Chipotle Mexican Grill has expanded its venture fund, Cultivate Next, with investments in six companies focused on agriculture, supply chains, sustainability, food systems and restaurant technology.
The new portfolio includes Benchmark Labs, IMIO, Clean Crop Technologies, Athian, SIMPLi and PopID.
“Together, these companies demonstrate how innovation is reshaping agriculture, sustainability, supply chains and the guest experience, creating new opportunities to build a more resilient food system,” said Curt Garner, president and chief strategy and technology officer at Chipotle in a statement. “Their technologies have the potential to create meaningful value for farmers, suppliers, restaurant operators and guests alike.”
The six companies each focus on different aspects of the food ecosystem:
- Benchmark Labs develops AI-powered weather forecasting and climate intelligence tools for agricultural operators.
- IMIO creates microbial solutions designed to improve soil health and crop productivity.
- Clean Crop Technologies develops technology to improve food quality and reduce waste.
- Athian provides emissions tracking and certification tools to help food companies measure sustainability efforts.
- SIMPLi focuses on transparent regenerative organic supply chains, giving consumers greater visibility into food sourcing and nutrient density.
- PopID develops biometric digital identity and payment technology.
Cultivate Next launched in 2022. Among the fund’s first investments was Hyphen, which developed an automated makeline that Chipotle claims can produce more than 350 meals per hour while improving order accuracy.
