Investor directory

Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Focus

Pre Seed RoundSeed RoundArtificial IntelligenceMachine LearningSeries AShow more
http://techstars.com/ventures
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Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Organic Food

ToMarket

Non Equity Assistance in 2022
To Market is a platform that connects purveyors of local edible goods directly to restaurants and chefs that need them the most. The company serves as a simple online marketplace for sourcing and selling the highest quality local goods. For farmers, the company allows them to track their inventory online and it automatically becomes available to local Chefs for easy online ordering. Meanwhile for the chefs, they can have and order the finest products from the local farms, just a click away with easy online ordering and tracking.

EQUO

Seed Round in 2022
EQUO creates a product that has minimal impact on the environment. It provides a variety of truly eco-friendly solutions for everyday items by providing products that are 100% natural, plastic-free, non-toxic, chemical-free & biodegradable, and compostable.

Gardenio

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Provider of an online gardening marketplace intended to start and maintain and continue with a garden. The company's marketplace offers starter boxes which contain three appropriately sized planters, as much compost and soil as needed, three organic starter plants of choice and care guides for how to grow them, enabling customers to access their service for getting boxes delivered to their home and grow plants of their choice.

Hya Bioplastics

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Hya Bioplastics is a startup focused on producing biodegradable food packaging made from re-engineered plant fibers. The company utilizes proprietary decentralized manufacturing technology to create cost-competitive biodegradable solutions, aiming to provide sustainable alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics. Hya Bioplastics is also developing a patent-pending process that enhances the production of bioplastics from plant waste fibers, contributing to environmentally friendly packaging options.

EQUO

Pre Seed Round in 2021
EQUO creates a product that has minimal impact on the environment. It provides a variety of truly eco-friendly solutions for everyday items by providing products that are 100% natural, plastic-free, non-toxic, chemical-free & biodegradable, and compostable.

Xook

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Xook is a developer of robotic fresh food kiosks that delivers fresh food at the office, cafeteria, or at an apartment. Xook offers freshly prepared food to users' order and served in under a minute.

Phood

Seed Round in 2021
Phood is a startup company developing a food waste prevention platform that aims to reduce food waste. The platform utilizes data analytics and artificial intelligence to capture the food that businesses, such as restaurants, are purchasing, preparing, and are stored in refrigerators or on shelves to cut food waste in half and helps food businesses build a more resilient food system and supply chain. IN 2015, Luc Dang and Nick Kruczek established the company New York, New York.

Grubbly Farms

Seed Round in 2020
Grubbly Farms Inc., founded in 2015 and based in Atlanta, Georgia, specializes in producing and selling sustainable feed and snacks for chickens using black soldier fly larvae. The company's flagship product, Grubblies, is made from dried larvae that are cultivated on pre-consumer food waste, making it an eco-friendly alternative to traditional poultry feed. This approach not only addresses the rising costs associated with livestock feed—one of the largest expenses for farmers—but also provides a high-protein, calcium-rich diet that supports egg and feather production. By offering an innovative and sustainable source of protein, Grubbly Farms aims to alleviate financial pressures on farms while promoting environmentally responsible farming practices. The company's products are available for purchase online, catering to poultry owners seeking healthier feeding options for their livestock.

OjaExpress

Pre Seed Round in 2020
OjaExpress is a digital marketplace for ethnic and cultural groceries. We are dedicated to helping local independent ethnic grocery stores grow and compete in a sustainable way. OjaExpress helps these grocery stores thrive. By helping customers discover the independent grocery stores unique, cultural product offerings and helping independent grocery stores connect with customers. OjaExpress powers online ordering for independent grocery stores via the OjaExpress platform, while also providing the grocery store partners key customer insights and marketing support.

Curie London

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Curie is online platform offering wide range of plant based meat products to promote sustainability and improve animal life. The most users using CURIE are eco-conscious and progressive individuals.

ImagoAI

Pre Seed Round in 2019
ImagoAI provides agri-food quality decision system using Artificial Intelligence. The AI powered system helps in delivering consistent food quality, generate premium products, and prevent supply chain waste. Companies use our technology to increase revenues, reduce food loss, and prevent product recalls.

FLY BY JING

Pre Seed Round in 2019
They put uncensored chinese flavours and the highest quality ingredients together and tell to make nice.TheyBELIEVE IN REAL: REAL FOOD, REAL PEOPLE, AND REAL MOMENTS THAT BRING US TOGETHER TO DISCOVER SOMETHING SPICY, ODDLY SATISFYING AND SLIGHTLY SAVORY.

Food for All

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Food for All makes quality food affordable to all while stopping perfectly good and delicious meals from being wasted. After developing the company's concept in collaboration with Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Food for All was born in Oct 2016 with the help of more than 650 incredible people all over the US that backed us in our Kickstarter campaign.

