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Vending retrofit tech aids Obamacare compliance

AirVend's interactive touchscreen technology is helping vending operators comply with Obamacare's calorie disclosure provision.

January 6, 2014

With the start of the New Year comes an intensified focus on vending machine operators affected by the Affordable Care Act's calorie count provision. Under the new law, operators with more than 20 vending machines are required to display the caloric information of food items in a manner that is accessible to the consumer before they make a purchase.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, having a clear understanding of calorie consumption will assist consumers in making healthier dietary choices — and now technology providers are stepping up to offer assistance to vending operators.

The Utah-based company AirVend, which launched last year, is determined to turn the disclosure law from headache inducing to ROI boosting. AirVend's 7-inch capacitive touchscreen can be retrofitted into existing vending machines, giving them remote monitoring capabilities and cashless payment methods, and preparing them for any future enforcement of the health care law, the company said.

The company recently received $1.2M in Series Seed funding to bolster production. The Series Seed round was led by strategic vending industry partner 365 Retail Markets and included PS27 Ventures, an investment firm focused on healthy living and wellness initiatives.

"While this new calorie disclosure law is a potential burden hanging over the heads of vending operators, it also turns out to be sort of a catalyst to reinvigorate the vending industry with desperately-needed technology," said Lance Ellsworth, cofounder and EVP of Business Development. "Being able to scale up operations and provide not just a solution for legal compliance, but also vast improvements in sales and operational efficiency through the application of smart technology is a tremendous opportunity for vending operators and us."

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