Best Food and Agriculture Tech Companies in San Diego, United States
The 122 best Food and Agriculture Tech companies in San Diego, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Sapphire Energy.
Our analysis of 81 Food and Agriculture Tech companies
$13.5b in tracked funding; 93% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Food and Agriculture Tech companies in San Diego
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founded | Founder | Web popularity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sapphire Energy Business energy price comparison website helping UK businesses save on energy bills | $390M | 126 mo ago | 1 | 2006 | — | — | 269 patents Algal biofuel production and photosynthetic synthesis of high‑value chemicals. | — |
| 2 | Cibus Developer of precision breeding technologies for resilient and vigorous crops | $181M | 74 mo ago | 109 | 2001 | Rory Riggs Chairman | Top 50M | 278 patents Engineering plant metabolic pathways for oil composition via ACCase and FAD2 gene editing. | 1 job opening |
| 3 | BlueNalu Produces and supplies seafood products using fish cells 62Growth top 15%Funding top 20%Product top 30%Moat top 31% All 11 signals ▾Growthtop 15% Fundingtop 20% Producttop 30% Moattop 31% Innovationtop 32% Newstop 32% Patentstop 33% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 39% Globalbottom 39% Techbottom 34% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Funding: Raised $118M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 8 yrs (0.6/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $118M | 5 mo ago | 50 | 2017 | Lou Cooperhouse Co-Founder & CEO | Top 10M | 11 patents Cultured fish meat production and related cell line genetics for edible seafood | 2 launchs · 1 award |
| 4 | Tillster Restaurant digital ordering solutions: online, mobile, delivery, kiosk, and data science | $87M | 155 mo ago | 243 | 2006 | Paul Sidlo Founder | Top 500k | 33 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | 1 launch |
| 5 | Native Microbials Developer of microbial solutions for animal health and nutrition | $70M | 33 mo ago | 61 | 2015 | — | — | 98 patents Patents concentrated in health & consumer products | — |
| 6 | CMX Provider of a platform for quality, risk, and compliance management | $50M | 60 mo ago | 35 35 → 81 (+131%) | 2009 | Mitch Porche Founder & Chief Strategy Officer | Top 5M | 3 patents Advanced composite molding for reinforced structural and climbing components | — |
| 7 | Allylix Provider of online platform for slot games and related services | $36M | 145 mo ago | 33 | 2005 | Carolyn Fritz ex-CEO | Top 10M | 36 patents Engineered terpene synthases for bio-based insecticidal and repellent compound production | — |
| 8 | Mogl Provider of programmatic advertising, retail media activation, and data enablement services | $35M | 130 mo ago | 27 | 2010 | — | Top 5M | — | — |
| 9 | Accel Robotics Provider of AI-based automated checkout solutions for offline retailers | $35M | 80 mo ago | 2 | 2015 | Brandon Maseda Co-Founder & CEO | — | 47 patents AI-driven visual inventory and smart-shelf sensing for automated retail store management | — |
| 10 | ZeaKal Plant trait technology improving crop nutrition, sustainability, and renewable energy | $24M | 81 mo ago | 12 | 2010 | Han Chen CEO & President | — | 7 patents Genetically engineered seed traits to enhance oil content and alter seed composition. | — |
| 11 | Galley Solutions Provider of back-office solutions for restaurants | $20M | 49 mo ago | 33 33 → 56 (+70%) | 2017 | Benji Koltai Co-Founder | Top 5M | 7 patents Software platforms for food ordering, delivery, and inventory management | — |
| 12 | AquaSpy Revolutionizing agriculture with real-time nutrient management and soil intelligence | $15M | 125 mo ago | 29 | 1998 | Bruce Moeller CEO | Top 10M | 4 patents Subsurface soil moisture and EC sensing with wireless data acquisition and analysis. | — |
| 13 | SpeakEasy Provider of solutions for alcoholic beverage retailers | $11M | 40 mo ago | 40 | 2016 | — | Top 5M | 7 patents Socially-driven product recommendation platforms and adaptive information display with environmental control systems. | — |
| 14 | Just Baked Provider of automated food service kiosks for delivering food options | $10M | 14 mo ago | 43 | 2020 | Ben Porter CEO | Top 10M | — | — |
| 15 | Sidework Provider of automatic beverage dispensors | $10M | 31 mo ago | — | 2019 | Kevin Monpara Co-Founder & CTO | Top 50M | — | — |
| 16 | Agragene Developer of genetically modified insects and crops | $7M | 39 mo ago | 5 | 2017 | — | Top 50M | — | — |
| 17 | SlantRange Online slot gaming platform offering trusted and easy login services | $6M | 96 mo ago | 13 | 2013 | — | — | 28 patents Aerial imaging calibration and analytics for precision agriculture and geospatial data processing. | — |
| 18 | GroGuru Provider of cloud-based soil moisture monitoring sensor systems for agricultural farms | $6M | 35 mo ago | 10 | 2014 | — | Top 50M | 29 patents Underground wireless communication and subsurface sensing for agricultural and environmental monitoring | — |
