Two innovative teams, Zero Forks from the UK and Cul Intel from India, emerged as winners at the Zero-Waste Hackathon 2025 held on May 22nd. The competition, hosted by UST, challenged participants to develop technology-driven solutions for reducing food waste in the hospitality sector. The teams shared a £1,500 prize pool for their innovative ideas.
Zero Forks impressed the judges with their behavioral science-based app designed to minimize household food waste. The app gamifies the process of reducing waste and encourages communication between consumers and the food industry.
Cul Intel presented an AI-powered platform that optimizes menu planning, pricing, portion sizes, and real-time food redistribution. This data-driven approach aims to significantly reduce waste in food service operations. The hackathon drew 88 entries from around the world, with finalists representing India, Spain, the US, and the UK.