- Posted on 24 Aug 2023
- 3-minute read
How Thomas built an app to reduce food waste, winning funding along the way.
Every year, Australia wastes approximately 7.6 million tonnes of food – this figure is equivalent to around one in every five bags of groceries. Globally, a third of the world’s food is wasted.
With a passion for sustainability and a knack for building interactive tech up his sleeve, exchange student Thomas Birk Frederiksen set out to tackle these staggering statistics.
Real solutions for real problems
Thomas and co-founder Agata Piasecka launched SnackSavers, a digital platform with a social mission: to eliminate food waste. The app enables businesses to advertise and sell excess food to anyone in Sydney looking for a bargain.
“At the same time, it provides consumers with access to high quality food at a reduced cost that would have otherwise been thrown out,” explained Thomas.
Thomas, who hails from Aalborg University in Denmark, says the idea for SnackSavers came during his semester abroad at UTS in Spring 2022.
“In Europe, a similar concept was already in place, and Agata was surprised not to find it in Australia,” Thomas said.
Agata developed the business concept and approached Thomas for his technical expertise, building and implementing the SnackSavers app while studying within the Faculty of Engineering and IT.
Building ideas at UTS
Thomas enlisted the support of UTS Startups to provide mentorship, resources and funding opportunities.
He described the culture as “inspiring” and said: “For anyone considering starting their own business, I encourage you to seek out resources and support networks like UTS Startups that can help turn your ideas into reality.”
During his semester abroad, Thomas and Agata took home third place in the IBISWorld 3P Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program, winning their share of $25,000 to further develop SnackSavers.
Build, measure, learn, repeat
Thomas doesn’t shy away from acknowledging that getting a business off the ground often involves rolling with the punches.
You should be bold, take risks, and make mistakes… in other words, you should be willing to fail fast.
Today, Thomas continues to chase his sustainable aspirations. He operates the business from Denmark, disseminating paid ads and onboarding new businesses remotely while refining the app.
“Starting a business can be challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling when you see your vision come to life and make a positive impact on the world.”
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