Do you have an idea that could revolutionize the food industry? Then you could be exactly what Chipotle is looking for as part of its $100 million Cultivate Next investment fund.
The Mexican Grill restaurant chain initially announced the scheme in 2022 with $50 million of funding for innovative projects and that figure has recently been doubled as Chipotle looks to bring in more partners.
Chipotle’s Cultivate Next scheme
Chipotle’s Cultivate Next initiative is designed to help the restaurant chain uncover forward-thinking companies and give a helping hand to their businesses in areas such as farming, supply chain, advanced robotics, and plant-based foods.
The idea behind the scheme is to not only help Chipotle grow its business – as it aims to more than double its current number of restaurants, with it targeting to operate 7,000 restaurants across North America alone – but also to ‘Cultivate a Better World’ with more sustainable and efficient practices.
After the scheme was originally introduced in 2022, Chipotle has doubled its commitment to the initiative by increasing its total investment fund to $100 million.
“Our decision to double our commitment to our Cultivate Next venture fund is a clear indicator that we are investing in the right companies that we can learn from and utilize to improve the human experience of our restaurant teams, farmers, and suppliers,” said Curt Garner, Chipotle’s Chief Customer and Technology Officer. “The parallel growth of Chipotle and our partners will continue to further our mission to Cultivate a Better World by increasing access to real food.”
Companies already partnered with Chipotle
Since the venture was first announced, Chipotle has partnered with seven innovative companies as part of the investment scheme.
These include:
- Local Line | A food sourcing platform that helps businesses like Chipotle source produce from local farms.
- GreenField Robotics | A company creating robots to help streamline the farming process.
- Nitricity | A business looking to combat greenhouse gas emissions with fertilizer products that are better for fields, farmers and the environment.
- Vebu | The creators of the Autocado, a ‘cobotic’ (collaborative robot) that works alongside humans to mass produce guacamole.
- Hyphen | A food service platform designed to automate certain kitchen operations planned to build bowls and salads in Chipotle restaurants, allowing its staff to focus on more complicated dishes like burritos, tacos, and quesadillas.
- Meati | A company helping to create a new range of meat-free dishes made from Mushroom Root.
- Zero Acre Farms | A food company looking to develop healthy and sustainable oils and fats to help reduce the dependence on vegetable oils.
Companies interested in becoming part of the Cultivate Next venture fund can apply by emailing cultivatenext@chipotle.com.
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