US-based food company Kraft Heinz has opened a digital hub in the US as part of the Evolv group.

Through the group, Kraft Heinz intends to engage in the creation of digitally powered business models and launch entrepreneurial teams in San Francisco and Chicago.

The team in San Francisco will include software engineers, data scientists, product managers, designers and members of its eCommerce team.

The acquisition of AI Food Tech company Wellio has enabled Kraft Heinz to start its digital hub.

Kraft Heinz Global Digital online Growth president Nina Barton said: “In Wellio, we found extraordinary talent that could fuel our digital ambitions and an AI platform that can help us create food-related solutions for our consumers and help us partner with our customers in unique ways.

“We wanted to take a holistic look at digital disruption and growth. This is part of a larger growth approach for Kraft Heinz and is in addition to our recently announced $100m venture fund, Evolv Ventures.”

Kraft Heinz reported net sales of $6.4bn during the third quarter of this year, representing an increase of 1.6% from last year.

In March, the company launched a platform called Springboard to develop and accelerate the growth of disruptive brands within the food and beverage segment.