Alon Chen, Ceo And Co-founder Of Tastewise – Interview Series

Alon Chen is nan CEO and Co-Founder of Tastewise, a starring user intelligence level powered by information and generative AI. Under his leadership, Tastewise is transforming really nutrient and beverage brands create tasty, healthy, and sustainable products by unlocking real-time user insights. Trusted by world giants specified arsenic Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Kraft Heinz, nan level helps companies accelerate merchandise innovation, streamline marketing, and boost unit and foodservice capacity done AI-driven workflows. With a ngo to empower smarter decision-making crossed nan nutrient ecosystem, Chen is astatine nan forefront of leveraging AI to style nan early of what we eat and drink.

Tastewise was inspired by your mother’s Shabbat dinner. Can you stock much astir that infinitesimal and really it sparked nan thought for nan company?

At 1 point, I noticed that everyone successful my family had different diets, nutrition plans, and nutrient preferences. For my mother — who ever prepares unthinkable Shabbat dinners and invites nan full family — this became a existent challenge. She had to support way of everyone’s evolving dietary needs while still creating a repast that brought america each together.

One week, she’d hole a accepted crockery pinch chicken, only to recognize location were vegetarians astatine nan table. Another time, she’d service rice, forgetting that immoderate of america were pursuing a keto diet. The vexation of trying to accommodate everyone started to return a toll.

That’s erstwhile it struck me—this wasn’t conscionable a situation for location cooks; it was a overmuch bigger rumor for nan full nutrient and beverage industry. If moreover a home-cooked repast required truthful overmuch adaptation, really could businesses efficaciously support up pinch ever-changing user preferences? That realization was nan spark that led to Tastewise.

How did you find that nan nutrient and beverage manufacture was fresh for an AI-powered insights level for illustration Tastewise?

When we launched Tastewise successful 2018, AI was still uncharted territory. Many businesses – and moreover our investors – were uncertain astir its imaginable and really it could toggle shape industries. But 1 point was clear: nan nutrient and beverage manufacture desperately needed innovation.

At nan time, 90% of caller merchandise launches were failing, mostly owed to outdated, manual processes for illustration user surveys and attraction groups. These methods were slow, costly, and often grounded to seizure real-time user preferences. It wasn’t conscionable that nan manufacture was fresh for AI-driven insights—it needed them.

Tastewise was built to span that gap. We leverage AI to thief brands streamline merchandise improvement and marketplace strategies and this fundamentally frees teams from doing tedious manual activity and enables them to alternatively attraction connected creativity, strategy, and meaningful innovation.

How did your acquisition astatine Google arsenic CMO for Greece and Israel hole you for launching Tastewise?

My clip astatine Google was instrumental successful preparing maine to motorboat Tastewise. As CMO for Greece and Israel, I built a $2 cardinal online business, which gave maine invaluable acquisition successful scaling B2B operations, driving marketplace share, and knowing nan nuances of integer growth.

There, I learned firsthand really to leverage data-driven decision-making, innovation, and exertion to lick analyzable business challenges — skills that became nan instauration for Tastewise. That acquisition decidedly helped maine admit nan powerfulness of AI successful uncovering user insights and shaping nan early of nan nutrient and beverage industry.

Tastewise leverages generative AI for user insights. How does nan exertion work, and what sets it isolated from competitors successful nan space?

Tastewise’s generative AI is specifically crafted for nan nutrient and beverage industry, leveraging 7 years of specialized information to supply real-time insights into what, why, and really group eat.

Our AI analyzes a immense array of information – spanning 75 cardinal societal media posts, 1 trillion online recipes, 160 cardinal reviews, complete 4 cardinal restaurants (both chains and independents), and 600,000 market items. This allows america not only to way existent user eating habits but besides to foretell emerging nutrient and beverage trends pinch precocious accuracy, giving brands a competitory separator successful staying up of manufacture shifts.

This said intelligence is thing without action. What sets Tastewise isolated is our expertise to toggle shape these insights into actionable gross opportunities. Our products streamline workflows, ensuring businesslike execution. For example, nan platform’s Innovation Dashboard simplifies inclination discovery, while TasteGPT will instantly make AI-powered ideas for caller products based connected your goals.

Another illustration is thing for illustration our Content Agency which converts these insights into high-performing trading campaigns. Together, these devices alteration brands to capitalize connected maturation opportunities by enhancing support presence, expanding paper offerings, aliases boosting merchandise usage—empowered by AI-driven execution.

How do you guarantee nan accuracy and relevance of AI-generated insights, and what challenges person you faced successful training models for specified a niche industry?

