Planted: A Sustainable Future Fueled by Innovation
In a rapidly evolving food landscape, Planted stands out as a European leader in plant-based meat alternatives. Founded in July 2019 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich, the Swiss company has quickly grown, now employing over 200 people across Europe. Planted’s mission extends beyond delicious, plant-based products; they are committed to sustainability and a healthier future for both people and the planet.
Compared to traditional meat production, Planted’s methods are significantly more resource-efficient, using up to 97% less CO2 and 90% less water. Their products, designed for flexitarians, are available in over 6,100 restaurants and 8,700 retail locations, including major chains like Tesco, REWE, Migros, and Coop.
Managing Growth with a Strong Partner: Microsoft
As a scaling company, Planted relies on a dynamic IT infrastructure to support its rapid growth. Their partnership with Microsoft has been instrumental in this journey. Initially, they utilized Excel and Microsoft Forms, but they have since transitioned to Business Central as their ERP system. Power BI now enables data-driven decision-making, and Microsoft Forms, Power Automate, and Power BI are seamlessly integrated for manufacturing efficiency and scalability.
Microsoft Azure, specifically through Azure OpenAI, has enabled Planted to invest in generative AI. This allows them to develop advanced data-driven products and significantly improve productivity across various departments.
Christoph Jenny, Co-founder of Planted, highlighted the importance of the collaboration: “Having Microsoft as a strong, digital partner at our side enables a lot of capabilities for us. We use Microsoft technology to simplify processes and set new standards.”
Data Visibility Drives Business Success
Microsoft’s solutions, particularly Power BI, have been crucial in enhancing data transparency. Planted has established and consolidated its data landscape by seamlessly integrating various business systems and non-Azure data products. This integrated approach is essential in their daily operations.
Mathias Pawlowsky, Head of Data Science at Planted, emphasized the significance: “Transforming an organization into a data-driven company is a significant challenge, and we firmly believe that Microsoft and its solutions is the perfect partner to support us on this complex journey. It offers the know-how and the tools to achieve this goal.”
Generative AI: Unleashing Productive and Creative Potential
From its inception, Planted has embraced innovation, integrating technology not only into its products but also its internal operations. When ChatGPT was introduced, Planted employees quickly adopted it, sparking demand for custom productivity tools powered by generative AI. Microsoft responded with Azure OpenAI and its suite of tools, initially boosting the productivity of Planted’s brand and marketing teams.
Elena Silingardi, Data Scientist at Planted, noted the transformative potential: “We see great potential in the development of AI products based on Azure OpenAI. Azure OpenAI helps us to manage everyday tasks more efficiently and facilitates the search for information for innovative process development.”
Looking ahead, Planted envisions wider applications for its Copilot. For example, they are exploring how their AI tools could provide consumers with cooking recipes using Planted products.
Sustainable Change Through Artificial Intelligence
Planted is determined to leverage AI to realize sustainable change. They believe AI will lead to higher productivity and manufacturing optimization, with less waste and a higher quality product. Through its collaboration with Microsoft, Planted is ideally positioned to achieve its sustainability goals.
