Better Food Ventures

Breedr is a productivity and marketing platform that’s transforming the livestock supply-chain.

Four Growers, Inc. is a company based in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, that specializes in manufacturing harvesting robots designed for greenhouse environments. Founded in 2017, the company initially focused on harvesting tomatoes but has expanded its capabilities to include peppers and cucumbers. The robots developed by Four Growers not only automate the harvesting process but also perform quality checks and packaging, offering a comprehensive solution for greenhouse operators.

Milk Moovement is a developer of a dairy supply chain management platform that enhances connectivity among all participants in the dairy industry. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of features, including transportation monitoring, production tracking, and quality assessment. By utilizing a cloud-based web and mobile solution, it provides real-time access to crucial information, allowing stakeholders such as producers, processors, transporters, testing labs, and cooperatives to monitor milk performance metrics effectively. This integration of data not only facilitates informed decision-making by offering insights into current production and quality but also helps reduce waste and increase efficiency throughout the milk supply chain.

Afresh Technologies Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that specializes in supply chain software designed to enhance the management of fresh food in grocery stores. Founded in 2017, Afresh leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to address the complexities associated with perishable goods. Its platform processes millions of data points to generate precise item-level predictions for future demand, enabling retailers to optimize inventory levels, procurement, and pricing strategies. By providing data-driven decision support, Afresh helps clients minimize waste, maximize product freshness, and improve overall profitability. The company's solutions include warehouse inventory optimization, markdown optimization, and chainwide inventory visibility, making it a valuable partner for brick-and-mortar retailers and wholesalers in the fresh food sector.

DecisionNext, Inc. offers a cloud-based predictive analytics platform tailored for commodities-driven businesses, providing industry-specific insights that assist users in making informed decisions about production and sales locations. The company serves a diverse clientele across sectors such as minerals, agribusiness, fishing, forestry, oil, and gas. Established in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, with an additional office in Brisbane, Australia, DecisionNext focuses on enhancing end-to-end performance through its solutions, which include commodity price forecasting, purchasing and product mix optimization, capacity optimization, and pricing and promotion strategies. By integrating these optimizations into a cohesive system, DecisionNext aims to deliver significant value to its customers.

Edifice Health is a company that originated from a decade-long research study on immune profiling conducted at Stanford University. It has developed a biomarker composite scoring system that assesses individual immune health and determines the Inflammatory Age®, a measure that predicts the onset of various chronic diseases. The company focuses on improving methods for measuring systemic chronic inflammation, which is crucial for enhancing inflammatory and immune health. Edifice Health's innovative approach integrates applications in personalized nutritional and immunological science, leveraging AI-powered technology to aid healthcare professionals in the early detection of systemic chronic inflammation. This technology aims to provide comprehensive health insights that empower individuals to alter their aging trajectory and promote healthier aging.

Gastrograph, developed by Analytical Flavor Systems, Inc., is an artificial intelligence platform designed for the food and beverage industry. Founded in 2010 and based in New York, the platform enables companies to gather real-time flavor data, detect and predict production flaws, and assess market fit. By moving beyond traditional tasting panels, Gastrograph employs a predictive flavor profile engine to evaluate how new products are likely to perform across various markets and demographic segments. This capability is particularly valuable in an industry characterized by high failure rates, as it helps food companies adapt to rapidly changing consumer preferences and optimize their product development processes. Through its innovative approach, Gastrograph supports packaged food companies in navigating the complexities of the modern marketplace.

FarmOp Capital LLC is a financial services company that offers working capital solutions to agricultural operators. Founded in 2017 and based in St. Paul, Minnesota, the company specializes in providing production-based credit, which allows farmers to access funds based on the value of their crops. By offering operational credit, FarmOp Capital aims to enhance the financial independence and purchasing power of growers, enabling them to make informed decisions and optimize their operational efficiency. Additionally, the company integrates agriculture technology to support farmers in achieving profitable outcomes.

Gastrograph, developed by Analytical Flavor Systems, Inc., is an artificial intelligence platform designed for the food and beverage industry. Founded in 2010 and based in New York, the platform enables companies to gather real-time flavor data, detect and predict production flaws, and assess market fit. By moving beyond traditional tasting panels, Gastrograph employs a predictive flavor profile engine to evaluate how new products are likely to perform across various markets and demographic segments. This capability is particularly valuable in an industry characterized by high failure rates, as it helps food companies adapt to rapidly changing consumer preferences and optimize their product development processes. Through its innovative approach, Gastrograph supports packaged food companies in navigating the complexities of the modern marketplace.

