Apeel, a food tech company that helps produce last longer, has acquired ImpactVision, which uses imaging technology to reduce food waste. The new imaging technology enables suppliers to see inside and understand the interior quality of fresh produce by collecting quantifiable data on stage of ripeness, freshness, nutritional density, and other indicators of quality.
"Our journey began with Apeel's plant-based protection— an invisible 'peel' that addresses the challenge of global food waste by bringing more time to fresh produce before it spoils. Now, we're expanding our technology to bring to light the previously invisible characteristics of produce, including internal quality, phytonutrient content, and environmental impact," said James Rogers, CEO of Apeel, in a statement. "Using the insights enabled by Apeel's imaging technology, our partners will effectively be able to 'see' inside of every fruit and vegetable, quantifying quality as never before, so that the distribution of fresh food can be optimized. For our partners, this will mean less waste and an immediate bottom-line improvement, and ultimately, the ability to one day differentiate produce by making freshness and nutritional content 'visible' to the consumer."
This marks Apeel's first acquisition and a major step toward quantifying and digitizing produce quality data, with the goal of democratizing this new information for the benefit of Apeel's partners and the global food system as a whole.
Related: Apeel Raises $30 Million; Food, AgTech Investments Near $12 Billion in 2020.
Image: Apeel