| 19 | Triton Producer of plant-based protein from red and green algae | $5M | 121 mo ago | 22 | 2013 | Xun Wang President and CEO | — | 9 patents Vehicle accessory hardware and sales-force automation software for trailer and cleaning systems | — |
| 20 | Agnetix Developer of water-cooled LED horticulture lighting systems with integrated data visibility | $5M | 64 mo ago | 20 | 2015 | Ihor Lys Co-Founder & CTO | Top 50M | 85 patents Patents concentrated in health & consumer products | — |
| 21 | Backbar Manufacturer of automated beverage dispensing systems for food service venues | $4M | 49 mo ago | 20 | 2019 | Brian Kaplan Co-Founder & CTO | — | 2 patents Contactless beverage dispensing systems for automated drink serving | — |
| 22 | Meallogix ERP software provider for the meal preparation industry | $3M | 63 mo ago | 18 | 2018 | Salvatore Lento Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 23 | Delectable Discover, learn, and shop for memorable wines online | $3M | 145 mo ago | 25 | 2011 | — | Top 5M | — | — |
| 24 | Menon Sustainable animal feed ingredients improving animal health and reducing environmental impact | $3M | 174 mo ago | 1 | 2000 | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | Algenetix Provider of advanced genetic technologies for crop trait enhancement | $2M | 158 mo ago | 5 | 2012 | Han Chen CEO | — | — | — |
| 26 | Fresh Vending Platform offering vending machines | $1M | 155 mo ago | 4 | 2010 | — | — | — | — |
| 27 | Healthy Dining Finder Online platform to discover restaurants that serve healthy food | $1M | 169 mo ago | — | 1990 | — | Top 50M | — | — |
| 28 | Evergreen Digital menu and point of sale software for restaurants | $882K | 132 mo ago | 9 | 2011 | — | Top 5M | 15 patents AI-driven crop disease forecasting and UV-based plant protection systems | — |
| 29 | Navore Online marketplace connecting consumers with local food producers and farmers | $472K | 20 mo ago | — | 2022 | Caroline D Founder/ CEO | — | — | — |
| 30 | Simmer Mobile application for food reviews | $150K | 82 mo ago | 1 | 2018 | — | — | — | — |
| 31 | Agribody Technologies Developer of patented technologies to crop yields through transgenic modulation or genome editing | $100K | 122 mo ago | 5 | 2014 | — | — | 4 patents Genetically engineered plants with modified deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) genes for enhanced traits | — |
Top 12 Food and Agriculture Tech companies in San Diego
#1
Series B · San Diego, California · founded 2017 · 50 employees$118Mraised▾
Produces and supplies seafood products using fish cells. Its product offerings include finned fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. The company's products are developed by isolating living cells from fish tissue which is placed into a culture media for proliferation and then assembled. The company claims its products are serum-free. The company supplies its products to CPG product companies, the food service & retail industry, and food processors.
- Dec 2025Conventional Debt—
- Dec 2025Series B$11M
- Oct 2023Series B$33.5M
- Jan 2021Series A$60M
#2
Series B · San Diego, California · founded 2020 · 43 employees$10.5Mraised▾
Provider of automated food service kiosks for delivering food options. It provides hot, fresh breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert menus that can be tailored to suit the needs of each location.
- Mar 2025Series B$10.5M
#3
Series B · San Diego, California · founded 2015 · 61 employees$69.7Mraised▾
Developer of microbial solutions for animal health and nutrition. It uses a range of proprietary and advanced technology methods to convert the animal associated with microbial ecosystems.
- Sep 2023Grant (prize money)$1.4M
- May 2023Grant (prize money)$1.4M
- Apr 2022Venture Debt—
- May 2020Series B$46M
#4
Series D · San Diego, California · founded 2006 · 1 employees$390Mraised▾
Business energy price comparison website helping UK businesses save on energy bills. We are a dedicated platform committed to assisting businesses of all sizes in securing competitive rates for gas and electricity. Our mission is to simplify the energy comparison process, empowering informed decisions that benefit your business. With a deep understanding of the energy market and a focus on transparency, we provide access to the best prices and tariffs available. We empower your business with the tools and insights needed to take control of energy expenses, reduce costs, and improve energy efficiency. Our team of energy experts is passionate about providing top-notch service, combining industry knowledge with a customer-first approach. We continuously monitor the market, negotiate with suppliers, and update our platform to give you up-to-date information and the best possible options.
- Dec 2015Series D$92M
- Aug 2013Grant (prize money)$5M
- Apr 2012Series C$144M
- Aug 2010Grant (prize money)$1.8M
#5
Public · San Diego, California · founded 2001 · 109 employees$181.3Mraised▾
Developer of precision breeding technologies for resilient and vigorous crops. The company focuses on creating crops with specific traits to withstand environmental stressors. It works with agricultural partners to develop seeds resistant to heat, pests, fungus, and weeds. The goal is to produce crops that require fewer chemicals and less energy.
