Our Global Launch of MattsonIQ™

MattsonIQ Launches at NRA Chicago: The Food Industry’s New Way to Get Smart, Fast.

On May 18, 2026, during the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, we officially launched MattsonIQ – a new to the world AI-powered intelligence platform built specifically for food and beverage professionals.

The launch took place at our Innovation Center in Chicago, where leaders, innovators, chefs, and food industry professionals gathered for a morning of ideas, inspiration, and forward-looking conversation about the future of food innovation.

MattsonIQ is designed to help food professionals Get Smart, Fast.

With MattsonIQ, anyone with a ChatGPT account can instantly explore the core building blocks of food innovation and strategy – ingredients, cuisines, and nutrition details all through a free AI model purpose-built for professionals in the food and beverage industry.

Unlocking these core insights using MattsonIQ enables marketers, R&D teams, chefs and consumer insight professionals in the retail and foodservice industries to create better informed strategies and explore a much broader landscape of opportunities.  MattsonIQ is a powerful new way to accelerate thinking.  Using MattsonIQ helps teams quickly move from question to clarity, from curiosity to opportunity, and from scattered information to focus.

In a food industry moving faster than ever, MattsonIQ is your secret ingredient to Get Smart, Fast.

During the event, Mattson CEO Justin Shimek welcomed Culinary Institute of America President Michiel Bakker for a thought-provoking discussion on the future of the CIA, the growing role of technology in the food industry, and the capabilities chefs will need to succeed as modern culinary professionals.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for insightful conversations, valuable connections, and a shared commitment to shaping the future of food innovation.

“I am extraordinarily bullish about AI in the food and beverage industry. The more tech-enabled we become, the greater the consumer longing will be for human connections and great food experiences. Use AI to run bigger, better, and faster businesses, so you can free up your people to focus on what truly sets us apart: the human connection.”                         

— Michiel Bakker, Culinary Institute of America President

“We built MattsonIQ as a knowledge engine for the food industry… Something that might take you 20 prompts using off-the-shelf AI or 50 Google searches can now be done with a single word. When you can ask better questions, you can create better products—and that will lead to better outcomes for people everywhere.” 

— Justin Shimek, Mattson CEO

Other Mattson AI Services.

Chef Insights™ AI

Access 40+ AI chef personas spanning global cuisines, culinary philosophies, and real back-of-house challenges to spark stronger innovation ideas faster.

Explore emerging flavor, ingredient, and menu trends while collaborating one-to-one or in groups with AI chefs for culinary-inspired recommendations and breakthrough concepts.

ProtoThink™

Combine Mattson’s proven innovation methodology with AI to uncover new opportunities, accelerate concept development, and drive strategic growth.

Collaborate with Mattson experts in a secure, firewalled AI environment to refine and evaluate brand-aligned concepts with greater speed and confidence.