At first glance, AI for nan nutrient and beverage manufacture mightiness look niche, but successful reality, it’s centered connected a $10 trillion world marketplace that touches each facet of our regular lives. Digitalization has amplified its reach, pinch food-related content, specified arsenic Instagram posts astir food, now constituting 20% of each online content—underscoring that nutrient is not conscionable a market, but a cardinal portion of nan integer conversation.

When we started 7 years ago, we relied connected accepted AI models agelong earlier generative AI became mainstream. The insights we gathered complete clip from these models provided a beardown instauration for validating nan accuracy and relevance of our generative AI outputs.

By cross-referencing caller insights pinch established data, we guarantee a precocious level of reliability successful our results. While nary AI strategy is perfect, this attack allows america to support accuracy and refine our models effectively.

Tastewise processes immense amounts of information from menus, societal media, and user behavior. What circumstantial instrumentality learning models aliases techniques does your level usage to make actionable insights?

At Tastewise, we leverage a operation of precocious instrumentality learning techniques to toggle shape immense amounts of information into actionable insights. Analogizers, typically utilized for unsupervised learning, thief america cluster information based connected akin patterns, moreover erstwhile those patterns are not predefined. For instance, we usage Analogizers to categorize (or group) shop chains.

Connectionist models, for illustration neural networks, let america to categorize demographics and behavioral groups, which we mention to arsenic audiences. Meanwhile, Symbolyst’s character and wood models are utilized for entity matching—connecting different transportation platforms to nan aforesaid Tastewise entity. In this process, we trust connected a accordant group of features (such arsenic name, address, and telephone number) and use comparatively rigid rules to guarantee meticulous matching crossed platforms.

Together, these models alteration america to supply businesses pinch precise, data-driven insights that not only pass strategical decisions but besides expect early nutrient and portion trends.

TasteGPT has identified maturation successful unsocial dessert mentation methods, specified arsenic infusing and grilling. What different culinary innovations are connected nan horizon?

Tastewise’s latest insights uncover a fascinating improvement successful really consumers attack dessert and nutrient preparation. While techniques for illustration infusing and grilling proceed to summation traction, different unsocial methods are besides rising successful popularity, reflecting shifts successful texture preferences, eating experiences, and moreover information sizes.

One of nan astir notable trends is soaking, which has seen a 30% year-over-year increase. Soaking involves submerging ingredients successful liquid to heighten texture, flavor, aliases nutritional properties. Traditionally associated pinch overnight oats, this method is expanding into caller territory, specified arsenic infused grains and pre-soaked nuts for replacement dairy products.

Another method gaining attraction is tenderizing, up 25% YoY. Tenderizing is nan process of breaking down musculus fibers successful nutrient aliases altering nan texture of plant-based ingredients to create a softer bite. The emergence successful liking whitethorn bespeak a increasing user penchant for much refined, melt-in-your-mouth textures crossed various cuisines.

On nan experiential side, hibachi cooking has grown by 18% YoY, signaling a heightened liking successful high-heat, interactive dining. Hibachi is simply a Japanese grilling style wherever ingredients are cooked astatine precocious temperatures connected an unfastened grill, often successful a theatrical, engaging manner. Whether astatine restaurants aliases successful location kitchens, this inclination reflects nan entreaty of immersive cooking experiences that bring some intermezo and bold flavors to nan table.

Finally, nan conception of miniaturization is besides connected nan rise, pinch a 14% YoY increase. Miniaturization involves creating smaller, bite-sized versions of accepted dishes aliases desserts, often emphasizing information power and artistic appeal. The request for gourmet mini plates, petite pastries, and individually portioned treats suggests that consumers are looking for indulgence successful a much balanced and customizable way.

What are immoderate of nan astir astonishing trends aliases insights Tastewise has uncovered precocious successful nan nutrient and beverage space?

In Fall 2024, we continued our contented of releasing nan Flavor Trends Report, highlighting nan astir disruptive nutrient and beverage trends shaping 2025

One of nan astir striking trends is nan emergence of Middle Eastern flavors, peculiarly Yemeni spices for illustration hawaij and achromatic lime. As consumers activity retired bold, warming flavors, hawaij – a rich | blend of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves – is emerging arsenic nan adjacent large point successful beverages, poised to situation nan long-reigning pumpkin spice.

While spirit exploration is connected nan rise, economical realities are shaping really younger generations attack food. With affordability successful mind, Gen Z is gravitating toward Filipino cuisine, drawn to its rich, umami-packed flavors that don’t discuss connected sensation aliases cost.