- Apr 2020Post IPO$701.8K
- Jun 2018Post IPO$70M
- Nov 2017Post IPO$19.1M
- Jul 2017Post IPO$57M
#6
Seed · San Diego, California · founded 2019$10Mraised▾
Provider of automatic beverage dispensors. It offers coffee, cocktails, mocktails, soda and sparkling water beverage dispensors. It offers automatic beverage dispensors for cafes, restaurants, bakery, and more.
- Oct 2023Seed—
- May 2022Seed$3.5M
- 2019Seed—
#7
Funding Raised · San Diego, California · founded 2022$471.9Kraised▾
Online marketplace connecting consumers with local food producers and farmers. It provides a platform for browsing and purchasing locally sourced food items. The platform facilitates connections between consumers and nearby farmers and specialty food companies. It allows scheduling orders for either pick up or delivery based on producer options.
- Sep 2024Grant (prize money)$471.9K
#8
Seed · San Diego, California · founded 2014 · 10 employees$5.8Mraised▾
Provider of cloud-based soil moisture monitoring sensor systems for agricultural farms. It designs and develops wireless soil sensor systems to measure and record soil moisture, salinity, and soil. It records data automatically, which in turn provides real-time data via a mobile application to the farmers to optimize the usage and quantity of water, pesticides, and fertilizers. It also offers alarm-setting options for top farmers as per the predefined benchmarks.
- Jul 2023Seed$2.3M
- May 2023Seed$525K
- Dec 2022Seed$70K
- Sep 2021Seed$25K
#9
Series C · San Diego, California · founded 2006 · 243 employees$87.3Mraised▾
Restaurant digital ordering solutions: online, mobile, delivery, kiosk, and data science. The company simplifies digital ordering and improves customer engagement for restaurants. They offer scalable solutions for online and mobile ordering, delivery, and in-store experiences. Their services include marketing tools like coupons, loyalty programs, and multi-channel communications. They leverage data science for conversion optimization, predictive analytics, and store performance insights. The platform offers advanced integrations and enterprise-grade features to accelerate business growth and elevate customer experience. They provide digital ordering, mobile apps, restaurant kiosks, and delivery solutions, along with customer engagement tools like loyalty programs, digital coupons, and CRM.
- Jun 2013Series C$51.5M
- Jul 2012Series B$6M
- Dec 2010Series B$12.2M
- Aug 2010Series B$3.1M
#10
Series A · San Diego, California · founded 2009 · 35 employees$50Mraised▾
Provider of a platform for quality, risk, and compliance management. This platform offers solutions for audit management, GFSI standards compliance, restaurant and hospitality standards compliance, partner and supplier management, incident and recall management, and product quality management. The platform includes features for managing standards and policies, inspections, audits, checklists, incident management, recall management, document management, product specifications, product monitoring and testing, and partner onboarding. It provides centralized reporting and data visualization tools. The platform is designed for enterprises and offers self-service tools and configuration options.
- May 2021Series A$50M
#11
Acquired · San Diego, California · founded 2016 · 40 employees$11Mraised▾
Provider of solutions for alcoholic beverage retailers. The platform provides solutions for warehousing, marketing services, order fulfillment, website redesign development, product fulfillment, and much more. It also provides data and analytics solutions.
- Jan 2023Series A$9M
- Sep 2021Seed$2M
- May 2021Conventional Debt$550K
- Oct 2020Seed—
#12
Series A · San Diego, California · founded 2017 · 5 employees$7.3Mraised▾
Developer of genetically modified insects and crops. The company modifies the genetic makeup of insects and plants for protecting crops against crop pests, preventing mosquito-borne diseases, and enhance crop properties. It also uses Sterile Insect Technology for female embryonic lethality and male sterility.
- Mar 2023Series A$2M
- Feb 2021Series A$145K
- Aug 2020Series A$4M
- Mar 2020Seed$1.2M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Food and Agriculture Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Food Technology is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Food Technology — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 4,142 United States-affiliated papers.
- Cornell University153
- Purdue University West Lafayette134
- University of Georgia82
- Michigan State University81
- University of California, Davis79
- Food safety4→52
- Food processing2→31
- Food science1→13
- Contamination1→12
- Food products1→12
- Food safety16→214
- Food processing12→174
- Agriculture14→135
- Production (economics)7→122
- Food security3→117
- Food safety56→397
- Food security40→307
- Agriculture35→233
- Food processing54→215
- Food systems28→180
Where food tech is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing food tech patents in the United States
United States food tech patent filing is cooling — 817 filings from 475 assignees (2016–2025), led by Whirlpool, Sharkninja Operating, Provisur Technologies; annual filings 80→68.
- Whirlpool185
- Sharkninja Operating151
- Provisur Technologies51
- Smartwash Solutions39
- LYCO MFG32
- SAFE Foods32
- Massachusetts INST Technology20
- Island Oasis Frozen Cocktail18