Fragaria Fruits, a high-tech farming company, has raised $2 million in a seed funding round led by WEH Ventures. The round also saw participation from Rainmatter, Spiral Ventures, and angel investors such as Sashi Kumar, CEO of Akshayakalpa Organic.
The funds raised will be used to scale operations in Bengaluru, expand its premium fruit portfolio to include blueberries and raspberries, and provide a year-round supply of high-quality, sustainable produce to the Indian market.
Founded in 2024 by Harish Varadharajan, Damian Lopez-Salazar, and Timothy Van Niekerk, Fragaria aims to deliver premium-quality fruit consistently throughout the year using sustainable farming techniques.
Its flagship brand, Oh! Fruits provides European strawberries that are twice as sweet as conventional Indian varieties and have a shelf life three times longer.
By using Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) and vertical farming, Fragaria has built a sustainable, scalable model to grow premium strawberries in all seasons. Its pilot farm in Chennai demonstrated that world-class produce can be grown even in tropical India, where traditional farming struggles with seasonality. With the new investment, Fragaria will expand production in Bengaluru, increasing daily output from 2-3 kg to 120-150 kg.
Timothy Van Niekerk, Co-founder, Fragaria Fruits, said, “This funding will allow us to scale our operations and reach a larger consumer base with consistently high-quality fruit. It’s a key step forward in our mission to build India’s most trusted and beloved fruit brand, providing fresh, year-round produce to millions of people across the country.”
Rohit Krishna, Partner, WEH Ventures, said, “We believe Fragaria is addressing a critical inefficiency in India’s fruit supply chain. Their model blends cutting-edge farming technology with sustainable practices, which is a game-changer for India’s premium fruit market. We are supporting them in providing consumers with fresh, year-round fruit, without compromising on quality or sustainability.”
