Food waste tech startups have their place but the biggest solution lies inside supermarkets

Millions of dollars are being invested into startups in a bid to ramp up the fight against food waste. But how about preventing it in the first place? That’s the question posed by Matt Lipscombe, CEO at Impulse Logic, and a former Aldi UK executive.

In a LinkedIn post, in which he was responding to research flagging 100+ food waste startups that have attracted over $200 million in funding, he said: “It’s fantastic to see so many innovative solutions diverting food waste into something constructive but I can’t help thinking we are not solving the actual cause.”

He added: “I have worked in and around grocery retail for almost 20 years and I am crystal clear the biggest solution lies inside the supermarket. Yes, there is a lot of food waste in the home but if supermarkets provide better shelf life to the customer, far less is wasted from their fridge.”

Lipscombe concluded: “Even the shortest shelf live products arrive into a supermarket with five to seven days life on so they have five or six days to sell our products at full price and then one marked down. You aren’t going to convince me that at least 50% of food waste isn’t avoidable through more intelligent handling and merchandising. We talk a lot about products being responsibly sourced. What about it being handled responsibly?”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Startups will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.