How ADECI Group is using AI to cut waste in restaurant operations

Restaurants and food services account for 11% of all food waste generated in the EU - approximately 6.4 million tonnes annually, according to Eurostat. Overproduction is a primary driver: without reliable demand forecasts, operators routinely prepare more than they sell, discarding ingredients and staffing hours that cannot be recovered. The revised EU Waste Framework Directive sets a binding 30% per capita reduction target for food waste across retail, restaurants, and food services by 2030, creating compliance pressure on an industry that has historically managed inventory through manual tracking.

ADECI Group (Portugal, founded 2021), co-founded by Telmo Taipa and Helder Pereira, provides an AI forecasting platform purpose-built for restaurant chains and multi-site food operators. The system generates 31-day sales, demand, staffing, and ingredient forecasts by combining historical business data with external factors such as weather, events, and holidays, achieving a claimed 92% accuracy rate.

ADECI addresses three operational costs simultaneously: ingredient procurement, food preparation volumes, and staffing levels. By generating granular, forward-looking estimates for each, it enables operators to align orders and production with expected demand.

In 2025, ADECI raised €500,000 from Portugal Ventures and expanded into the Spanish market. The company intends to reach 25,000 establishments across European markets and extend the platform beyond restaurants into retail and supply chain management.

For multi-site operators now facing mandatory national reporting obligations, AI-driven demand forecasting tools shift from an efficiency investment to a compliance instrument, positioning ADECI at the intersection of operational cost reduction and regulatory necessity.

Sources: ADECI Group | Portugal Ventures | Eurostat | European Commission Founders: Telmo Taipa, Helder Pereira