Fragaria, a premium fruit startup, has raised $2 million in a seed funding round led by WEH Ventures, with participation from Rainmatter, Spiral Ventures, and angel investors including Sashi Kumar. The company had earlier raised Rs 1.5 crore in a pre-seed round, marking a strong vote of confidence in its growth potential.
About Fragaria Fruits
Founded in 2024 by Harish Varadharajan, Timothy Chad Van Niekerk, and Damian López-Salazar, Fragaria Fruits focuses on delivering high-quality, sustainably grown fruits year-round to Indian consumers. Its flagship brand, Oh! Fruits, currently offers European strawberries grown in Chennai using advanced vertical farming and Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) techniques. These strawberries are reported to be twice as sweet as conventional varieties, pesticide-free, and have a shelf life up to three times longer than typical market offerings.
The startup addresses a critical gap in India’s fruit industry, where premium and consistently fresh fruit is scarce. With a commitment to sustainability, Fragaria integrates solar power, water recycling, and eco-friendly farming practices to reduce its environmental footprint while maintaining affordability.
Funding Utilization
The fresh capital will be deployed to scale operations in Bengaluru, expand the premium fruit portfolio to include blueberries and raspberries, and ensure a year-round supply of high-quality produce. Fragaria plans to increase daily strawberry output from 2–3 kg to 120–150 kg, leveraging its scalable vertical farming model. The startup also aims to enhance its distribution network to reach more urban consumers and establish its footprint in the growing premium fruit segment.
Market Outlook
India’s premium fruit market is largely underserved, with limited competition from imported brands such as Driscoll’s (berries), Zespri (kiwi), and Rockit (apples). Fragaria Fruits’ model positions it to become a market leader in sustainable, high-quality domestic fruit production, combining taste, freshness, and eco-conscious farming.
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