SWARM Engineering startup raises $2.7m in seed funding led by S2G Ventures and Serra Ventures

SWARM Engineering startup raises $2.7m in seed funding led by S2G Ventures and Serra Ventures

Published: 16-04-2021 08:50:00 | By: Pie Kamau | hits: 3836 | Tags:

SWARM Engineering, the next generation of cognitive software for the food supply chain, announced it closed funding for a $2.7 million seed round.

SWARM Engineering is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform specifically for the food supply chain, rapidly solving complex problems such as supply & demand forecasting, optimizing inbound and outbound logistics, or maximizing yield in controlled environment agriculture.  SWARM is a 'no-code' solution, so end users do not need data science expertise, knowledge of machine learning, or a degree in math to use the software. Business users simply define their problem, and SWARM matches their definition with a curated library of algorithms (which can be added to by customers or 3rd parties) to rapidly deliver a solution via the cloud.

S2G Ventures, a Chicago-based investment firm focused on food and agriculture, led the seed round, which included participation from Serra Ventures via their new AgTech fund, Harvard Business School Alumni, Wells Street Capital, VTC Seed Fund, and Rinvest. Angel investor and former CEO of Bunge, Soren Schroder, also participated in the round.  The capital will support continued technological innovation and team growth, to support an expanding list of customers, ranging from growers through to dedicated logistics firms.

SWARM is anticipating continued growth in ag-data, combined with an ongoing scarcity of data scientists, especially those with agricultural expertise. The company aims to simplify the use of AI and advanced Machine Learning in the food supply chain, so that organizations can reap the rewards of the huge advances being made, at affordable price points, using existing team members' skills and knowledge.

Anthony Howcroft, CEO and Founder, SWARM Engineering: "I'm excited to have the capital to continue SWARM's exciting journey in solving real-world problems for food supply chain organizations, but I'm even more thrilled to be partnering with investors who are so knowledgeable and committed to this space."

Sanjeev Krishnan, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director, S2G Ventures: "COVID-19 exposed the fragility of our food system, in particular the food supply chain, resulting in impacts to farmers, producers, food businesses and ultimately consumers. We are excited to lead SWARM Engineering's seed round and support them as they help food and agriculture companies solve these increasingly complex supply chain challenges in a scalable way."

Steve Beck, Managing Partner, Serra Ventures: "AgriFood businesses are faced with remarkable challenges from a rapidly changing landscape in both consumer expectations and new business demands. Those businesses that leverage the benefits of the most advanced AI for logistics will have an unfair advantage. SWARM's no-code solution empowers companies to focus on what they do best - making great food products, while SWARM provide the best logistics solutions from today's rapidly evolving machine learning capabilities - a win for all."

The global pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of supply chains, and food has frequently made headlines – in many cases, for all the wrong reasons; who can forget seeing dramatic images of milk being poured away because of logistical challenges? "In the next few years, we have a tremendous opportunity to make a step change in efficiency and sustainability in food production and transportation," says Howcroft, "We need to give the right tools to the people at the heart of the food supply chain to help them deliver this transformation."

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