Chipotle Mexican Grill is making a minority investment in artificial intelligence supply chain platform Lumachain and fast-casual restaurant concept Brassica through its $100 million Cultivate Next venture fund. Introduced in 2022, the fund makes early-stage investments into strategically aligned companies to help accelerate Chipotle's goal of reaching 7,000 restaurants.
Sydney, Australia-based Lumachain developed a traceability solution that tracks the origin, location, and condition of individual items in a supply chain to reduce waste and increase efficiency. The SaaS platform is complemented by its computer vision AI platform that monitors inside food production plants to improve quality, efficiency, and safety, according to the company.
"The visibility in real time and quality data analytics that Lumachain's software provides could optimize the management and quality of perishable goods for the foodservice industry," Chipotle chief customer and technology officer Curt Garner said in a statement.
Brassica is a Columbus, Ohio-based brand that serves customizable Eastern Mediterranean-inspired salads and sandwiches using locally sourced ingredients. Signature items include house-made falafel, baked-to-order organic pita, antibiotic-free meats, roasted vegetables, seasoned fries, vegan tahini chocolate chip cookies, and fresh-squeezed minty pink lemonade. It was founded in 2015 and now includes six units.
"Investing in emerging culinary concepts that align with Chipotle's commitment to using real, fresh ingredients and making craveable food daily is consistent with our mission to Cultivate a Better World," chief business development officer Nate Lawton said in a statement. "Funding from Cultivate Next's minority investment will help Brassica scale to open new locations and expand to new markets."
Notably, Brassica is not the first restaurant concept Chipotle has invested in; Pizzeria Locale was shuttered in 2023, while Farmesa Fresh Eatery was abandoned earlier this year. Chipotle also had ownership in ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen and those 15 locations were shut down in 2017.
Lumachain and Brassica join Chipotle’s growing Cultivate Next venture portfolio that already includes GreenField Robotics, Hyphen, Local Linne, Meati Foods, Nitricity, Vebu, and Zero Acre Farms. Vebu’s Autocado, which cuts, cores, and peels avocados before they’re mashed by employees, and Hyphen’s automated makeline, which builds bowls and salads, both recently moved into a single restaurant test after showing promise at Chipotle’s innovation center as part of the company’s stage-gate process.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