Vinsight, Inc., operating under the name Bountiful, is an agtech company based in San Francisco that leverages artificial intelligence to enhance agricultural productivity. The company offers a platform designed to assist farmers in forecasting crop yields, specifically for grapes and almonds, well in advance of harvest time. Its dashboard delivers actionable insights by integrating current and historical weather trends, temperature data, evapotranspiration rates, and growing degree days. Bountiful's technology includes features such as monthly yield forecasts, historical forecast performance analysis, daily weather updates, and alternative map layers. By utilizing machine learning alongside satellite and geographic data, Bountiful transforms complex agricultural information into clear, actionable insights, thereby aiding farmers in making informed decisions to optimize crop production. Founded in 2014, Bountiful continues to seek innovative solutions for the agricultural industry.

Byte Foods, Inc. specializes in manufacturing automatic vending machines and refrigerators that deliver fresh food on-site at businesses, primarily serving clients in the San Francisco Bay Area. Established in 2015 and headquartered in San Rafael, California, the company focuses on providing an affordable fresh food solution for corporate environments. Through the use of IoT-enabled refrigerators and RFID technology, Byte Foods aims to transform workplace dining by offering high-quality local food brands, ensuring that employees have access to healthy and delicious meal options. As of January 2020, Byte Foods operates as a subsidiary of Oh My Green, Inc.

LumiGrow, Inc. develops advanced horticultural LED lighting solutions aimed at improving crop yields and reducing energy costs. Founded in 2008 and based in Emeryville, California, the company offers a range of products including LED grow lights and a smartPAR wireless control system, which allows users to manage lighting schedules, monitor energy usage, and control multiple growing zones from smartphones, tablets, or computers. LumiGrow's technology is deployed in various commercial applications, including floriculture, propagation, and the cultivation of leafy greens, vine crops, cannabis, and specialty crops. The company serves a diverse clientele, including agribusinesses, flower growers, garden centers, and academic institutions, and has gained recognition for its innovative approach to horticultural lighting, demonstrating significant success in enhancing crop quality and consistency.

Mavrx specializes in providing imaging and geospatial data services to the agricultural sector, enhancing operational efficiency for input manufacturers, large farms, and service providers. Utilizing a combination of satellite imagery, drones, and high-resolution crop images, Mavrx's platform offers in-depth analysis of over 30 crops, including corn, soybeans, and cotton. The technology employs advanced computer vision and machine learning algorithms to identify various crop abnormalities, such as weed infestations, nutrient deficiencies, and equipment malfunctions. By delivering actionable insights, Mavrx enables farmers to promptly address issues that could impact yield and production costs, ultimately supporting improved agricultural practices and decision-making.

FarmHub The Weather Beacon is a complete weather station that provides growers & agronomists with real-time in-field weather data.

Nima Labs, Inc. is a company dedicated to providing solutions for individuals with food allergies, focusing on safety and enjoyment during mealtime. Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, California, Nima has developed a portable gluten sensor that empowers users to test food samples for gluten content. This innovative device allows individuals to make informed decisions about what they eat, alleviating concerns associated with food allergies. In addition to the gluten sensor, Nima is building a mobile and online platform to facilitate the sharing of test results within a community of allergy sufferers, fostering support and information exchange among users.

LoveWithFood.com is a marketing platform that collects product intelligence data for consumer food brands trying to reach female consumers ages 25-45. Our platform help brands send out their products to our community of highly engaging foodies who pay a small monthly fee to discover new, organic, all-natural products at their door and collect product feedback. By bridging an offline and online experience, LoveWithFood's technology helps consumer brands cut their marketing and research cost by 99%. LoveWithFood client list include General Mills, Nestle, Green and Blacks Organic Chocolate, SoyJoy, Lindt Chocolates and many more. For every snack box delivered, Love With Food donates a meal to feed a hungry child in America. To date, Love With Food has donated more than 250,000 meals to feed hungry children in the U.S.

Jiyo is a digital platform designed to support personal well-being by fostering self-awareness and encouraging healthy habits. The platform offers a variety of resources, including articles, videos, and reminders, which facilitate learning and interaction with experts and thought leaders in the field of well-being. By tracking user behavior and providing insights into their habits, Jiyo helps individuals connect with like-minded people and enhances their overall personal growth.

Agronomic Technology Corp. operates a cloud-based recommendation platform known as Adapt-N, which provides precision nitrogen management solutions for farmers and agronomists. This platform delivers tailored nitrogen rate recommendations for corn fields by integrating various software models that account for soil variation, climate dynamics, and farm management practices. Adapt-N utilizes data on soil, crop management, and weather to assist farmers in making informed decisions regarding fertilizer, crop, and irrigation management. By anticipating nitrogen stress, the platform helps mitigate yield losses, minimize excess fertilizer use, and identify opportunities for yield enhancement. Agronomic Technology serves a diverse client base, including agricultural enterprises such as retailers and cooperatives, across multiple states in the United States. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in New York, Agronomic Technology operates as a subsidiary of Yara International ASA.

Dine Market is an online purchasing platform that connects restaurants to all of their vendors. It enables the restaurant to continue purchasing the same way they were before, but on Dine Market the restaurant can order all their products from all their vendors on one simple order form.