Phood

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Phood is a startup company developing a food waste prevention platform that aims to reduce food waste. The platform utilizes data analytics and artificial intelligence to capture the food that businesses, such as restaurants, are purchasing, preparing, and are stored in refrigerators or on shelves to cut food waste in half and helps food businesses build a more resilient food system and supply chain. IN 2015, Luc Dang and Nick Kruczek established the company New York, New York.

Noir Food

Pre Seed Round in 2019
The Noir community supports and connects local food and wine producers that have global ambitions. They always promise to think sustainably, go directly to producers, and bring you phenomenal experiences for the best price.

Transparent Kitchen

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Transparent Kitchen's mission is to enable our industry to transition into an exciting future by developing the first intelligent food and beverage discovery platform. We create meaningful content that effectively tells the stories of our restaurants, chefs, and suppliers, empowering the next generation of diners

kencko

Seed Round in 2019
kencko foods, inc. produces and sells organic fruit and vegetable products in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company offers sachet-based drink, including ten pack, thirty pack, and sixty pack. kencko foods, inc. was founded in 2017 and is based in New York, New York with a processing facility in Lisbon, Portugal.

Planetarians

Seed Round in 2019
Why: When the alternative meat consumption grows from the current 2% to a projected 23%, where will the industry get proteins? Isolation, fermentation, cultured… all of them require it’s own ingredients for proteins. They might be not so readily available in the food system on the Earth… What: PLANETARIANS developed a new platform to make alternative meats from animal feed (Sunflower, Corn DDGS, Pulses). Skipping protein isolation it uses just 0.5:1 water (no chemicals). Product prototypes have umami taste, improved protein quality and lower costs than meats made from isolates and concentrates. How: Solid-state fermentation converts carbs in the ingredients into extra protein in addition to inherent one and improves PDCAAS. Wet extrusion works as a kill step and creates a meat-like texture.

Flashfood

Series A in 2019
Flashfood Inc. is a Toronto-based company that has developed an app aimed at reducing food wastage by connecting grocery stores and restaurants with consumers looking for discounted surplus food. The platform allows vendors to sell high-quality, surplus items at steep discounts, thereby increasing their revenue while simultaneously providing savings for shoppers. Users can browse local deals, purchase items directly through the app, and pick them up in-store. Since its founding in 2016, Flashfood has focused on addressing the issues of food waste and promoting sustainability in the food supply chain.

Slice of Sauce

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Slice of Sauce is a handmade food products company.

Natufia

Seed Round in 2018
Natufia Labs PLC provides hydroponic equipment that automatically grows nutritious assortment of fresh plants and herbs in households and restaurant kitchens. The company offers kitchen garden equipment, organic plant seeds, microgreens seeds, and accessories, such as ceramic cups, measurement test kits, harvesting displays, replacement LEDs, and hydroponic gardening literature. It serves chefs, hotels, lounges and bars, spas and nutrition centers, designers and architects, distributors, and retail sectors. It sells its products online. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Tallinn, Estonia.

kencko

Pre Seed Round in 2018
kencko foods, inc. produces and sells organic fruit and vegetable products in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company offers sachet-based drink, including ten pack, thirty pack, and sixty pack. kencko foods, inc. was founded in 2017 and is based in New York, New York with a processing facility in Lisbon, Portugal.

Goodr

Seed Round in 2018
Goodr Inc. is a sustainable food surplus management platform that utilizes technology to mitigate food waste and address hunger. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company offers a real-time food rescue application that assists businesses in managing their edible food waste. Through its platform, Goodr enables businesses to donate surplus food to local nonprofit organizations while providing logistics, analytics, and security to ensure compliance with tax regulations. The software offers insights into food waste patterns, real-time donation tracking, and community impact reports, which help organizations quantify their contributions. Goodr’s blockchain-enabled platform also ensures an IRS audit-friendly record of donations, fostering a transparent process. By facilitating these donations, Goodr aims to create a triple-win scenario: enhancing the financial benefits for businesses through tax deductions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, and alleviating hunger in communities.

KitchenMate

Seed Round in 2018
Reshaping your food experience with the only automated restaurant for your workplace. Stay safe, stay on-site with real food, cooked anytime powered by our plug-&-play Smart Cooking System.

kencko

Pre Seed Round in 2018
kencko foods, inc. produces and sells organic fruit and vegetable products in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company offers sachet-based drink, including ten pack, thirty pack, and sixty pack. kencko foods, inc. was founded in 2017 and is based in New York, New York with a processing facility in Lisbon, Portugal.

Milkful

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Milkful, LLC manufactures and markets nutritional snack bars for nursing moms. It offers bars made of rolled oats, brewers yeast, flax seeds, black sesame seeds, nuts, fenugreek, Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and organic virgin coconut oil. The company adds sweetners to its products such as brown rice syrup and honey. It offers its products online. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rosso & Flynn

Seed Round in 2018
Rosso & Flynn's is dedicated to providing the best tasting products and offering full transparency on all of our meats.

