r4 Technologies Donates Smart Food AI Program to Help States Feed SNAP Beneficiaries

Smart Food Program reframes hunger as a logistics problem, rather than a supply issue.

RIDGEFIELD, Conn., Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As states confront SNAP shortfalls amid the federal government shutdown, r4 Technologies reveals that its nonprofit arm, the Smart Food Foundation, has donated its proprietary Smart Food Program to help deliver excess fresh food supplies to families in need.

Over the past week and a half, the Smart Food Foundation, alongside their partners at Sharing Excess, has delivered over 27 tons of fresh, nutritious food to nearly 6,000 families in seven states.

"For too many families, access to nutritious food remains an everyday challenge," said Paul Breitenbach, CEO of r4 Technologies. "By leveraging AI technology to meet this challenge, we can ensure that fresh food reaches those who need it most."

The latest deliveries showcase r4's ability to transform how surplus food is distributed. r4's Smart Food Program uses artificial intelligence to identify surplus food from retailers in real time and redirect it to food banks and SNAP beneficiaries before it expires. By analyzing supply-chain data and predicting surplus trends, the program will help states move food to where it is needed most, allowing SNAP beneficiaries to access it at a significantly reduced price or, in many cases, for free.

"We don't have a food-shortage problem in America; we have a getting-food-to-mouths problem," Breitenbach said. "Each year, 250 million pounds of fresh food are thrown away while families struggle unnecessarily with food insecurity. At its heart, this isn't a political problem or a supply issue. It's a logistics problem that our Smart Food Program is perfectly suited to fix."

By Friday, r4 will have collaborated with the governors and state officials of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, North Carolina and West Virginia, with immediate plans for additional partnerships across more states. 

Seeing food that might have gone to waste reach the hands and tables of those who need it most, is what keeps r4's mission alive. "Every delivery is a story of community, compassion, and teamwork, and a step towards a future where no good food goes unused," said Breitenbach. "And we won't stop until hunger ends."

About r4 Technologies: r4 Technologies, Inc, created in 2013 by the founders of Priceline, is the pioneer of Cross Enterprise AI. Organizations across commercial and public sectors deploy r4's AI technology platform to put Decision Advantage in the hands of business users to drive action. The company is based in Ridgefield, CT with operations in New York City, Toronto, Dublin, Austin, Knoxville, Manhattan, KS, and Lawton, OK.

Media Contact: Mikaela Huang | [email protected] | 916.538.2358

SOURCE r4 Technologies