Deep Rooted.Co is an agri-tech startup that sells packaged fruits and vegetables while also offering farmers training and technical support from agronomists to boost profitability.
Based out of Bengaluru, the startup was co-founded by Avinash B R, Gururaj Rao, Arvind Murali, and Santhosh Narasipura in 2020.
They aim to become “India’s first brand for fruits and vegetables (F&V)”.
The company currently operates in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai, and provides urban consumers with good-quality fruits and vegetables directly from farmers, offering over 200 varieties of fresh produce.
Initially launched as an agri-tech startup called Clover Ventures, supplying F&V to businesses, their focus shifted to consumers after the pandemic struck the country.
“It was then that we launched the brand Deep Rooted, which works as direct-to-consumers instead of businesses. We continue to work with the farmers and supply high quality products,” says Gururaj.
Their goal is to increase small farmers’ yields and profits, at the same time, minimising wastage through precision farming.
“We have also increased yields several-fold and reduced post-harvest losses significantly, from 30% to 6%,” explains Avinash.
The brand collaborates with more than 100 farmers, covering 200 acres of land and catering to over five lakh customers.
Operating the largest number of greenhouses in the country, they use both traditional and modern methods such as greenhouses, net-houses, and open fields.
Through its greenhouse network, Deep Rooted can deliver a year-round supply of fresh, flavourful, residue-free produce. The website states that they save water by 60% using drip irrigation.
The company raised $12.5 million in a Series-A funding round led by IvyCap Ventures in September 2022. Its existing investors Accel, Omnivore, and Mayfield also participated in the round.