Ahold Delhaize Investing in 5 Supply Chain Entrepreneurs

Retail Business Services, the services company of Ahold Delhaize USA, is working with five entrepreneurs in the second round of its Supply Chain Seed Program, an immersive, 10-week opportunity to build next-generation products or services to solve problems in the retail supply chain. 

Last year, the Wasteless company won the pitch competition with its technology that reduces food waste and increases perishable food revenue by dynamically pricing items with a shorter expiration date at their optimal price point. 

This year's finalists are: 

• End2End Solutions, led by Robert Steward, which provides a set of Internet of Things solutions and services designed to improve supply chain visibility by addressing quality, compliance, security, logistics and performance management.
• Evergreens Farms, led by Ahmad Zameli, looks to provide vertical farming technology to produce anywhere, regardless of climate, and deliver consistently high-quality product year-round.
• GoWheels!, led by William Bateman, is developing a radically redesigned wheel with a replaceable tire for carts used in distribution and transportation centers.
• NanoThings, led by Tim Williams, is focusing on a cold-chain traceability solution by utilizing Internet of Things technology from source to store.
• Produce Pics, led by Sridhar Iyer, is providing a computer vision-based application for reducing food waste in supply chain.  

“The coronavirus pandemic brought incredible challenges to the global supply chain industry, and suppliers and retailers are still working to recover, while also planning for the future,” said Dan Covert, director, supply chain innovation for Retail Business Services. “New ideas and creative solutions are more important than ever, and partnerships like the Supply Chain Seed Program are a key way we can encourage and support those approaches. We look forward to seeing what these five finalists will bring forward.”

The Supply Chain Seed Program is a partnership with Venture Café, a non-profit organization in New England focused on growing inclusive entrepreneurship. The program partners these five startups with supply chain leaders and subject matter experts to develop new and innovative technologies and applications. 

All five startups will pitch their solutions on Sept. 10 at a Supply Chain Innovation Conference organized by Venture Café Cambridge, and one will be named the most viable technology for the future retail supply chain. 

Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is the parent company for Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. companies, consisting of Food Lion, Giant Food, The Giant Co., Hannaford, and Stop & Shop, as well as e-grocer Peapod; Retail Business Services, a U.S. support services company providing services to the brands; and Peapod Digital Labs, its ecommerce engine. Operating more than 2,000 stores across 23 states, Ahold Delhaize USA is  No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in the United States.