Jake Blaisdell and Irete Hamdani, two of Remy's three co-founders, defy conventional startup partnerships. Separated by thousands of miles, divergent backgrounds, and belonging to different generations, they've yet to meet face-to-face. Despite these apparent contrasts, they share one crucial trait: a deep commitment to fighting the impacts of climate change.

Below is an interview with Co-CEO of Remy & Climatebase Fellow Blaisdell. Remy recently received seed stage funding from Carbon 13.

How has the Climatebase Fellowship impacted your journey?

The Climatebase Fellowship proved to be a transformative experience for both of us, serving as an ideal gateway into the climate sector. Both seeking a career transition into the world of climate, we found the fellowship offered invaluable opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals eager to apply their professional skills for societal benefit.

A standout feature of the fellowship is its strong emphasis on networking and collaboration. Participants share a common goal and a willingness to support one another. By the end of the 12-week program, we had each formed a community of peers, providing a springboard for our careers in climate action. Interestingly, despite being in the same cohort, Irete and I never crossed paths during the fellowship.

How did you end up meeting?

Before partnering with Irete, my co-founder Conrad Kissling and I were on the hunt for a CTO to fill our newly opened position. We scoured Y Combinator's co-founder matching service, Reddit, and various other platforms for weeks, but with little success. Most candidates seemed more interested in our recent funding round than in the tech-for-good solution we were building.

Then it hit us: we'd overlooked the most obvious source for a mission-driven CTO in the climate sector—the Climatebase Fellowship directory. Within minutes of searching, we discovered Irete's profile: "CTO, Solution Architect, Climate Tech Entrepreneur." Intrigued, we reached out to discuss our open position. Serendipitously, Irete had just begun her job search the day our message landed in her inbox... After speaking daily for a week, we were convinced we'd found our CTO.

So, what is Remy?

Remy is a mobile and web application that leverages AI to reduce household food waste by 70%. It helps mitigate 25.6Mt of CO2e per year at scale by using AI and automation to help users maximize food utilization and minimize overbuying. Remy also collects user emissions and behavior data to improve corporate partners’ Scope 3 emissions reporting, commercial strategies, and waste mitigation efforts.

How does Remy work?

Users receive personalized recipe suggestions based on their kitchen inventory. Missing ingredients are added to a smart shopping list, and with in-app purchase integration, groceries can be ordered with a single tap. Users can also snap a photo of their receipt when shopping in person. Purchases are uploaded to a digital kitchen with predicted expiration dates, and Remy sends reminders before ingredients go bad. Users can follow AI-generated recipes to cook meals to perfection.

What have you been able to accomplish since Irete joined?

When Irete joined, Remy had an MVP mobile app used mainly to demonstrate functionality and collect user feedback, but it wasn't ready for commercial release. Irete assessed the existing assets, developed a technology roadmap, and designed an architectural blueprint for launch. Under Irete's leadership, a dedicated development team was assembled, and the commercial release of the mobile app is now slated for Q3 2024.

What is the Impact of Reducing Food Waste?

Reducing food waste is one of the most impactful actions individuals can take to combat climate change. Remy helps users manage their kitchen inventory, understand expiration dates, create meals, and order missing ingredients—all from their phone. This process encourages creativity in the kitchen while saving time and money. We think our journey definitely highlights the Climatebase Fellowship's role in connecting passionate individuals, sharing knowledge, and facilitating career transitions in climate solutions.

Applications for Cohort 6 of the Climatebase Fellowship are open untill August 16th.  Learn More and Apply.