[Funding alert] F&V startup Gourmet Garden raises Rs 25Cr led by Beyond Next Ventures, M Venture Partners and others

Bengaluru-based fruits and vegetables brand Gourmet Garden — which uses its patented naturoponic farming approach to grow its produce — on Thursday said it raised Rs 25 crore in its latest round led by Beyond Next Ventures, M Venture Partners, and existing investors Incubate India and Whiteboard Capital, among others. 

With this funding, Gourmet Garden aims to expand its zero-contamination farming operations, broaden its portfolio with additional fresh categories, boost customer experience by deploying India’s first end-to-end B2C tech-enabled cold-chain, and improve ease of ordering with a mobile app and refreshed website.

Founded in 2019 by Arjun Balaji and Vishal Narayanaswamy, Gourmet Garden claims its fruits and vegetables are cultivated in a soil-less environment with zero contamination ingredients like water, seeds, etc. In fact, these produce are harvested just in time, which ensures its fresh quality.

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Speaking on the development, Arjun Balaji, Co-founder and Director, Gourmet Garden, said,

"We are fulfilling the consumer need-gap for a brand offering wholesome, distinctly fresh, and safe food essentials for everyday consumption. Most other offerings are aggregating commodity supply. However, our focus has been to operate end-to-end and focus disproportionately on source quality and safety, which is at the core of overall customer experience and differentiation.”

"Our patented naturoponic farming yields the highest quality vegetables and is our customers’ most loved offering. Essentials grown in certified organic farms along with an assortment of imported fruits make up our extended safe F&V range. Besides, we also offer a selection of authentic spices and dry fruits, and will soon be launching wholesome breads and organic sauces and dips for a wider range in fresh,” added Vishal Narayanaswamy, Co-founder, Gourmet Garden.

At present, it has over 60,000 customers in Bengaluru and Chennai, with over 75 percent of the orders coming from repeat customers every month.

Tsuyoshi Ito, CEO, and Akito Arima, Agri/FoodTech Lead Capitalist, Beyond Next Ventures, said,

“We are delighted to see that their sustainable cultivation techniques and quality of succulent vegetables are comparable to those in Japan. The focus on affordable, high quality and safe fruits and vegetables is rising in urban India. Gourmet Garden possesses a full basket of high-quality produce, delivered in shortest time keeping their loyal customers happy.”