The Business Times
The startup he is CEO of, treatsure, has matured in tandem. By the company’s estimates, the platform has collectively saved 50 tonnes of food from waste and reached 80,000 users locally.
From its initial “buffet-in-a-box” concept that enabled users to pay for a box of excess food from hotel buffets, the app ventured into surplus grocery distribution, and now runs a concept store in the middle of the central business district that offers a range of sustainability experiences and education.
But at its core, little has changed, said Wong, now 34. “Our mission is still to get everyone to treat food as treasure.”
This steady growth has affirmed their choice to tackle food waste via a sustainable business model that offers consumers and businesses alike incentives, rather than one that relies on donations or goodwill offerings.
So far, treatsure has raised funding from venture capital firm Quest Ventures and raiSE Singapore. It is actively pitching for a new round of investors.
“In this part of the world, we’ve seen less funding going towards tech startups in the food waste sustainability space. The focus has traditionally been on agritech, alternative protein and vertical farms,” said Wong.