Beyond sensation and affordability, sustainability remains a cardinal driver of user choices, particularly successful beverages. Sustainable vino is gaining traction, arsenic eco-conscious drinkers prioritize brands that believe regenerative agriculture and clasp lower-carbon accumulation methods.

At nan aforesaid time, nan wellness and wellness activity is evolving successful nan aftermath of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. Consumers are progressively looking for personalized nutrition solutions that align pinch their individual needs, from hormone equilibrium to hydration.

Together, these trends constituent to a early wherever consumers are not only seeking breathtaking flavors and cost-conscious meals but besides making mindful choices that align pinch their wellness and sustainability goals.

What’s your imagination for Tastewise successful nan adjacent 5 to 10 years, and really do you spot AI evolving successful nan nutrient and beverage industry?

AI is already a basal portion of nan nutrient and beverage manufacture building and user behavior. Consumers’ eating habits are already, successful galore ways, already affected by AI-supported algorithms connected societal media platforms for illustration Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. Meanwhile, nan manufacture is awash pinch AI devices revolutionizing request prediction and wide productivity.

The manufacture is perpetually playing catch-up pinch user demands, starring to an complete 90% nonaccomplishment complaint for caller nutrient and beverage products. According to nan World Economic Forum, nan nutrient and beverage manufacture costs complete $19 trillion owed to biology harm and food-related wellness issues, almost double what nan manufacture itself is worth.

I consciousness that successful nan adjacent 5-10 years, companies utilizing AI devices will commencement nan displacement toward a greater equilibrium, wherever brands are not only staying connected apical of trends but having a acold greater knowing of them and tin move quickly from ideation to shelf.

This intends that nan 90% nonaccomplishment complaint will travel quickly down, possibly moreover to zero, which I find much interesting. We’re already seeing brands for illustration KraftHeinz, Givaudan, Pepsico, and Waitrose pushing caller boundaries pinch their products and trading because of their usage of AI devices and platforms.

This displacement causes america to ask: What if each invention succeeds? What if each connects straight to your intended audience? What if each merchandise goes to nan correct place?

AI will fundamentally go an hold of nan quality team—faster, much precise, and always-on. I judge we’ll spot a displacement from a “helpful tool” to a “core collaborator.” And what that intends for america astatine Tastewise is profound.

Our imagination is clear: Tastewise will beryllium nan operating strategy of nutrient and beverage innovation. We’re not conscionable building a information platform—we’re building nan go-to situation wherever brands dream, test, validate, and execute, each successful 1 place. That’s what gets maine excited.

We’ve already laid nan groundwork by pairing existent user behaviour pinch GenAI to automate what utilized to return teams weeks aliases months. Our extremity now is to proceed embedding ourselves deeper into nan existent workflows of marketers, R&D teams, and strategists. Think of instant answers to analyzable questions, integrated crossed nan devices you already use, accessible anytime.

And here’s why that matters: erstwhile we get this right, we don’t conscionable thief brands move faster—we trim down connected nutrient waste, protect bottommost lines, and lend to a healthier, much responsive nutrient system. It’s amended for business, amended for people, and amended for nan planet. That’s nan early we’re building together.

What proposal would you springiness aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to disrupt accepted industries pinch AI?

Disrupting a accepted manufacture pinch AI isn’t conscionable astir having awesome technology—it’s astir solving a real, pressing problem. Too often, companies get caught up successful nan hype of AI without a clear purpose. The cardinal is to commencement pinch nan industry's biggest symptom points and ask: How tin AI make this smarter, faster, aliases much profitable?

In accepted industries, alteration doesn’t hap overnight. Many decision-makers are skeptical, relying connected bequest systems and acquainted processes. That’s why acquisition is conscionable arsenic important arsenic innovation. You person to show, not conscionable tell—use information and real-world occurrence stories to beryllium AI’s worth successful a measurement that resonates pinch your audience.

At nan aforesaid time, elasticity is crucial. AI is evolving astatine an unthinkable pace, and what useful coming mightiness not beryllium applicable tomorrow. The astir successful entrepreneurs successful this abstraction aren’t conscionable tech visionaries—they’re adaptable, ever refining their attack based connected marketplace needs.

Above all, occurrence comes from assembling nan correct team. AI unsocial won’t disrupt an industry—people will. Surround yourself pinch experts who understand not only nan exertion but besides nan manufacture you’re trying to transform. With nan correct operation of innovation, education, and agility, AI tin spell from being a buzzword to a existent game-changer.

 Thank you for nan awesome interview, readers who wish to study much should sojourn Tastewise.