Startup Spotlight: ConnectedFresh Innovates with Data-Driven Sensor Tech

In 2019, Jake Simon and Tushar Agrawal, while working at Deloitte Consulting, were focused on industrial IoT applications for heavy machinery. They explored how production line data could help detect early warning signs, enabling preventative and predictive maintenance to minimize downtime. 

When a friend’s produce shop experienced a costly cooler malfunction, resulting in significant losses, Simon was inspired to develop a sensor platform to monitor cooler temperatures and provide timely alerts.

Building on their experience at Deloitte, Simon and Agrawal evolved the solution from simple temperature monitoring into a comprehensive suite of operations-focused monitoring tools. These now include off-the-shelf sensors for monitoring energy consumption, door status, leaks, and more. In 2023, ConnectedFresh was selected for the Techstars Future of Food Accelerator with Ecolab, further enhancing their capabilities to address complex food safety issues. Their Automated Cool Down Logs solution helps keep prepared foods out of the ‘danger zone’, preventing foodborne illness and reducing waste.

Today, ConnectedFresh routinely hears success stories from clients who have avoided significant losses thanks to timely alerts. “Just in the past two months, a grocer and a restaurant operator saved $70,000 and $25,000 respectively in spoilage,” Simon noted. “We’re aiming to shift teams from reactive to proactive, which has resulted in major savings.”

Their expanding platform now covers sensors for various needs, including fill levels, kitchen air quality, and warehouse temperatures. 

The company also uses machine learning to detect anomalies, such as increased energy consumption in a cooler struggling to maintain temperature. This predictive insight allows operators to act before breakdowns occur, saving costs and minimizing downtime.

Luna Grill Saves Time and Enhances Safety with Automated Logs

One example of ConnectedFresh’s impact is Luna Grill’s cooling process. Previously, staff monitored temperatures with regular checks over a six-hour cool-down window, meeting industry food safety and FDA compliance standards. Now, with ConnectedFresh’s Automated Cool Down Logs, this task takes less than 5 minutes of active time, freeing team members to focus on customers.

Maddie Ahrens, Director of Culinary & Restaurant Excellence at Luna Grill, shared: "We recently partnered with ConnectedFresh to enhance our cooling log process and modernize how it’s completed. ConnectedFresh took the manual labor and potential for human error out of the process. What used to take an average of 20 minutes per cooled ingredient now takes less than 5 minutes, saving us thousands of hours across our restaurants."

Immediate notifications about cooling issues now allow for timely interventions, reducing waste and improving efficiency. The simplicity of ConnectedFresh's platform meant Luna Grill could implement the system with minimal training.

Maddie continued: "This means our team's productivity has improved, allowing us to get more done in the back of house while focusing on providing a great experience for our customers."

While simplifying labor was key, she also emphasized: "The food safety peace of mind is what really drove this project forward. Automated alerts and detailed reporting give us confidence that this critical control point is being handled with the utmost accuracy to meet health standards and regulations."

Early results indicate significant gains in efficiency and compliance, with newfound opportunities for continuous improvement emerging through better data visibility.

Simon reflected: "Hearing success stories like Luna Grill's is incredibly rewarding. We hear similar stories consistently across our customer base with thousands of saved hours or avoided spoilage – it confirms that we're making a tangible difference for our customers and their bottom line."

The Power of Data and Integrations

ConnectedFresh continues to innovate, working with industry partners to break down data silos and encourage better integration across foodservice operations. As Jake Simon puts it, “Remote temperature monitoring is not new, but today’s sensor landscape lacks strong analytics and integration.” ConnectedFresh’s open platform approach with LoRaWAN-compatible sensors means businesses are not locked into proprietary hardware, providing the flexibility to source the best technology for their needs.

Simon is also a contributing member towards the enhancement of the Restaurant Technology Network’s data standards, advocating for a more integrated and flexible future for foodservice software.

Through integrations with facilities management partners like Ecotrak and compliance platforms like CMX1, ConnectedFresh ensures data flows seamlessly between platforms, improving operational response. For instance, sensor data can trigger a work order in Ecotrak or initiate corrective actions in CMX1—turning insights into action without manual intervention.

Looking Ahead

ConnectedFresh is committed to breaking down operational silos in foodservice, empowering operators with data-driven insights that improve safety and efficiency in an increasingly complex landscape.

"Our ultimate vision is to create a fully connected, data-driven foodservice environment where potential issues are caught early, and teams can focus on their core mission—providing great food experiences," Simon explained. "We want to eliminate downtime, prevent foodborne illness, and make the lives of operators easier through better and impact-first insights."