10144416AI-driven CRM software for food and beverage SMEs that could boost revenue and lower food waste through personalised upselling and cross-sellingClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKEmbargo is a UK-based food tech SME led by Tsewang Wangkang (project lead, CEO) and Reza Samiei (technical lead, developer). While larger food and beverage (F&B) enterprises utilise advanced technologies for crucial customer insights and analytics, these capabilities are unaffordable for SMEs, especially those in underserved areas, which represent approximately 75% of the sector. F&B SMEs employ more than 800K people in the UK, yet over 6K F&B Businesses went out of business in 2023, with a loss of c. 127K jobs in Accommodation and Food Services were lost since Dec 22, even as larger chains scaled up. Low restaurant profit margins of 3-5% and 60% of consumer spending less eating and drinking out are threatening the financial stability of SMEs. Furthermore, on delivery platforms, restaurant margins are almost zero. If left unresolved, this problem will damage the F&B industry's long-term sustainability, with only larger chains surviving on the UK's high streets. Embargo is developing affordable, AI-powered CRM software for SMEs in the F&B sector. Embargo's innovative solution boosts seasonal specials and high-margin items while lowering food waste by up to 25% through personalised upselling and cross-selling. It provides a 160-fold cost advantage enhancing the sector's competitiveness and sustainability. Embargo's product will help the UK become a leader in the fast-growing global CRM market. Utilising Embargo's sizeable database powered by point-of-sale information, this innovation offers unparalleled personalisation and repeat revenue opportunities. By enhancing customer engagement, Embargo's software can triple delivery and pick-up margins and boost sales by up to 15% for SMEs. This groundbreaking project aligns with government digitisation initiatives.