This week, Chipotle Mexican Grill announced that it is making minority investments in Lumachain, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) supply chain platform, and Brassica, a fast-casual restaurant concept, through its USD 100 million Cultivate Next venture fund. Launched in 2022, Cultivate Next focuses on early-stage investments in strategically aligned companies that further Chipotle's mission to accelerate long-term growth plans, aiming to operate 7,000 restaurants in North America.

Enhanced Traceability and Efficiency with AI

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, Lumachain seeks to improve food production. The female-founded company has developed a traceability solution that tracks, in real-time, the origin, location, and condition of individual items in the supply chain, from farm to table, enabling reduced waste and increased efficiency.

This traceability platform is complemented by its Computer Vision AI SaaS platform, which monitors operations inside food production plants to improve quality, efficiency, and safety, according to the official release.

AI in Supply Chain

"The visibility in real-time and quality data analytics that Lumachain's software provides could optimise the management and quality of perishable goods for the food service industry," said Curt Garner, Chief Customer and Technology Officer at Chipotle.

Chipotle

Chipotle's fund portfolio also includes Greenfield Robotics, Hyphen, Meati Foods, and Zero Acre Farms. As of June 30, 2024, Chipotle operates over 3,500 restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Kuwait. The company claims to be the only restaurant chain of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants in North America and Europe.