4 September 2015
Developed by a group of AUC students in 2015, Sharood (think 'share-food') was an app that connected people in the same area by matching those who were cooking with those who were hungry. The developers sought to make the idea of sharing food a routine. However, to do this, there had to be a system in place to ensure fairness and a balance in terms of those who would cook and those who would eat. This is where Sharood had utilised their virtual "currency" system appropriately called Cookies. Users traded Cookies based on how elaborate a dish or meal is, ranging from one to five. The Cookies somebody earned by cooking allowed that person to eat at someone else's house for free, creating a cycle of sharing. In this way, Sharood capitalised on the innovations within the developing shared-economy, not only as a way of being cost-effective but also as a way to build a community through a common medium - food! Sharood was operational from 2015 through 2019.