste at its facilities compared to traditional supermarkets.
Investors argue that this unique model is also good for returns.
“They've been profitable for the last three or four years, which is unusual for many e-commerce and food businesses,” said Jeremy Liu, a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners. Because they're building a business that their customers truly love. ”
In addition to Lightspeed, Hungryroot is backed by L Catterton, Crosslink Capital, Karp Reilly, and Lerer Hippeau. The company has raised a total of $75 million.
—CNBC Climate Producer Lisa Rizzolo contributed to this article.