To mark the start of Zero Waste Week, we spoke to Hjalmar Ståhlberg Nordegren, CEO and co founder of Karma, about the inspiration behind the food waste app and why he is taking the brand on the ultimate mission to ensure that great food is never wasted.
What inspired you to launch your app, Karma?
We know that ⅓ of all food produced globally is wasted, and we wanted to do something about it. As a team of experienced entrepreneurs, we knew that together, we could apply our knowledge of building successful businesses and create something with real value and purpose. Myself (CEO) and my co-founders Elsa Bernadotte (COO), Mattis Larsson (CTO) and Ludvig Berling (CPO) started Karma initially as a deals app, and after seeing the demand for food related deals and offers, we asked ourselves, how can we make this better? Looking deeper into the issue of food waste and researching its global environmental impact, we felt compelled to innovate within this space, and this brings us to the Karma you now see today.
What are your sustainable priorities for the business?
We believe in leading by example, so the team are working hard to get to a place where they themselves generate zero food waste; both by using our app and also through smart tips and tricks like freezing fruit to make smoothies and using old bread as croutons in salads. We also believe it’s important to compensate for any emissions you cause when running your business, so we’re enrolled in goldstandard.org and make sure we are climate neutral.
What has the reaction been like since you launched in 2016?
We’ve been delighted to see the response and support from our Karma community. We’re pretty confident that we have some of the best restaurants, cafes and kitchens in London using Karma as a way to make their businesses better (these include Caravan in Fitzrovia, Aubaine, Detox Kitchen and Island Poke). In our native Sweden, 5% of the population have embraced Karma and use it for everything from smoothies to sushi. We’ve recently launched in Paris and are very much looking forward to seeing Karma work within in a city known for its outstanding cuisine.