Tag: SmartVending

UpMeals SmartVending Machines to receive AI Upgrades

April 11, 2022

Vancouver, BC, July 27th, 2022 – UpMeals is pleased to share that it has been accepted into Durham College’s Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions (AI Hub), a centre of excellence that enables small- and medium-sized enterprises to develop and adopt complex AI solutions to improve productivity and efficiency. The AI Hub offers industry partners access to technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and platforms, and student talent.

“We’re thrilled to be one of only ten businesses accepted into the AI Hub program this year,” said Drew Munro, Co-founder and CEO of UpMeals. “This experience will provide us with invaluable research, data and modeling as to how we can expand the AI within our machines to better service our customers.”

The AI Hub will provide approximately 240 hours of service over 12 weeks from students and research associates to assist UpMeals with early-stage research and development to create an AI project prototype, accelerating the feasibility of a proposed AI solution, the quality of the datasets and development opportunities. This will result in a working prototype, supporting code and other materials to execute and scale the prototype for commercialization.

“We look forward to expanding the AI capabilities of our SmartVending machines, offering tailored recommendations on each of our machines depending on item popularity, time of date, consumption trends and more. Just as a streaming service recommends programming based on your history, soon our SmartVending machine interfaces will offer similar functionality to get the right product to the right user to drive sales and reduce waste,” continues Munro.

UpMeals had previously received advisory services and funding support from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) to develop and bring to market the UpMeals App.

About UpMeals

UpMeals is a food accessibility platform on a mission to make healthy, nutritious meals available 24/7. Innovative SmartVending machines, direct to consumer eCommerce, and B2B solutions provide custom, healthy, sustainably packaged meals that meet the highest food safety standards. UpMeals uses proprietary AI-driven software to create their custom meal solutions and reduce food waste. Using the data collected from their platform, UpMeals uses their software to improve menu offerings based on user feedback and popularity.

About the AI Hub

Housed within Durham College’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the AI Hub offers small and medium enterprises a much-needed access point to the rapidly growing field of AI. By offering industry partners access to technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and platforms, and student talent, businesses can uncover valuable insights while receiving intelligent and autonomous solutions that increase organizational productivity and growth. The AI Hub services are supported in part by funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). Companies interested in how AI and digital transformation can enhance their businesses are encouraged to visit www.durhamcollege.ca/theAIHub or contact the AI Hub team directly via email or phone at 905.721.3223.

UpMeals currently has an open financing round and is inviting investors to participate in the opportunity.

To download the deck and terms, please visit the link below:

UpMeals Investor’s Deck

UBC Partners with UpMeals to Bring Students Healthy Meals from Refrigerated SmartVending Machines

November 3, 2021

SmartVending machines installed at Sauder School of Business and Irving K. Barber Learning Centre give students access to nutritious food options 24/7

Vancouver, BC, November 3, 2021 – Today, UpMeals, the healthy, fresh and sustainable vending machine solution, announced that it has partnered with the University of British Columbia (UBC) to install its SmartVending machines at the Vancouver campus. UpMeals’ individually-packaged breakfasts, entrees, snacks and juices will be available to students mid-November. The first machine will be installed in the main lobby of the Sauder School of Business Henry Angus building, and the second machine will be situated inside the cafe of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, an energetic hub for students looking for brain food. These meals will provide students with safely accessible, healthy, ready-to-eat meal options available 24/7 on campus.

The SmartVending install will service up to 10,000 students, faculty, and staff per day in each building, addressing a need for safe, convenient 24/7 access to healthy food choices on campus. UpMeals is working with the team at UBC to integrate the machines with UBC Student cards, which once active, will simplify a safe payment process for students. The installation will also help to reduce the increased trips made by meal delivery services to campus, ultimately reducing the burden on the environment.

“As students make the transition back to campus, we’re pleased to be able to offer UpMeals’ menu items so students and others can access healthy, affordable food options at all hours of the day,” said Drew Munro, Co-Founder and CEO of UpMeals. “There’s a science to how we structure our meals, using a lot of superfoods that will be hugely beneficial to students. Working closely with the team at UBC Food Services, the SmartVending machines will be equipped with meals and snacks crafted to keep students feeling energized, in a better mood, and help with improved memory. Not only that, the fact that these are nutritionally-complete meal options that are individually-packaged and prepared in a HACCP certified facility makes them a safe option.”

UpMeals is designing a rotating menu of meals and snacks for UBC Food Services that meet high standards for nutritional needs and culinary preferences. The meals offered in the SmartVending machines will rotate on a regular basis and will be reflective of ongoing data received through the app, incorporating local and seasonal ingredients. The initial meals included in the machines feature items like custom designed salads, grain bowls, wraps, entrees, energy bites, cold pressed juices and more. Any surplus of unsold food will be donated through UpMeals’ partnership with the Vancouver Food Runners, helping to eliminate food waste.

“We were looking for healthier alternatives for ready-to-eat takeout meals that could be purchased safely at any hour – the UpMeals SmartVending machines met and exceeded our expectations for what we could offer students,” said Colin Moore, Director of Food Services, Student Housing & Community Services at UBC. “A bonus is that ingredients are fresh, meals are sustainably packaged, and it’s a convenient option that reflects good health and well-being to promote academic success. Our staff and students lead busy lives, so we’re thrilled to offer them easily accessible, delicious meal options.”

UpMeals currently has installations planned at Simon Fraser University and GEC, Vancouver’s largest off-campus student housing. Check out other SmartVending locations.

UpMeals Enters Exclusive Licensing Agreement with SMRT1 Technologies

July 16, 2021

Today, UpMeals is pleased to announce that we have entered into an exclusive five-year licensing agreement with SMRT1 Technologies, enabling UpMeals to create and own all new technology features and IP that are built for our unique fresh food vending platform.

Currently, UpMeals’ proprietary software provides automation for all levels of the creative, production, ordering and delivery processes, empowering users to create plans for meals nearing their expiry date and build menus based on the popularity of food items. The new licensed technology will allow UpMeals to develop new and innovative features specific to the SmartVending machines themselves.

“This strategic licensing agreement allows us to develop and scale the customer-facing technology side of the UpMeals platform, providing our team endless opportunities to push our innovation limits,” said Drew Munro, Co-Founder and CEO of UpMeals. “We also now have full exclusivity and right of first refusal for any fresh food vending competitors that may enter the space using the SMRT1 Technologies software.”

The SMRT1 Technologies software empowers users to manage their machines and products, track inventory, monitor and analyze critical data, generate insightful reports, and schedule and manage service calls. The UpMeals development team will be leveraging the technology to update and develop new customer facing features such as an eCommerce style experience, as well as new mobile app features including a ‘view machines near me’ function; ‘view available items, order, pay & reserve online’; customizable dietary preferences and nutritional goals; and, loyalty points and refer a friend bonuses.

“We’re excited to partner with UpMeals on this to provide them with a convenient, accessible, and trusted automated self-service solution,” said Terry Van Horn, SMRT1 Technologies CEO. “The technology will revolutionize the way UpMeals connects with customers.”

Learn more about our SmartVending solution.