MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

BigFridge - Big Data of Food

One-line solution summary:

BigFridge is an app which builds a bridge over fridges by collecting the data of household stocks for macro planning of food supply.

Pitch your solution.

BigFridge is an app where individuals can contribute to the macro planning of food supply by providing information of what they have in their own household stocks and what they will need in the coming months.

When all food stock is gathered in the BigFridge’s pool, Big Data is provided to food producers, big grocery chains and local governments.

Present main stream market model of food consumption is allowing people only to buy the goods which are already on the shelves. With BigFridge we suggest that prepaid orders may raise a new win-win relation between customers and suppliers.

When paid beforehand producers feels quite safe because they will be able to plan their production according to what they have already sold. The accuracy in planning saves wasted food.

BigFridge builds an online medium in order to be a part of the daily kitchen and grocery shopping routines of individual users.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

What is the problem about food during Covid-19 Pandemic?

There may be shortages in food supply and ambiguity in food demand due to lockdowns.

If the isolation period prolongs over months there can be shortages of some food. Some vegetables, fruits and grains cannot be planted for the next year because of social distancing is necessary for farmers. Some ingredients cannot be transported from local producers to other countries because the borders are closed.

Food stocks should be planned carefully in this disaster. Otherwise food will be a serious problem along with virus disease health issues.

In the coming months, local authorities, food producers, big companies and governments will require data. In normal times they use their own data and projection tools in order to plan the food demand properly and distribute evenly. But this is a crisis that the world had not been experienced before. Everything can fall into chaos. Supply chain might be disrupted. Demand routines might change abruptly. Chaos in food supply might cause serious destruction. Therefore accurate predictions are essential keys to handle this disaster.

What are the problems about food before and after Covid-19 Pandemic?

i. Waste

ii. System depending on midmen results high prices

What is your solution?

If we count what we have in every individual fridge, then we will be able to know the big data of all available food stock.

BigFridge is an app where individuals can contribute to the macro planning of food supply by providing information of what they have in their own household stocks and what they will need in the coming months.

When all food stock is gathered in the BigFridge’s pool, Big Data is provided to food producers, big grocery chains and local governments.

This study should be accepted as the first step and groundwork of a long-term project which will provide better projections of food demand. With BigFridge application, people around the world will be able to upload the existing food stock in their houses. Sharing this information may build big data and when numerous fridges are analyzed, basis for accurate planning is obtained. For the progressing stages of the project, it will be enhanced with Artificial Intelligince algorithms resulting in more reliable predictions.

Strategic partneships and coloborations among food industry circles are at the heart of our business model. BigFridge is planned to have key partners among food production and supply, data analytics companies and Ministry of Agriculture.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

There are more than 1.2 billion households worldwide. The number of total population under the age 25 is more than 3 billion. We target 1% of these households to use this app, which is 12 million users. During this quarantine times, we expect the young members of the families will adopt this new app and contribute big food data while winning. BigFridge is a novel domestic mobile tool which provides benefits and having fun for users. It is easy to use and completely free, no payment or fee is charged.

VALUE PROPOSITIONS

VP for Users:

i) Being a part of the solution for the possible problems in Food Supply Chain.

ii) Receiving discounts, giftcards and paychecks for grocery shopping.

iii) Access to healthy meal recipes that can be prepared with the existing goods in the fridge.

VP for Food Poducers and Grocery Markets:

i) Prepaid orders provide win-win for consumers as well as food producers and big grocery stores. Producers will be able to plan their production better.

ii) If supply chain is planned according to accurate demand projections there will be less food to be wasted.

Characteristics:
Newness, Convenience, Accessibility, Design, Cost and Risk Reduction, Minimization of Food Waste.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Improve supply chain practices to reduce food loss, scale new business models for producer-market connections, and create low-carbon cold chains

Explain how the problem, your solution, and your solution’s target population relate to the Challenge and your selected dimension.

BigFridge has an innovative perspective for re-organizing the relation between the producers and the consumers

Economic Level: With prepaid orders, suppliers will feel safer because they will be able to plan their production according to what they have already sold.

Society Level: If supply chain is planned according to accurate demand projections there will be less food to be wasted.

Personal Level: If you have excess food and wish to donate, BigFridge app informs the local food bank nearby your location.

No piece of edible stuff should be wasted while there are millions of people on earth suffering from hunger.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

İstanbul, Türkiye

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business model

Who is the primary delegate for your solution?

Ilayda Aysen Iseri

More About Your Solution

If your solution has a website, provide a link here:

https://oksbar24.wixsite.com/bigfridge

If your solution proposes an app that is currently live, provide a link to your app online or in an app store here:

https://www.appsheet.com/start/038b2c73-3685-45f9-a3b2-c213f6465ff0

Which of the following categories best describes your solution?

A new business model or process

Describe what makes your solution innovative.

KEY ACTIVITIES

i) Building and promoting an online medium (eg. ios/android mobile apps) for the users in order them to provide the data of their household food stocks.

ii) Making agreements with Big Grocery Chains and Online Grocery Markets about the gifts and discounts that they are going to offer to BigFridge Users.

iii) Organizing of the gathered raw data according to the partner Data Analytics Company’s requirements.

KEY RESOURCES

i) Creative designs and ideas are important in order to build this brand new mobile app. Our young and creative team members are the key resource.

ii) Strategic partneships and coloborations among food business circles is at the heart of this model. Our mentors and advisers are industry experts having +60 years experience totally.

