TORONTO, March 7, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Daily Blends, an AI technology company disrupting the automated foodservice industry with smart vending machines for fresh, healthy food, today announced its $2 million investment, led jointly by San Francisco-based Hustle Fund and New York is headed. This funding will accelerate Daily Blends’ plan to deploy its AI-powered smart vending machines at many locations across the Metrolinx network, starting with Union Station. These vending machines will offer quality, fresh groceries to millions of commuters in the greater Toronto-Hamilton area.

Consumer demand for healthy yet affordable food has increased at a time when food, property and labor prices have risen. Daily Blends meets this demand through its data-centric retail platform, offering healthier food options served in smarter ways. The result is a healthy, fresh food option at an average price of $6, significantly less than the cost of a typical fast-casual meal.

The company’s software analyzes real-time sales, inventory and user data from each vending machine, generates multi-level user, location and network insights and drives a highly optimized end-to-end supply chain that achieves high product availability and minimal food waste.

Daily Blends’ in-house technology and algorithms generate insights into accurate demand forecasts, optimal assortments, shelf shares, promotions, product recommendations, promote high customer loyalty while optimizing delivery schedules and minimizing stockouts.

“The combination of powerful data insights and intelligent plug-and-play vending machines, further combined with an omnichannel experience, helps us address new, evolving consumer needs while keeping our model agile and eliminating the high capital and labor costs that are associated with traditional retail formats,” said Shriya Gupta, CEO and co-founder of Daily Blends. “We’re excited to bring affordable, healthy options to Toronto…