The recipe for success is changing, and it starts with insight, not ingredients. How can you future-proof your business in a market that never sits still?
This week’s VentureFuel Visionary is Alon Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Tastewise, and former Google CMO who just raised a $50M Series B to transform how the food and beverage industry leverages AI.
Alon shares how Tastewise predicted the rise of air-fried vegetables, leading to 3x profits for one client. From trend forecasting to strategic innovation, this is a must-listen for anyone navigating the intersection of AI, technology, and taste.
Episode Highlights
- From Cultural Shifts to Culinary Trends – Alon shares how trends like pistachio-infused desserts, hydration-focused beverages, and fermentation emerge from long-standing consumer behaviors.
- AI-Powered Acceleration in Product Innovation – He explains how processing trillions of data points each month allows brands to virtually test thousands of product ideas, shorten innovation cycles, and stay closely aligned with real consumer demand.
- Turning Insight Into Profit – Alon recounts how a leading produce brand identified Gen Z’s air-fryer habits early, repackaged their frozen vegetables, and tripled profits by meeting consumers where they already were.
- Buy, Build, or Partner in Gen AI – Fred and Alon discuss why large companies should focus on their true competitive edge rather than trying to build every capability in-house, and how partnering with the right vendors can deliver faster, more sustainable results.
- From Side Projects to Core Business Impact – He advises innovation leaders to start AI adoption by tackling high-value business challenges, ensuring internal alignment, and avoiding experiments that never scale.
Learn more about Tastewise by visiting www.tastewise.io
VentureFuel builds and accelerates innovation programs for industry leaders by helping them unlock the power of External Innovation via startup collaborations.