Rosso & Flynn

Convertible Note in 2018
Rosso & Flynn's is dedicated to providing the best tasting products and offering full transparency on all of our meats.

KitchenMate

Seed Round in 2018
Reshaping your food experience with the only automated restaurant for your workplace. Stay safe, stay on-site with real food, cooked anytime powered by our plug-&-play Smart Cooking System.

Goodr

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Goodr Inc. is a sustainable food surplus management platform that utilizes technology to mitigate food waste and address hunger. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company offers a real-time food rescue application that assists businesses in managing their edible food waste. Through its platform, Goodr enables businesses to donate surplus food to local nonprofit organizations while providing logistics, analytics, and security to ensure compliance with tax regulations. The software offers insights into food waste patterns, real-time donation tracking, and community impact reports, which help organizations quantify their contributions. Goodr’s blockchain-enabled platform also ensures an IRS audit-friendly record of donations, fostering a transparent process. By facilitating these donations, Goodr aims to create a triple-win scenario: enhancing the financial benefits for businesses through tax deductions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, and alleviating hunger in communities.

Natufia

Seed Round in 2018
Natufia Labs PLC provides hydroponic equipment that automatically grows nutritious assortment of fresh plants and herbs in households and restaurant kitchens. The company offers kitchen garden equipment, organic plant seeds, microgreens seeds, and accessories, such as ceramic cups, measurement test kits, harvesting displays, replacement LEDs, and hydroponic gardening literature. It serves chefs, hotels, lounges and bars, spas and nutrition centers, designers and architects, distributors, and retail sectors. It sells its products online. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Tallinn, Estonia.

KitchenMate

Seed Round in 2018
Reshaping your food experience with the only automated restaurant for your workplace. Stay safe, stay on-site with real food, cooked anytime powered by our plug-&-play Smart Cooking System.

Planetarians

Convertible Note in 2017
Why: When the alternative meat consumption grows from the current 2% to a projected 23%, where will the industry get proteins? Isolation, fermentation, cultured… all of them require it’s own ingredients for proteins. They might be not so readily available in the food system on the Earth… What: PLANETARIANS developed a new platform to make alternative meats from animal feed (Sunflower, Corn DDGS, Pulses). Skipping protein isolation it uses just 0.5:1 water (no chemicals). Product prototypes have umami taste, improved protein quality and lower costs than meats made from isolates and concentrates. How: Solid-state fermentation converts carbs in the ingredients into extra protein in addition to inherent one and improves PDCAAS. Wet extrusion works as a kill step and creates a meat-like texture.

Flashfood

Seed Round in 2017
Flashfood Inc. is a Toronto-based company that has developed an app aimed at reducing food wastage by connecting grocery stores and restaurants with consumers looking for discounted surplus food. The platform allows vendors to sell high-quality, surplus items at steep discounts, thereby increasing their revenue while simultaneously providing savings for shoppers. Users can browse local deals, purchase items directly through the app, and pick them up in-store. Since its founding in 2016, Flashfood has focused on addressing the issues of food waste and promoting sustainability in the food supply chain.

Matchaful

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Matchaful LLC, founded in 2015 and based in Brooklyn, New York, specializes in producing and supplying organic matcha. The company offers a range of matcha-making equipment to cafes, offices, and individual consumers, promoting the organic matcha movement. Its team, known as "matchapreneurs," consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds, all dedicated to sharing the benefits of high-quality matcha.

Planetarians

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Why: When the alternative meat consumption grows from the current 2% to a projected 23%, where will the industry get proteins? Isolation, fermentation, cultured… all of them require it’s own ingredients for proteins. They might be not so readily available in the food system on the Earth… What: PLANETARIANS developed a new platform to make alternative meats from animal feed (Sunflower, Corn DDGS, Pulses). Skipping protein isolation it uses just 0.5:1 water (no chemicals). Product prototypes have umami taste, improved protein quality and lower costs than meats made from isolates and concentrates. How: Solid-state fermentation converts carbs in the ingredients into extra protein in addition to inherent one and improves PDCAAS. Wet extrusion works as a kill step and creates a meat-like texture.

Smallhold

Seed Round in 2017
Smallhold, Inc. is a farming technology company based in Brooklyn, New York, specializing in the cultivation of mushrooms through innovative, climate-controlled mini farms. Established in 2017, Smallhold utilizes automated and modular growing systems that are remotely managed and subscription-based, allowing food industry professionals to produce consistent and reliable local mushrooms tailored to their specific needs. The company's produce is distributed to partner restaurants, grocery stores, and markets, ensuring a steady supply of fresh mushrooms. By leveraging technology, Smallhold aims to provide a sustainable solution for mushroom farming that is resilient to climatic changes and market fluctuations.

kencko

Angel Round in 2016
kencko foods, inc. produces and sells organic fruit and vegetable products in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company offers sachet-based drink, including ten pack, thirty pack, and sixty pack. kencko foods, inc. was founded in 2017 and is based in New York, New York with a processing facility in Lisbon, Portugal.

