Wondering whether the food that you just ordered from a restaurant has some allergens that could trigger some trouble?. Finding it difficult to figure out the recipe with no ingredient that could result in a health problem.
Recognising a nagging problem that several city folks face, a UK-based firm has just built a platform that can help people in identifying the right food with no allergens.
After testing a pilot in the UK, FoodAdvisr will be launching the app in India and in the UK in January.
This app allows people to fill in their requirements and search the database to find the right food options for them. It will deploy Artificial Intelligence tools to assess the data to refine the results.
It is in the process of formalising a joint venture with HelloCurry, a Hyderabad-based food delivery services start-up, to launch the app in India.
“Users can browse recipes for inspiration to their profile, or check out restaurants or food delivery services to find exactly the right dish for their tastes and needs,” Kieran Lees, Co-Founder of FoodAdvisr, has said.
“We have a long-term plan for the country. We have set up a development centre in Hyderabad with 20 people. We might hire 50-100 people in the next two years,” he said.
The firm, which committed initial investments of £0.5 million, would invest £2 million along with HelloCurry.
Stake acquisition talks
“The joint venture that we are planning would be of great value to the users. The awareness levels on food allergies in the country is very poor. The app vets the database to suggest the right options to consumers,” Raju Bhupati, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hello Curry, said.
Meanwhile, the UK entity is in talks with HelloCurry to acquire a stake in it. Though both sides admitted having talks for the stake sale, they refused to give a timeline or indicate the size of the deal.
“We are considering it . We are also planning to raise funds in the range of 1-5 million pounds for developing the technology platform and expansion,” Kieran Lees said.
Raju Bhupati too admitted the plan to dilute stake but refused to indicate the quantum of the equity dilution.