A manufacturer and developer of refrigerator management devices and applications is the latest startup company to establish its headquarters in the city of Bethlehem.

FreshFridge is the designer of a mobile app and other digital equipment that allows the user to track and monitor the freshness of food in their refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.

“FreshFridge is working to continually improve the lives of others both at home by saving time and money on daily chores and in the workplace by providing sustainable employment opportunities in a rich and diverse environment where interpersonal relationships are held in the highest regard,” said Alex Burdine, co-founder of FreshFridge.

The startup company has recently moved to Pi: Partnership for Innovation, a Bethlehem startup business incubator located at 520 Evans Street, which hosts technology companies, social media firms, and software development companies.

The FreshFridge app allows users to keep track of everything in their fridge, organize kitchens by storage area, monitor expiration dates, receive alerts, and add out-of-stock or expiring items to shopping lists. It includes a scanner that can be used on barcodes of household items, and even makes recipe suggestions based on available kitchen items.

FreshFridge allows the user to track and monitor the freshness of food in their refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.

FreshFridge was formed in 2017, and the app is available for iOS and Android phones, and can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Google Play. But the company is also developing other items that go beyond the smartphone app.

These items include smart containers for food with intuitive temperature and humidity sensors that give you visual cues when food is about to spoil, as well as smart sensors that can be placed in the refrigerator that monitor “freshness zones” and communicate with the mobile app and smart containers.

“FreshFridge provides a sensible solution to a problem that exists in many households,” said Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez. “Consumers are looking for better ways to stay on top of items in their fridge and save money through reducing waste”.

FreshFridge now occupies 114 square-feet at Pi. It joins other tenants already operating at the incubator such as Soltech Solutions, a manufacturer of state-of-the-art LED grow lights, and UBMe, a free proximity-based networking app.

Pi is located in the heart of the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ), a designated area that fosters entrepreneurial growth in coordination with the efforts of higher education institutions Lehigh University and Northampton Community College.

The Southside Bethlehem KIZ has helped lead to the creation of 444 new jobs, $7.8 million in investment, 141 new products, and nearly $1.2 million in technology transfer grants awarded, according to the KIZ annual update event held earlier this month.

Eligible companies within the KIZ can receive such financial resources as technology transfer grants up to $15,000 per project, student internship grants of up to $3,750 per intern, and KIZ tax credits up to $100,000 annually, and Technical Entrepreneurship Capstone Program Grants up to $5,000.

Pi and the Southside Bethlehem KIZ are managed by the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO), which works closely with the City of Bethlehem’s Department of Community & Economic Development to ensure a unified economic development strategy.