What is Apeel?
- Category
- Food technology / shelf-life extension
- Headquarters
- Goleta, CA
- Founded
- 2012
- Employees
- ~130-500 reported depending source
- Total funding
- About $610M-$640M reported
- Valuation
- $2B reported
What is Apeel?
Apeel makes plant-derived coatings that slow water loss and oxidation in fresh produce, extending shelf life and reducing waste for growers, suppliers, retailers, and consumers.
Apeel’s core technology mimics a natural cuticle layer, adding an edible plant-based protective coating to produce such as avocados and other fresh categories. The company’s impact story centers on reducing food waste, improving quality through the supply chain, and helping retailers and suppliers keep produce fresh longer.
The business has been through both hypergrowth and correction: it reached a reported $2B valuation in 2021, later reduced headcount, and appointed Luiz Beling as CEO in 2024 while founder James Rogers remained on the board. Public revenue estimates vary, with Latka citing $150M in 2024 ARR and other sources estimating lower or broader ranges, so this profile treats those as third-party estimates rather than audited revenue.
Sources:ApeelApeel Latka profile
What does Apeel offer?
Apeel offers the products and platform capabilities listed below.
- Plant-derived produce coating· Product
- Avocado shelf-life extension· Produce
- Organic and conventional produce solutions· Produce
- Ripeness and quality programs· Supply chain
- Retailer programs· Retail
- Grower / supplier programs· Agriculture
- Food-waste reduction impact· Sustainability
- Postharvest science· R&D
How does Apeel make money?
Apeel monetizes through B2B supply-chain programs with growers, suppliers, and retailers rather than public SaaS prices.
Apeel does not publish list pricing because deployments depend on produce category, volume, treatment process, retailer/supplier economics, geography, and operational setup. Pricing is likely negotiated around shelf-life improvement, shrink reduction, quality, and supply-chain value rather than seats.
Growth depends on retailer adoption, produce-category expansion, operational cost, consumer trust, regulatory confidence, and measurable shrink reduction. The company also has to manage misinformation risk and food-safety communication because the product is consumer-visible even though buyers are businesses.
Sources:ApeelApeel contact
Who leads Apeel?
Apeel is led by Luiz Beling with technical and operating leaders tied to food technology / shelf-life extension.
- Luiz BelingChief Executive OfficerCEO since 2024Appointed after leading major agribusiness operations; owns current operating reset.
- James RogersFounder & Board memberFounder, since 2012Invented Apeel’s core shelf-life extension thesis and remains on the board.
- Jenny DuCompany spokesperson / leadership signalPublic 2025 signalAddressed misinformation and product-safety messaging in trade coverage.
- R&D and supply-chain leadershipScience and operationsCurrent leadership functionOwns formulation, produce programs, and retailer/supplier execution.
How do you contact Apeel's leadership?
Apeel publishes official company contact routes. Personal executive email formats are not verified, so outreach should use those public aliases or forms.
contact form / general website routes; personal format not verifiedHow much funding has Apeel raised?
Apeel has raised about $610M-$640M reported, with the latest major disclosed round a $250M Series E in 2021 that valued the company around $2B.
Apeel raised early grant and venture funding after its 2012 founding, then expanded through multiple large rounds as retailers and suppliers tested shelf-life extension. Public databases and secondary sources report roughly $610M to $640M total funding across about seven rounds.
The latest major disclosed financing was a 2021 $250M Series E at a reported $2B valuation, backed by investors including a16z, GIC, Temasek, and others in public sources. Since then, the company has not announced a newer priced round; it has instead focused on operations, leadership transition, and market education.
How did Apeel get here?
Apeel's milestones show its path from founding to category scale.
- 2012FoundedJames Rogers founds Apeel Sciences.
- 2018Commercial produce expansionApeel expands shelf-life programs with produce partners.
- 2021$250M Series EApeel reaches reported $2B valuation.
- 2022-2023LayoffsCompany reduces headcount and refocuses operations.
- 2024Luiz Beling becomes CEOLeadership changes while founder remains on board.
- 2025Misinformation responseApeel publicly addresses product-safety misinformation.
Sources:ApeelApeel Sacra valuation
Who are Apeel's competitors?
Apeel competes with specialized startups and larger incumbents in food technology / shelf-life extension.
- Hazel TechnologiesPostharvest shelf-life technology for produce using packaging and condition-management approaches.
- SufrescaEdible coatings for fresh produce with similar shelf-life positioning.
- AgroFreshPublic postharvest freshness and quality-management incumbent.
- Pace InternationalPostharvest coatings, fungicides, and fruit-quality products.
- PalsgaardFood ingredients and emulsifiers with adjacent edible-coating capabilities.
- Fresh InsetProduce shelf-life extension technology using 1-MCP delivery.
Sources:ApeelOwler Apeel competitors
Apeel — frequently asked questions
