Company has pioneered sub-second MRI scanning in the poultry industry, and now plans to help fruit and vegetable suppliers detect internal defects
Munich-based company Orbem says it plans to expand into the fruit and vegetable business with its AI-powered, fully automated scanning technology, after it secured €55.5mn in new funding.
The company, which already operates in the poultry industry, has developed what it describes as a breakthrough platform that makes MRI technology fast, affordable and scalable, enabling non-invasive analysis of biological materials at an industrial scale.
Now, it wants to apply that technology to fresh produce like watermelons, avocados, and mangoes. It also plans to enter the US market this year, and to develop new applications in healthcare.
For fruit and veg companies, the technology is designed to spot internal defects and assess quality without cutting them open, which in turn should mean more precise grading, improved consistency, and reduced waste.
“We’re the first and so far only company in the world to demonstrate the use of MRI in less than one second and without humans in the loop,” claims Pedro Gómez, co-founder and CEO of Orbem.
“We began by showing the poultry industry what’s possible when you can see inside an egg, and we are just getting started. This new funding allows us to accelerate our US expansion and help more food producers and healthcare providers make better decisions with data.”
Orbem’s latest injection of funding came from a Series B round led by European deep-tech specialist Innovation Industries, with major support from another group called Supernova Invest.
The investment package also included “significant” participation from existing investors General Catalyst, 83North, The Venture Collective, and Possible Ventures.
