FoodCloud top winners in Thinktech €1m project

By Maurice Garvey

SOCIAL enterprise business FoodCloud, was one of the successful winners of the Thinktech €1 Million project.

The Tallaght-based company connects businesses that have too much food, with charities in their community.

Thinktech was created by Social Innovation Fund Ireland with support and dual funding from Google.org and the Irish Government, to back tech-based solutions to critical social issues.

FoodCloud rescues large volumes of surplus food from food businesses and distributes it to charities across Ireland, using a technology platform and three hubs in Galway, Cork and Tallaght.

Fresh surplus food is collected directly from a retailer using an app, which notifies local charities of surplus food which are available for collection.

On December 15, Housing Minister Simon Coveney announced winners of the Thinktech project, which includes prizes of €170,000, plus €50,000 non-financial supports, and inclusion on the Thinktech Accelerator programme from January to May 2017.

Co-Founder of FoodCloud Hubs, Aoibheann O’Brien, said: “We are delighted to be announced as one of the Thinktech winners. Over the past few years, FoodCloud has donated over one million meals to charities and we have established partnerships with over 300 charities.

“This project will allow us to expand, and to connect with food producers and wholesalers using technology. I would like to thank Social Innovation Fund Ireland, Google.org and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government for this great opportunity.”

Speaking at the Awards ceremony, Minister Coveney said the programme is “an example of what government, corporate leadership and social innovation can achieve when they unite for society’s benefit.”

FoodCloud aims to replicate the success of their well-established local solution, to tackle food waste across the entire food supply chain “from growers in West Cork to food manufacturers in Donegal.”