The Team & Vision
Building the future of food intelligence, one scan at a time.
Amirhosein Soleimanian Mobaser, Alexander He Meng
"the buddy you always needed"
Amirhosein Soleimanian Mobaser
Co-Founder
As a third-year Electrical Engineering student at York University, I’m driven by innovation, leadership, and the fusion of technology, business, and creativity. First, I’m a lifelong programmer with nearly a decade of experience across 30+ languages, developing embedded systems, automation tools, and software that solve complex, real-world problems.
Second, I’m an entrepreneur and founder of a Toronto-based marketing agency that partners with over 10 local businesses, helping them grow through data-driven campaigns, brand strategy, and digital monetization.
Third, I have a strong background in finance and trading, combining technical analysis, algorithmic models, and market psychology to make informed investment decisions and develop strategic trading systems.
Fourth, I’m deeply passionate about business development and leadership, managing teams, partnerships, and client relations to drive measurable growth and long-term success.
Finally, I approach every project with the mindset of a builder, combining engineering precision, financial insight, and creative direction to create innovative solutions that deliver real impact and lasting value.
Alexander He Meng
Co-Founder
As a third-year Computer Science student at the University of Toronto, I’m driven by five core pillars. First, I am a full-stack programmer: I build meaningful software at hackathons, develop scripts, and solve challenging algorithmic problems.
Second, I have a strong financial background, approaching technology with the mindset of a trader and investor, rooted in family experience in banking and insurance.
Third, I’m an aspiring quant, fusing my skills in computer science, advanced mathematics, and statistics to develop algorithmic trading strategies and tools with an edge in today’s markets.
Fourth, I am a digital creator with direct experience in digital marketing, having grown an engaged YouTube audience and now focusing on building my professional brand.
Finally, I am committed to my formal education, valuing my CS degree for both its rigor and the real-world perspective it brings. Ultimately, I am a builder at heart, leveraging technology and finance to create innovative solutions that have a real, positive impact.
What is BUD?!
Bud is an AI-powered nutrition intelligence layer that mitigates dietary risks for grocery shoppers with allergies and restrictions. It serves as the critical 'second opinion' at the shelf and the entry point for a broader lifestyle assistant ecosystem.
Bud is the foundation for a predictive Health Operating System (Health OS) that connects consumption to biological outcomes.
The Problem: "Label Fatigue" Risk
For the 85 million people in the US and Canada with food allergies or strict dietary needs (Celiac, Keto, Vegan), grocery shopping is high-stakes and inefficient. A single misread label can lead to hospitalization. Shoppers spend hours decoding complex ingredient lists, leading to decision fatigue and accidental health risks.
The Solution: Friction-Free Safety
Bud is a scalable health intelligence platform that starts at the grocery shelf. We enter the market with a friction-free "Safety Wedge" (Phase 1): a personalized filter for the physical world where users scan products to receive an immediate, binary 'Compatible/Avoid' verdict based on their unique health profile.
Safety Engine
We detect the "Big 9" allergens and hidden derivatives that human eyes often miss.
Smart Swaps
If a product is unsafe, Bud immediately recommends a compliant, in-stock alternative.
The Secret Sauce
Most nutrition apps are passive logs (calorie counters). Bud is an active agent. By intervening at the point of purchase (the grocery shelf), we capture high-fidelity data on user intent and preference. This high-frequency usage builds the trust required to expand into our larger vision.
The Bud Master Plan
From Utility to Clinical Intelligence
The "Safety Wedge"
Aggressive User Acquisition
The Goal: Become the default "lens" through which users view the grocery store.
The Strategy: By giving away the "safety check" for free, we remove all friction to adoption. This allows us to rapidly build a massive database of scanning behaviors across Canada and the US.
The 'Data Scout' Protocol
We solve the "Cold Start" data problem by gamifying the shelf. Users earn 'Bud Credits' for capturing front/back images of new local products, effectively turning our user base into a decentralized, zero-cost data entry workforce.
The "Intelligence Layer"
Monetization & Optimization
The Goal: Convert high-frequency users into subscribers by offering "Nutritional Transparency."
The Experience: Beyond the Label. We don't just list ingredients; we demystify them. We expose marketing myths and highlight "hidden" pros/cons.
B2B Value: Dissatisfaction Data
We package unstructured consumer feedback (from Reddit, reviews, etc.) into a "Truth Dossier" for small brands, giving them R&D intelligence that usually costs millions.
The "Bio-Feedback Loop"
The Ecosystem Lock-in
The Goal: Close the loop between Input (Diet) and Output (Symptoms). Bud evolves from a scanner into a preventative diagnostic engine.
The Innovation: The app reverse-engineers the user’s health. It identifies patterns humans miss: "You report low energy every time you eat products containing Carrageenan 24 hours prior."
Unshakeable Retention
Users won't leave Bud because Bud knows their body better than they do. We solve the mystery of "Why do I feel this way?"
Strategic Market Intelligence
Why Bud Wins Where Giants Fail
We have moved past the era of "Calorie Counting" and into the era of "Ingredient Intelligence." The current market is broken, bifurcated between "Input Tools" (scanners) and "Output Tools" (trackers). Bud is the bridge.
Yuka
Volume leader, but limited by crowdsourced data. Focuses on "Clean Eating" rather than medical safety.
Fig
Highly customizable but suffers from "Cross-Contact Blindness" and misses voluntary warnings.
Spoonful
Clinically accurate for IBS but geographically locked. Fails outside the US due to the "Data Desert".
The Bud Advantage: From "Keyhole" to "Open Eye"
Competitors look through a "keyhole" (the barcode). If the barcode isn't listed, they see nothing. Bud uses the camera as an "Open Eye."
- Real-Time OCR: We read the actual package, capturing "May contain" warnings databases miss.
- Private Label Solution: We work on the 30-40% of Canadian groceries (President's Choice, No Name) that are invisible to US apps.
- Self-Healing Engine: We turn every failed search into a proprietary data asset by indexing new products in real-time.
Business Model: The "Robin Hood" Strategy
Trust is our currency. Safety analysis is impartial, free, and never for sale. We monetize Market Efficiency.
Merit-First Discovery
When Bud flags a product as Incompatible, we recommend superior alternatives. Partner brands pay a 'Cost Per Switch' fee only when a user accepts the recommendation.
Competitive Intelligence
We sell "Gap Analysis" and "Lost Sale" Reports to small CPG companies, leveling the playing field against big food corporations.
Bud Pro
$5.99/month. Unlocks "Deep Detective Mode", symptom tracking correlations, and detailed nutrient density scores.