ADECI, a startup incubated at UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto, has just officially entered the Spanish market with its artificial intelligence solution, which allows sales to be predicted and operations in the restaurant sector to be optimised.

Founded in 2023 by Telmo Taipa and Helder Pereira, the company has developed a technology that cross-references historical sales data with external variables, ranging from weather conditions and public holidays to cultural events and online customer reviews. All this to generate demand forecasts with an accuracy rate of over 92%. These forecasts allow restaurants to anticipate customer flows, plan teams, manage stocks and reduce food waste.

The startup, which recently secured a €500,000 investment from Portugal Ventures, has been providing services to customers in Spain for several years and currently has more than 1,800 establishments using its forecasts. The official entry into Spain is seen as a strategic step to accelerate international growth and strengthen partnerships with global stakeholders.

ADECI positions itself as an operational platform, distinct from other business intelligence tools, as it transforms forecasts into concrete actions for the day-to-day running of restaurants. Some of the restaurant chains that the startup supports have reported reductions in waste of over 20%, better adaptation of schedules to real needs and significant gains in profitability.

The goal set for the coming years is ambitious: to reach 25,000 establishments in various European markets, while simultaneously evolving the technology and increasing the detail in forecasts, with new features such as dynamic pricing and personalised product recommendations.

The future of the company incubated at UPTEC involves expanding its operations beyond restaurants, with applications in retail and supply chain management. By also providing forecasts to distributors and suppliers, ADECI believes it can improve logistics and reduce losses throughout the food chain.