RipeLocker, a Seattle food-tech startup developing tech that preserves fruits, nuts, hops and flowers, landed $10 million for design upgrades and inventory.
The company’s chambers, which are about the size of a pallet, preserve the shelf-life of the produce or flowers within the hardware by managing its atmospheric pressure and gas composition. The system’s tech can also report and respond to shifts in the external environment by making adjustments to reduce decay.
RipeLocker was co-founded in 2016 by CEO George Lobisser, who previously co-owned and led Pace International, a company that built food-preserving tech, and his son Kyle Lobisser, a devices engineer who helped create the storage chambers but is not a current employee.
George Lobisser said in a statement that revenue growth this year is coming from roses, blueberries, walnuts, and fresh hops. “We continue to show efficacy on multiple new perishables and are confident actual revenue will continue to grow as a result,” he said.
The startup said it is postponing its Series A round due to the current “startup climate.”
The fresh cash, from both undisclosed existing investors and new backers, brings total funding to $30 million. The startup landed $7.5 million in a round last year and $5 million in 2021.
RipeLocker was selected as a finalist for Hardware/Gadget of the Year in the 2023 GeekWire Awards.
