While so much of the agriculture space is about how to grow more food, this California-based startup is instead taking a look at how to preserve the food that's being grown for longer. Founded in 2012 after receiving a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, Apeel Sciences has developed plant-derived coatings for growers, suppliers, and retailers to use to allow produce to stay fresh longer.
"For a consumer, it means your fruit is perfectly ripe, just as if it came out of your home garden, available any time," said Vijay Pande, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, an investor in Apeel Sciences. "It has the potential to make a huge impact on the $1 trillion food waste crisis, open new markets, and could naturally play a key role in feeding the globe."
DBL Partners, Upfront Ventures, and S2G Ventures are among the firms that have invested in Apeel Sciences.