Interview with Apeel Sciences

James Rogers of Apeel Sciences is joining us at Future Food-Tech for a insightful fireside chat with Eric Archambeau, Co-Founder and Partner, Astanor Ventures. Ahead of his participation at the summit next month, we were excited to hear the latest updates from their ambitious Founder and CEO, James Rogers.

What recent successes can you share that show you are on track to pioneer a revolutionary technology? How does this technology have moonshot potential

Newton looked up to the sky to make discoveries about mass that led to his law of gravity. At Apeel, we looked to nature and saw a database of evolutionary knowledge in every piece of fruit, with lessons on how to sustainably feed our planet. As home to billions, with more on the way, our approach to the challenge of feeding the future means exploring the molecular frontiers inside every bite of food we eat. Apeel’s plant-based technology mimics nature’s own solution for freshness: the peel. For our customers and consumers, Apeel means food stays fresher longer, and has saved millions of pieces of produce from going to waste on store shelves and the consumer’s home.

Moonshot technologies are developed to make the world a radically better place. What drives you to achieve this ambitious and complex goal?

In a world where a ⅓ or more of the food we grow goes to waste, even as 1 in 9 people goes hungry, a radical rethinking of that calculus could fill the gap without asking more of an overtaxed Earth. We see that reality, and hear the call to meet the twin challenges of climate change and a future that has to eat. We’re driven to pioneer a more participatory, sustainable food system that can feed more people, and help its stakeholders – from farmers to grocers – do better by wasting less. Working with nature, Apeel enables transformations across the fresh food supply chain, while significantly reducing the food waste that taxes the climate and wastes precious resources. While tackling that waste to create more abundance, we’re also helping reduce the need for single-use plastic and refrigeration, and ultimately increasing access to nutrition and markets in a way that is good for people and the planet.

What’s next for Apeel Sciences and what do you hope to achieve in the next 12 months? In the next 3-5 years?

What started in 2012 as a concept is today a reality in markets from Fresno to Frankfurt, but we are far from finished. In our quest to remake the food system to waste less and provide more, Apeel is expanding to more suppliers, produce categories, retailers and foodservice channels worldwide, while focusing on increasing accessibility to fresh produce in communities that need it most. Meanwhile, our belief in new discoveries yet to be made in looking to nature only grows, with the goal of unlocking new plant-based technologies to address the great global challenges like food waste, plastic overuse and climate change.

James will be joining us in the Start-Up Arena at Future Food-Tech:

Fireside Chat:
Eric Archambeau, Co-Founder and Partner, ASTANOR VENTURES
James Rogers, Founder and CEO, APEEL SCIENCES

What recent successes can you share that show you are on track to pioneer a revolutionary technology?