Forever Harvest has announced a NZ$1.2 million pre-seed funding round to accelerate the development of cultivated fruit and nut ingredients for the global food and beverage industry.
The investment is being led by early-stage agrifood investor Sprout Agritech, supported by the Bioeconomy Science Institute and Callaghan Innovation’s Deep Tech Incubator programme.
Based in Lincoln near Christchurch, Forever Harvest works with food and flavour companies to develop climate resilient, year-round ingredient supply, helping customers manage growing risks to crop quality from disease and climate volatility, which are contributing to price instability.
Cellular horticulture is the process of growing specific fruit or nut cells in a lab instead of growing a whole tree or plant, allowing the production of cultured cells with targeted nutrients, flavours, textures or functional benefits.
The company is at the forefront of this technology and already engaging with several multinational food and ingredient companies. They have also commenced a collaboration with a global food brand as it explores commercial applications of its technology.
“We are targeting growth of edible, whole cells with their unique matrix of aromas, colours, flavours,” says co-founder of Forever Harvest Dr Jan Grant, who brings more than 40 years’ experience in plant cell culture, plant physiology and plant genetics.
“Our approach requires minimal land and water, removes seasonality, and eliminates the need for agricultural inputs such as pesticides or fertilisers. It also gives us much greater precision, allowing us to produce specific fruit or nut cells with desired functional properties, including characteristics that may only exist in certain parts of the crop, and deliver them consistently for customers,” says Dr Grant.
Mick Riley, co-founder of Forever Harvest, says the funding marks a major step forward for the company.
“This investment allows us to progress pilot activity and deepen engagement with customers who are actively exploring new supply solutions,” says Riley.
“We are focused on building a commercially scalable business that integrates directly into existing food and flavour supply chains.”
Forever Harvest was founded by Dr Jan Grant and Mick Riley, building on technology developed through research at the Bioeconomy Science Institute and now, with new funding, operating as a dedicated commercial venture to bring the technology to market. Forever Harvest participated in two Sprout programmes, Germinate and Sprout Accelerator, on its way to securing this funding.
Irene Hao, Investment Manager at Sprout Agritech, says Forever Harvest is solving a real and urgent problem for global food companies as ingredient supply becomes increasingly volatile.
“What stood out to us was the combination of strong early customer engagement and deep technical expertise within the founding team, giving the company a solid foundation to scale a globally relevant platform.”
Dr Gavin Ross, from the Bioeconomy Science Institute commercial team, says the spin out highlights the commercial potential of New Zealand research.
“It’s always exciting to see new ventures formed from research undertaken within the Bioeconomy Science Institute,” says Dr Ross. “The founders have made great progress building connections with a global customer base, and this commercial traction has been key to securing investment from Sprout. This technology has the potential to grow New Zealand’s bioeconomy.”
The funding will support the next phase of Forever Harvest’s growth, including expanding its portfolio of fruit and nut cell lines, continuing pilot scale production, and working more closely with commercial partners. Over the coming year, the company will focus on progressing pilots and deepening engagement with customers.
