Farm-to-Consumer (F2C) brand Deep Rooted raises $12.5 million in its Series A funding round led by IvyCap Ventures with participation from existing investors including Accel, Omnivore, and Mayfield.
The startup plans to use the raised funds towards expanding its operations to cover major cities in South India, strengthen its technology stack, and proactively hire across marketing, technology, and business functions.
Based in Bengaluru, Deep Rooted was cofounded in 2020 by Avinash BR, Gururaj Rao, Arvind Murali, and Santhosh Narasipura.
"We are thrilled to partner with IvyCap as we expand across South India, working directly with farmers and delivering the freshest fruits and vegetables to urban consumers, " Said Avinash BR in a prepared statement on September 22.
By exclusively focusing on fresh produce, the brand claims to have successfully made inroads into being the No. 1 choice for consumers for all of their fresh produce needs, the statement said.
Deep Rooted provides urban consumers access to quality fruits and vegetables sourced directly from farmers. The firm currently operates in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai offering over 200 varieties of fruits and vegetables.
"Through its greenhouse network, Deep Rooted can deliver a year-round supply of fresh, flavorful, residue-free produce, using a fraction of the water and land compared to conventional farms, " the company said in the statement.
Deep Rooted closely competes with online grocery firms including Dunzo and Bigbasket. However, it sells with a USP of zero pesticide usage and direct from farmers.
"Fruits and vegetables (F&V) as a category is ripe for disruption. Deep Rooted, with its razor-sharp focus on F&V, has already showcased a sustainable and profitable view of the opportunity while delivering value to both the farmers and end consumers. We're excited to be a part of their growth journey, said ”Ashish Wadhwani, Partner at IvyCap Ventures.
