Fresh Strips B.V.: Nanotechnology & materials

Jan 31 • 25 SEMIFINALISTS • 5097 Views • No Comments on Fresh Strips B.V.: Nanotechnology & materials

Winner of MITEF Greece Startup Competition 2017

The Fresh Strips is a plastic sticker which gets attached to food or medical supplies packages and indicates if the product is safe by changing color. Our team represents a synergy between EY, TU/e, NTUA, Merck and HighTechXL. In just 3 months we have won the Displaying Futures Award and funding by Merck and the Get in the Ring Netherlands competition (300 applicants). Our vision is that every package, food or vaccine will have our strip which will become the world’s most accurate sensor.

THE PROBLEM:

Food: According to the CDC “each year, 1 in 6 Americans gets sick by consuming contaminated foods or beverages”. This is largely due to consuming badly stored food. On the other hand one third of the annual food production gets thrown away while most of it was safe to consume. This waste amounts to a yearly cost of $2,000 per American household and exceeds a total of $1 trillion. Medical: Over $20 mil in vaccines is wasted annually and up to 35% are negatively affected by poor refrigeration.

Fresh Strips’ SOLUTION:

Fresh Strips’ product is a simple plastic sticker that gets attached to food and medical supplies packages. Whenever the food is exposed to excessive heat the Fresh Strips changes color irreversibly indicating the food is no longer edible. The same applies for vaccines, insulin vials, etc. This way consumers know both when the product is safe (regardless of the expiration date) and not to discard the product unnecessarily. Thus Fresh Strips mitigates food waste on the consumers end where most of it occurs.

Live pitch presentation during the Finals & Awards Ceremony of MITEF Greece Startup Competition 2017