Agrovision Corp. raised $880 million to make the best batch of berries.
Well, not quite. While the Century City-based agtech company has been creating genetically enhanced blueberries, blackberries and raspberries for the last 10 years, the company announced in early December it would begin branching out into cherries.
Agrovision launched Agrovision Chile after acquiring the Chilean grower ZurGroup. (Terms of the deal were not disclosed.) Chile is among the world’s largest cherry producers, thanks to the country’s hospitable growing conditions, and Agrovision will now have a 500-hectare slice of the pie in the form of cherry orchards.
“Cherries also fit perfectly alongside our other operations, helping us work toward a year-round supply strategy, much like we’ve done with blueberries,” Agrovision Chief Executive Steve Magami said in a statement.
Seeded in history
Between 1910 and 1950, Los Angeles County was the most productive agricultural county in the U.S., growing citrus fruits, tomatoes and, yes, berries.
Though we relinquished that title 75 years ago, the region’s bustling agtech sector stems from its deep roots in the agriculture industry. About 20% of U.S.-based cultivation startups that were last financed between 2023 and 2024 are based in California, per Pitchbook. Just over half of them are based in the Southern California region.
California as a whole is still the biggest agriculture state in the country, and innovation in agriculture goes where it grows – 28% of the world’s agrifoodtech funding in 2022 fed into California, according to Agfunder.
Fielding for quality
“One of the persistent challenges in agriculture and logistics is ensuring the consistent delivery of fresh produce across global markets while minimizing transit times and quality loss,” Magami said.
Unfortunately, once plucked fresh from the ground, tree or bush, fruits and vegetables are essentially dying carcasses of nutrition shipped from country to country, port to port and distribution center to grocery store. The logistical hassles around exporting berries comes from the mushy, delicate nature of the fruit itself.
“Berries also represent one of the most challenging categories in fresh produce due to their perishable nature,” Magami said. “…by owning every stage of the supply chain – from genetics and sustainable farming practices to advanced post-harvest technologies and predictive (artificial intelligence) – we ensure consistent, year-round access to premium superfruits.”
Agrovision pinpoints areas in the world where certain produce can grow the best and combines genetic testing with predictive analytics, which allows the company to forecast yield and distribution capabilities. Agrovision said its post-harvest technology extends the shelf life of its produce by 12 weeks without using chemicals.
“This ensures retailers have reliable stock and eliminates consumer frustration from inconsistent quality or availability,” Magami said.
Today, Agrovision operates in Peru (where it manages over 2,000 hectares of blueberry production), Mexico, Morocco, China and Chile. Its jumbo blueberries, under the brand name Fruitist, sit on the shelves of grocery stores like Costco, Whole Foods, Monrovia-based Trader Joe’s and Walmart.