KEY PARTNERS

Key Partners in Food Production and Supply: (and/or)

i)Big Grocery Chains
ii)Online Grocery Companies
iii)Food Producers

Motivated by optimization in operations and stock control. Improvement in profit margins due to reduction in waste with prepaid orders.

Key Partners in Planning of Food Supply: (and/or)

i)Local Government Authorotiries
ii) Agriculture Departments and Bureaus
iii) Ministry of Food & Agriculture

Motivated by better coordination due to reduction of risk in food supply chain.

Key Partner in Data Analytics:

i) A reliable and trustworthy data analytics company in order to share data.

Motivated by the acquisition of particular data resources gathered by the app from the activities and personal information provided by BigFridge users.

Describe the core technology that powers your solution.

Data Analytics

A key partner company in data analytics is essential for the success of BigFridge. We would like to have a strategic partnership with a reliable and trustworthy data analytics company in order to share data motivated by the acquisition of particular data resources gathered by the app from the activities and personal information provided by BigFridge users.

AI

This study should be accepted as the first step and groundwork of a long-term project which will provide better projections of food demand. With BigFridge application, people around the world will be able to upload the existing food stock in their houses.

Sharing this information may build big data and when numerous fridges are analyzed, basis for accurate planning is obtained. For the progressing stages of the project, it will be enhanced with Artificial Intelligince algorithms resulting in more reliable predictions. AI will also be facilliated in order to provide customization for better user experience.

IMAGE PROCESSING

Users will be required to upload the photos of the food.

QR CODE

Users will receive QR codes for relevant discounts and giftcards when they complete the required tasks.

Provide evidence that this technology works.

Although BigFridge business model is innovative it requires no novel innovation in terms of technology.

Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:

Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
Big Data
Imaging and Sensor Technology
Software and Mobile Applications

What is your theory of change?

Present main stream market model of food consumption is allowing people only to buy the goods which are already on the shelves. With BigFridge we suggest that prepaid orders may raise a new win-win relation between customers and suppliers.

When paid beforehand producers feels quite safe because they will be able to plan their production according to what they have already sold. The accuracy in planning saves wasted food.

BigFridge builds an online medium in order to be a part of the daily kitchen and grocery shopping routines of individual users.

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

BigFridge is positioned as a novel domestic mobile brand which provides some benefits and have fun when using it.

Therefore it is important to keep the online product of BigFridge always updated, attractive and functional by continuous flow of fresh content on easy cooking, healthy recipes, kitchen tips, food hygiene, etc.

Giftcards, paychecks, discounts and delightful surprises will be waiting for loyal users and BigFridge will soon become a love mark.

CHANNELS

The channel of the main business activity for user interface are Mobile Apps (ios/android). Promoting the mobile apps to reach as many young people as possible will be held by digital and conventional marketting tools. Getting the support of local authorities and governments for promotion campaigns as well as cooperating with local communities and food banks are important in order to spread the usege of the apps. BigFridge is planned to be a part of the daily kitchen and grocery shopping routines of individual users.

Select the key characteristics of your target population.

Women & Girls
Children & Adolescents
Urban
Low-Income
Middle-Income

Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?

2. Zero Hunger
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
17. Partnerships for the Goals

In which countries do you currently operate?

Turkiye

How many people does your solution currently serve? How many will it serve in one year? In five years?

Young generation are the target customers while every person with a mobile phone who is willing to download an app can use BigFridge. It is so easy to use but there is a limitation in terms of place: It can only be used at home, in the kitchen. The user should look in the fridge and write down what is there, check the lists on the app, take photos of the food. When the weekly task is complete, the user receives a QR code and views the gifts. Although these activities are all simple and fun, people over 50 of age are generally not prone to use such apps.

What are your goals within the next year and within the next five years?

There are more than 1.2 billion households worldwide. The number of total population under the age 25 is more than 3 billion. We target 1% of these households to use this app, which is 12 million users. During this quarantine times, we expect the young members of the families will adopt this new app and contribute big food data while winning.

What barriers currently exist for you to accomplish your goals in the next year and in the next five years?

We need to build strategic partnerships among food producers, grocery chains and local governments. We need a seed investment in order to build the online tools in a professional way. The existing ones are only demo versions of BigFridge.

How do you plan to overcome these barriers?

BigFridge needs seed stage funding. After that it will sustain itself as a start-up.

COST STRUCTURE

BigFridge is value driven rather than costs. The requiriments for fixed costs are almost negligible and all the workers are paid in certain percentages of the income. Therefore they have to create revenue in order to be paid well.

Variable costs are due to digital marketting and promoting activities. All the operational activities are held within a cost sensitive perspective. No offices, no luxirius utilities. Costs like hosting and cloud storage are afforded by foundations supporting startups.

REVENUE STREAMS

BigtFridge app is free to use. No payment or fee is expected from the user. Similarly nothing is charged to partner Grocery Chains while they are expected to offer discounts, giftcards and paychecks frequently to loyal users while sponsorship supports are all welcome from partner companies.

When data of food stocks of the users are gathered, big data is provided to food producers, big grocery chains and local governments within the partnership of a data analytics company.

The customers of the partner data analytics company who are willing to pay are going to be the main source of income. Tehrefore the price or value of the collected data as a resource is going to be dynamic and depends on the negotiations according to current market circumstances.

About Your Team

Your Business Model & Funding

Partnership & Prize Funding Opportunities