Sodexo Ventures Announces New Investment in AEYE-GO

• First investment in innovative Chinese start-up ecosystem
• Food and facial recognition technology speeds up queues, offers personalized nutrition information for consumers and drives efficiencies for clients

                                                                           
Paris, November 8, 2018 - Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, announces its strategic venture capital vehicle, Sodexo Ventures, has invested in AEYE-GO, a Chinese technology company focused on smart visual checkout systems.

Launched in 2016, Sodexo Ventures seeks new sources of future growth by investing in and partnering with innovative startups, and creating new offers for clients and consumers. The investment in AEYE-GO is the first in China, facilitated by the partnership with Shanghai-based incubator X-Node signed in May 2018.  

AEYE-GO is a cutting-edge self-checkout system based on AI image recognition technology, offering both tray and facial recognition options for fast and personalized check-outs. Using sophisticated high-definition cameras, AEYE-GO integrates machine learning software for food recognition, automatically providing price and nutritional information with a quick glimpse of a consumer's tray.

Currently piloted at several Sodexo sites in Shanghai, AEYE-GO plans to expand operations in China and internationally, leveraging Sodexo's geographic reach to rapidly scale up.

Belen Moscoso Del Prado, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, Sodexo, said: "The partnership between Sodexo Ventures and AEYE-GO in China is an exciting development in our digital journey, and demonstrates our commitment to working with start-ups in local markets with potential to transform the industry.  The AEYE-GO solution promotes healthy eating choices, enhances the consumer experience - no need to wait in a check-out line or carry cash, badge or mobile in the restaurant - and helps clients optimize sourcing and reduce food waste.  China is an epicenter of innovation, and we are proud to partner with the creative team behind AEYE-GO to bring artificial intelligence and the power of data to our industry."