Startup CarbonTrac targets supermarkets with AI tool to help shoppers boost green credentials and improve their health
A startup founded by an entrepreneur in her early 20s and supported by UnLtd, a UK foundation for social ventures, is targeting the UK’s biggest supermarkets, with technology designed to help shoppers easily make healthier, more sustainable choices.
Graduate Yasmine Abdu, 23, founded CarbonTrac while she was still a chemical engineering student at University College London. She designed the AI powered tool to integrate into existing supermarket loyalty apps. It provides shoppers with personalised, real-time insights into the nutritional value and environmental impact of their groceries.
Abdu has received a UN fellowship, been named UK Green Startup of the Year, and contributed to WHO and UN FAO discussions on food systems.
She is now focused on working with supermarkets to pilot the technology at scale, anticipating benefits for their sales and customer loyalty in addition to the wider health and environment gains. Around 95% of people in Britain aged 16-75 have at least one supermarket loyalty card, according to a 2025 ISPOS Survey, and existing reports suggest that when retailers combine loyalty schemes with nutritional data, it can lead to an increase in consumer spend.
UnLtd, which has supported her with funding, 1:1 support and mentoring through its Starting Up Award, says this ambition to scale up and work with some of the UK’s retail giants demonstrates how the societal and economic potential of social entrepreneurship go hand in hand.
Amjid Hussein, Abdu’s Support Manager at UnLtd, says: “Yasmine is an inspirational young woman whose energy and passion for the environment are powerfully reflected in CarbonTrac. It’s been a pleasure to witness firsthand how tech minded social entrepreneurs are developing practical, scalable solutions to some of the UK’s biggest challenges.”
“By working with founders like Yasmine, who combine a commitment to societal change with valuable commercial insight, we can help grow truly impactful ventures, intended to scale up when the time is right and thrive.”
Abdu believes that CarbonTrac could extend beyond individual shopping choices, potentially helping to shape supply chains, cut food emissions and utilise personalised nutrition insights to support better population health.
She says: “As a young person you have so much room to fail. Later in life, it gets harder to take big risks. If it all falls apart tomorrow, I get a normal job, which is everyone's normal path anyway. Suddenly failure doesn't seem that scary. But I don't intend to fail.”
“Industry will never move as fast as we can as startups. We can change direction tomorrow. We can adapt to any change in AI tomorrow. It is up to the social entrepreneurs to reshape the system in its entirety. It’s a massive responsibility but there’s no way I’m going to give up.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Startups will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
