How food waste startup Karma resurrected itself with AI – its clones now hold meetings on their own
13 apr. 2026
23:42
The Swedish restaurant and food waste app Karma was brutally hit by the COVID pandemic – and went from 100 employees to 18.
Today, it has rebuilt its entire platform with AI – with AI clones that hold their own meetings.
"It sounds insane but it has led to an incredible amount of great insights," founder Hjalmar Ståhlberg Nordegren tells Impact Loop, including:
→ The CEO's own AI clone
→ The nightly AI fact-checks
→ The food waste app's comeback
Today, it has rebuilt its entire platform with AI – with AI clones that hold their own meetings.
"It sounds insane but it has led to an incredible amount of great insights," founder Hjalmar Ståhlberg Nordegren tells Impact Loop, including:
→ The CEO's own AI clone
→ The nightly AI fact-checks
→ The food waste app's comeback
Founded in 2025, Stockholm-based Karma first made its name with an app tackling food waste, connecting consumers with restaurants selling surplus food at reduced prices. Backed by a total of €16m from investors including the Kinnevik family office, the company was long considered one of Sweden's most recognised impact startups.
But when the pandemic hit, both the restaurant industry and Karma took a severe blow. The company went from more than 100 employees down to 18 – while customers still expected the same level of service as before.