Fresho, an order management platform for fresh food wholesalers, says it closed a $17 million Series B funding round, bringing total investment to $50 million to date.
The new funding is intended to accelerate Fresho’s investment in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, while driving further growth in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, according to a news release. The company said it also will establish an on-ground presence in the U.S. market in 2025, building on launches with customers in Texas, New York and California over the past two years.
Founded in 2015 by James Andronis, drawing on 15 years of experience running one of Australia’s leading seafood wholesalers, and Huw Birrell, a technology entrepreneur with international finance expertise, Fresho has focused on how fresh food wholesalers and their restaurant customers work together, the release said. The platform said it recently celebrated processing its 30 millionth order since 2016, with 10 million orders in the past year alone.
“We are pleased to have closed this round in a challenging fundraising environment. This speaks to the size of the opportunity, and to our record of consistent growth and capital management to date,” said Andronis, the CEO of Fresho. “Fresh food distribution has been traditionally slow to adopt technology, but a confluence of factors are causing this to change. These include margin pressures, skills shortages and questions of succession in family-owned firms. As a result, we are seeing unprecedented interest in how technology can drive efficient operations, better customer service, and improved work/life balance for owners and managers.”
By maintaining a closed marketplace model that protects and strengthens existing supplier-restaurant relationships, Fresho says it has earned the trust of leading wholesalers while digitizing their operations.
Where suppliers once dedicated overnight staff to manually process orders arriving through emails, texts and voicemails, Fresho’s AI-powered system now automatically converts incoming orders into structured data, while giving restaurants direct access to live pricing and availability through its app, the release said. This transformation has not only eliminated unsociable working hours but has dramatically improved order accuracy and processing speed, according to the company.
“This funding marks an exciting new phase for us as we double down on our commitment to reshape the fresh food supply chain with innovative tech,” said Birrell, co-Fresho’s chief operating officer. “By investing in AI and emerging technologies, we’re not just enhancing operational efficiency; we’re enabling our customers to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. As we expand across our existing markets and enter the U.S., our focus remains on pioneering solutions that help fresh food wholesalers deliver outstanding service with speed, precision and insight.”
The oversubscribed round including both new and existing shareholders, led by Geoff Tarrant, co-founder and former executive chairman of Payapps, a global construction software firm acquired by Autodesk for $600 million in 2024, the release said. Tarrant, who also served as director of ASX-listed Adbri, will join Fresho’s board of directors.
