Paris-based start-up NU! is expanding due to “skyrocketing” demand for its connected refrigerators. And the company has asked Limonetik to integrate all types of electronic meal vouchers in response to user demand.

Off to a promising start three years ago, when NU! first introduced its connected fridges to dispense meals, the firm is expanding rapidly. NU! fridge orders really took off in Spring 2020, the firm said, following France’s first COVID-19 lockdown.

In practical terms, the machine automatically dispenses food and drinks (up to 100 meals per NU! fridge) in re-usable glass jars. Ergonomic, easy to use, and smartly designed, the system is a proven queue-buster. It communicates with the operator via maintenance and management software.  This real-time data informs the NU! Team – via back-office software – of the system status and the stock levels of the fridges. Customers – namely, business caterers who want to promote their products and special offers – are also kept in the loop.

Two years of R&D were needed to develop the first NU! self-service fridge. Completely designed and manufactured in France, the fridge relies on a system of automatic shelves connected via remote monitoring and maintenance software. However, developing the product was only half the battle – thereafter came the payment part. The challenge was the sheer number of payment methods in use, with a flurry of new solutions disrupting a market that was once monopolised by only a few major players.

NU! contacted Limonetik – a major player in the world of payment and marketplace solutions. “We had to rely on an application programming interface (API) capable of integrating all possible payment methods,” said Aude Camus, NU! co-founder and CEO. “Limonetik’s API helps us respond quickly to customer demands. Plus, we can easily integrate any new payment method, as soon as our users request it. This is a valuable time-saver, especially since our business activity is growing rapidly and short delivery times are a key to success.”

NU! has tripled deliveries of its connected fridges and now manages a fleet of 50 units installed in France, although mostly in Paris, where the business was established. Since July 2020, the firm has expanded to 10 other cities, including Lyon and Bordeaux, and has also started installing in products in Switzerland and Luxembourg.