Agrovision raises $100 million in equity round, leans on tech to improve berry freshness

Agrovision operates two berry brands — Fruitist and Big Skye in China — which provide hand-picked blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Fruitist is available at Walmart, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trade Joe’s and other retailers across the US and provides produce to retailers in Europe, the UK, Asia and the Middle East. 

“Delivering more flavorful superfruit year-round requires full stack innovation — optimizing across every layer of technology — from genetics and systems to AI. A new era has begun, with the generational shift to healthy snacking, and we are happy to lead a revolution in superfruit,” Magami shared in a press release​.

‘To really truly inspire healthy snacking, we have to be consistent’

Agrovision will use the funding, and some capital that will mature soon, to invest in AI, production capabilities, including packaging automation and technology to extend the shelf-life, and brand development, he said.

Currently, the berry and grape company is using AI-based predictive modeling determine when to pick a berry, creating fresher products in the process, he added.  

Previously, Agrovision partnered with Seattle-based ag-tech company RipeLocker technology to extend the shelf-life of berries through storage containers that manage the pressure and gas composition in a chamber, which can improve the freshness of produce and tree nuts, the companies shared in a press release​.

“If we could have every single berry picked at the perfect moment, I can guarantee you the consumption would go up just from that alone. And if we could control the quality all the way through the store, we would multiply demand. So that is the mission we are on. In order to really truly inspire healthy snacking, we have to be consistent,” Magami said.

Consistency is crucial to growing the berry market

Agrovision also is improving the consistency and quality of blueberries by diversifying its berry sources and ensuring that farming locations and berry varietals are resilient to climate change, Magami explained.

“We are already concentrated in the most stable production locations from a climatic standpoint and a water standpoint. We are also selecting and commercializing and focusing on R&D on what we think will have the greatest stability from a climate standpoint, and at the same time what we are planting around the world is far more climate-resilient and adaptable than what has historically been planted, so, we are being affected less than the industry, certainly by volatility and climate,” he said.  

“The worst thing is when a consumer buys a bad clamshell, they typically will not return for four or five or six weeks — that is what the data shows. But if we could deliver a reliable better eating experience every week, that is going to be as important as anything,” he elaborated.

By creating a more consistent berry, Agrovision can deliver on trying “to inspire healthy snacking across the entire population" and grow the overall berry market, Magami said. The global blueberry market is expected to be worth $2.46 billion by 2027, growing by a 6.5% CAGR between 2022-2027, according to Technavio data​.