Cash infusion for superfruit developer targets healthy snacking market

A producer of premium superfruits such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and cherries has closed $100 million in equity financing from Aliment Capital, among other investments.

The company behind the Fruitist and Big Skye brands, Agrovision takes a farm-to-grocery-store approach to market its superfruit products. The vertically integrated grower, packer, shipper and marketer of superfruits owns and controls large-scale land and water assets in Oregon, Peru, Mexico and Morocco.

Agrovision sees opportunity in the $100 billion healthy snacks market, as well as in the predicted growth in consumer demand and annual growth for berries — expected to reach $32 billion in the next five years.  Agrovision will use the $100 million infusion from Aliment as well as those from other investors to expand its research and commercialization of proprietary technology to extend product freshness and shelf life.

Its partnership with RipeLocker, a Seattle-based agricultural technology company, introduced a method that the company says extends berry shelf life three times longer than conventional methods without compromising quality or eating experience.

Agrovision also uses artificial intelligence technology to scan and assess each berry’s quality, ensuring consistent premium standards. The company also pursues regenerative farming practices to enhance soil health and sequester carbon.