Grubbly Farms

Seed Round in 2016
Grubbly Farms Inc., founded in 2015 and based in Atlanta, Georgia, specializes in producing and selling sustainable feed and snacks for chickens using black soldier fly larvae. The company's flagship product, Grubblies, is made from dried larvae that are cultivated on pre-consumer food waste, making it an eco-friendly alternative to traditional poultry feed. This approach not only addresses the rising costs associated with livestock feed—one of the largest expenses for farmers—but also provides a high-protein, calcium-rich diet that supports egg and feather production. By offering an innovative and sustainable source of protein, Grubbly Farms aims to alleviate financial pressures on farms while promoting environmentally responsible farming practices. The company's products are available for purchase online, catering to poultry owners seeking healthier feeding options for their livestock.

ēdn

Pre Seed Round in 2016
ēdn is on a mission to change the way the world experiences nature - We create products that enable everyone to grow fresh herbs, vegetables, and flowers at the push of a button. We combine advanced automation and app control with a deep understanding of horticulture to grow any type of plant with predictable and guaranteed results. Built from beautiful hardwood and aluminum, our products embody living art with nature as the focus.

Morsel

Convertible Note in 2015
Morsel Inc. is a New York-based company that specializes in preparing and delivering healthy meals for employees. Established in 2015, Morsel focuses on providing nutritious and flavorful lunch options that cater to individual preferences while also promoting sustainability by minimizing food waste. The company's innovative approach aims to streamline the process of offering wholesome meals in corporate settings.

Grove

Pre Seed Round in 2013
Grove Labs Inc. is a company focused on developing natural indoor gardening products that facilitate the cultivation of fruits and vegetables at home. Founded in 2013 and based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Grove aims to make local, healthy food accessible to everyone. The company offers a range of products for seed and plant care, as well as tools for aquarium maintenance and water testing. Additionally, it provides educational resources designed to teach life sciences, sustainability, and nutrition in schools. Grove's innovative systems enable users to monitor and optimize their indoor gardening through web-connected technology, allowing for easy management of controlled environments and plant growth. The company envisions a future where home farming appliances are as commonplace as refrigerators.

Given Goods

Seed Round in 2013
Given Goods Company is the marketplace for beautiful, high-quality products that give back. By curating thousands of products that all make a tangible social impact, from tote bags and jewelry to home décor, Given Goods is redefining the consumer retail experience. Brands both established and emerging are feeling massive upward consumer demand for products that create meaningful social impact. Given Goods is already working with 115 brands and offering over 1,200 products and 4,500 SKUs in order to connect mainstream consumers to high-quality products that give back. Buying social impact products today is the equivalent of buying natural and organic foods 10 years ago—consumers wanted them but they were incredibly difficult to find. Whole Foods changed that. They captured an emerging yet fragmented market to create an enduring movement. Given Goods is driving the next large scale shift in consumer behavior.

Freight Farms

Pre Seed Round in 2013
Freight Farms, Inc. specializes in manufacturing hydroponic crop production units constructed from up-cycled shipping containers. Their flagship product, the Leafy Green Machine, is a pre-assembled system that enables commercial-scale production of various crops, including herbs like mint and basil, as well as lettuces and brassicas such as kale and cabbage, regardless of climate or season. Founded in 2010 and based in Boston, Massachusetts, the company aims to enhance food accessibility in regions where traditional farming is challenging. By facilitating high-yield crop production, Freight Farms supports the development of local food economies and sustainable food systems for a diverse clientele, including business owners, farmers, educational institutions, municipalities, and non-profits across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

CookItFor.Us

Seed Round in 2011
CookItFor.Us connects Cravers with Makers to get recipes made, delivering all the benefits of homemade, without having to cook. Whether you plan meals in advance, or are looking for something to eat last minute, your food selections can be ready for pick up, delivery, dine in, or made right in your home! Choose what works best for you. We facilitate the transaction from order to payment, so that you can fully enjoy each and every bite.

Foodzie

Pre Seed Round in 2008
Foodzie is an online marketplace that connects consumers with small artisan food producers, enabling them to discover and purchase gourmet and organic health foods. The platform simplifies the selling process for these producers, allowing them to reach a wider audience while ensuring that food enthusiasts can easily find high-quality products. By aggregating a diverse selection of unique offerings, Foodzie fosters a community centered around artisanal food and provides a convenient shopping experience for those seeking exceptional culinary items.