Partnership
Partner with the programme
SciFruVeg Technologies is at the pre-validation stage of a research programme in gas-exchange shelf-life forecasting. We are building a small group of partners — research institutions, commercial operators, and funders — whose involvement will shape the validation evidence and the path to deployment.
Programme overview
Why partnership matters at this stage
The programme's central thesis is that low-cost CO₂ and ethylene-related VOC sensors in existing storage chambers, paired with a machine-learning model anchored in fruit-senescence science, can forecast remaining shelf-life early enough for an operator to act on it. That thesis can only be tested with real produce, real storage environments, and real operational outcomes. Partners provide the conditions under which the model can be trained, validated, and assessed against a meaningful baseline. In return, partners gain early access to the technology, influence over the validation design, and — in the case of commercial pilots — a direct role in setting the pricing and unit economics that will govern the commercial model.
Data flywheel thesis
Each pilot adds labelled shelf-life outcomes across commodities and conditions. The thesis is that this data accumulation sharpens forecasts over time and raises the barrier for later entrants — making early partners structurally advantaged as the programme scales.
Current programme stage
Where we are now
The programme is at the pre-validation stage. Sensor hardware and the initial model architecture are in development. We are targeting Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom as beachhead pilot markets and are in early conversations with operators in each. Partner slots at this stage are limited — we are looking for a small number of sites and institutions where the validation can be conducted rigorously and the results can be shared.
2–3 sites
Institutional validation partners
2–3 sites
Commercial pilot partners
Open
Funders
Partner types
Three ways to be involved
Institutional validation partners
Post-harvest research groups, food innovation centres, and university departments with access to controlled storage facilities and expertise in produce senescence.
What we ask
Access to controlled storage chambers for sensor deployment across one or more of the four target commodities: apples, avocados, berries, bananas.
Ground-truth shelf-life and quality observations recorded as part of normal research operations or agreed trial protocols.
Independent assessment of forecast accuracy against pre-agreed validation criteria.
Co-design input on the validation protocol, including the accuracy thresholds the model must meet.
What you receive
Early access to the sensor system and model outputs for use in your own research.
Co-authorship or acknowledgement in any publications arising from the validation work, subject to agreement.
Access to the labelled dataset generated during the validation phase, under agreed data-sharing terms.
A direct role in shaping the validation design — the criteria are set with partners, not imposed on them.
Commercial pilot partners
Cold-chain storage operators, wholesalers, packers, and fresh-produce procurement teams handling apples, avocados, berries, or bananas at scale. Commercial pilots run through the Konero YellowBox pathway.
What we ask
One or more storage chambers for sensor installation. Installation is designed to retrofit existing infrastructure with no process redesign.
Ground-truth shelf-life outcomes: records of when lots were moved, discounted, or disposed of, and the condition they were in.
Operational context — storage conditions, handling practices, and commodity mix — that allows the model to be calibrated to your site.
Feedback on the dashboard and recommendation outputs, which directly informs the product design.
What you receive
Shelf-life forecasts by lot during the pilot, framed as actionable recommendations: move, adjust atmosphere, discount now.
A baseline-versus-pilot comparison of spoilage and markdown rates, produced as part of the operational ROI assessment.
A direct role in setting the pricing and unit economics for the commercial model. We expect to pair sensor deployment with a software subscription priced against avoided spoilage and markdown — pilot partners set those terms.
Priority access to the deployed system when the programme moves from pilot to scale.
Funders and grant bodies
Organisations funding applied food-science research, post-harvest technology development, food-waste reduction programmes, or early-stage agrifoodtech. We also welcome early-stage investors and strategic partners who want to back the path from pilot to repeatable deployment.
What we ask
Grant funding, co-funding arrangements, or investment to support sensor development, validation trials, and the data infrastructure underlying the model.
Network introductions to research institutions or commercial operators relevant to the validation programme.
Strategic input on the path from pilot to scale, particularly across Europe, the US, and the UK.
What you receive
Full visibility of the validation evidence as it is produced — forecast accuracy, operational ROI, and repeatability data across sites.
Round details and traction shared in conversation. We do not publish investment terms publicly.
A programme designed to produce evidence investors and customers can check — the pilots are structured around measurable outcomes, not assertions.
Data ownership
Terms are discussed individually
Data generated during the validation and pilot phases — sensor readings, ground-truth observations, and model outputs — is commercially sensitive for all parties. There is no standard data-sharing agreement applied to all partners. Ownership, access rights, publication rights, and confidentiality terms are negotiated individually and documented before data collection begins. If data ownership is a concern, we encourage you to raise it early in the conversation.
Interested in partnering?
We are glad to have an initial conversation with any organisation considering involvement — whether as a research partner, a pilot site, or a funder. There is no commitment implied by getting in touch.