Business

Senoptica aims to raise €4m in funding to drive anti-food-waste technology

System to help predict food spoilage and highlight any issues with incorrect packaging

Brendan Rice, cofounder and chief executive of Senoptica: “What we expect is that, on confirmation of our first order, we will be expanding the team.” Photograph: Naoise Culhane

Ciara O'Brien
Thu Apr 11 2024 - 06:34

Irish company Senoptica is aiming to raise €4 million in funding to advance its sensor technology aimed at reducing food waste.

Senoptica’s system uses optical sensors using food-safe ink printed inside packaging that monitors the level of oxygen inside modified atmosphere (MAP) food packaging to help predict food spoilage and highlight any issues with incorrect packaging. This in turn can help extend the shelf life of fresh packaged food.

The company is aiming to cut up to 11 million tonnes of food waste every year, equal to 240 million tonnes of CO2.

Senoptica said it will use the funding to extend its reach in the industry, get more people to adopt the technology and to build its teams.

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The Trinity College-based company is planning to increase staff numbers to around 20 by the end of next year.

“What we expect is that, on confirmation of our first order, we will be expanding the team,” said Brendan Rice, cofounder and chief executive.

“We expect to be up to about 10 people by the end of this year, and all going well, between 15 and 20 by the end of 2025.”

This week the company, which was established in 2018 by Mr Rice, Dr Rachel Evans and Dr Steve Comby, got approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the use of its sensor technology in the US, a major milestone in its expansion.

It now plans to grow its operations in the UK, and conduct trials of its technology across the United States.

It has been in talks with an as-yet unnamed UK retailer, trialing the technology, and a European food company.

“We’re in progress now to get it to market in the middle of the year,” Mr Rice said. “Ireland is well known for its pharma, medtech, we’re also well known for our foods. We’re not as well known for our food tech. From a national perspective here, this is a big deal, because we’re certainly trying to do our best here to blaze a trail.”

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist

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