Arama Kukutai
Board Observer @ Farmer's Fridge
San Diego, United States
Arama Kukutai is a Series A investor at Farmer's Fridge in San Diego focused on AgTech and Agriculture. Arama Kukutai joined Finistere Ventures as Partner & Co-Founder in 2005.As Managing Director, Kukutai is responsible for Finistere Venture's agricultural technology and green energy portfolio investments and is a member of the firm's Investment Committee. Prior to joining Finistere, Kukutai served as Regional Director - North Americafor the New Zealand government's trade development agency in North America, establishing multiple pathways for New Zealand businesses to access this key market. Kukutai has had an active career in investment, both in commercial banking at Westpac Banking Corporation, and as a Director of PKW Incorporation, a successful $300 million agribusiness and diversified investment entity involved in agriculture, aquaculture and property development with activities in New Zealand, Asia and Australia. He has served as Chairman of PKW Farms, a large pastoral dairy agribusiness in New Zealand. He currently serves on the boards of Hawaii BioEnergy, LLC, Somark Innovations, Inc. and Tiller Cohen Farms, LP. He is also Chairman of the Larta Institute's advisory board for the USDA Commercialization program for SBIR grantee companies and has been closely involved in the development of the Ag Innovation Showcase, the leading event for innovation in the Agriculture sector, where he is Chairman of the Industry Advisory Board.
- Total investments:
- 14
- Last investment:
- Lead investor:
- 50%
Last updated:
For AI agents: llms.txt
Industries Arama Kukutai invests in
Stages Arama Kukutai invests in
Countries Arama Kukutai invests in
Investment Focus
Industry
- AgTech 3 (21%)
- Agriculture 3 (21%)
- Biotechnology 3 (21%)
- Farming 2 (14%)
- Sustainability 2 (14%)
Stage
- Series A 4 (29%)
- Series B 4 (29%)
- Series C 3 (21%)
- Funding Round 1 (7%)
Country
- United States 7 (50%)
- New Zealand 1 (7%)
Investments
| Company | Description | Round | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
BioLumic
|
BioLumic develops light signals that activate plant growth and unlock the natural genetic potential of crops. The company's photogenics platform leverages innovation in plant science, light technology and genetic insights. Demonstrated results include higher yield, improved vigor, increased disease and pest resistance, and improvements incrops composition. These results have been across a variety of seeds and seedling: soybean, cannabis and vegetable and fruit crops. It is a clean technology that does not require the use of chemicals or amendments. BioLumic is a private company and was founded in 2013. | $13.5M / Series B / Jun 21, 2022 | |
Tovala
|
Tovala combines a smart oven with a fresh meal delivery service to makes dinner effortless. Tovala is a smart oven that sits on the countertop and is paired with a companion meal delivery service. The company's meal system combines an internet-connected countertop steam oven capable of multi-step cooking with meals prepared by gourmet chefs,making dinner preparation as simple as scanning a barcode, enabling busy people to get access to an effortless way to eat delicious, healthy, home-cooked meals.The Chicago-based company was founded in 2015 and was launched in 2017. | $30M / Series C / Feb 04, 2021 | |
|
Tovala
|
Tovala combines a smart oven with a fresh meal delivery service to makes dinner effortless. Tovala is a smart oven that sits on the countertop and is paired with a companion meal delivery service. The company's meal system combines an internet-connected countertop steam oven capable of multi-step cooking with meals prepared by gourmet chefs,making dinner preparation as simple as scanning a barcode, enabling busy people to get access to an effortless way to eat delicious, healthy, home-cooked meals.The Chicago-based company was founded in 2015 and was launched in 2017. | $20M / Series B / Jun 02, 2020 | |
Taranis
|
Taranis is a leading precision agriculture intelligence platform that uses sophisticated computer vision, data science, and deep learning algorithms to effectively monitor fields. The system enables farmers to make informed decisions by detecting early symptoms of weeds, uneven emergence, nutrient deficiencies, disease or insect infestations, waterdamage, and machinery problems. Overseeing millions of acres of farmland in Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, Taranis gives farmers the tools to address issues in real-time, increasing yields and cutting costs. Taranis employs over 100 people worldwide and is headquartered in San Francisco with subsidiaries in Israel, Argentina, and Brazil. | $30M / Series C / May 14, 2020 | |
|
BioLumic
|
BioLumic develops light signals that activate plant growth and unlock the natural genetic potential of crops. The company's photogenics platform leverages innovation in plant science, light technology and genetic insights. Demonstrated results include higher yield, improved vigor, increased disease and pest resistance, and improvements incrops composition. These results have been across a variety of seeds and seedling: soybean, cannabis and vegetable and fruit crops. It is a clean technology that does not require the use of chemicals or amendments. BioLumic is a private company and was founded in 2013. | $6.7M / Series A / May 17, 2019 | |
Hi Fidelity Genetics
|
Hi Fidelity Genetics is a start up based in Durham, NC. They develop tools to measure and predict plant traits. Such tools are essential for maintaining a sufficient supply of food as the world's population grows and its climate changes. | $8.5M / Series A / Dec 13, 2018 | |
|
Taranis
|
Taranis is a leading precision agriculture intelligence platform that uses sophisticated computer vision, data science, and deep learning algorithms to effectively monitor fields. The system enables farmers to make informed decisions by detecting early symptoms of weeds, uneven emergence, nutrient deficiencies, disease or insect infestations, waterdamage, and machinery problems. Overseeing millions of acres of farmland in Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, Taranis gives farmers the tools to address issues in real-time, increasing yields and cutting costs. Taranis employs over 100 people worldwide and is headquartered in San Francisco with subsidiaries in Israel, Argentina, and Brazil. | $20M / Series B / Nov 06, 2018 | |
|
BioLumic
|
BioLumic develops light signals that activate plant growth and unlock the natural genetic potential of crops. The company's photogenics platform leverages innovation in plant science, light technology and genetic insights. Demonstrated results include higher yield, improved vigor, increased disease and pest resistance, and improvements incrops composition. These results have been across a variety of seeds and seedling: soybean, cannabis and vegetable and fruit crops. It is a clean technology that does not require the use of chemicals or amendments. BioLumic is a private company and was founded in 2013. | $5M / Series A / Mar 01, 2018 | |
|
Hi Fidelity Genetics
|
Hi Fidelity Genetics is a start up based in Durham, NC. They develop tools to measure and predict plant traits. Such tools are essential for maintaining a sufficient supply of food as the world's population grows and its climate changes. | Series A / Dec 01, 2017 | |
Crop Pro Insurance
|
Crop Pro Insurance Services, Inc. is a Managing General Agency ( MGA) specializing in federal and private crop insurance for GuideOne Mutual Insurance Company. They help independent agents differentiate from other agents in the market by bringing innovative private product solutions that solve real needs to increase yield and lower operating coststhat work in good stewardship with the land. | $8M / Series A / Aug 08, 2017 | |
| See all 14 investments → | |||
Co-Investors
About Farmer's Fridge
Farmer’s Fridge provides an automated smart fridge that serves salads, bowls, snacks, and more. Its unpurchased items are regularly donated to local food pantries, providing responsibly sourced nutrition to community members in need.The company is driven by a mission to make it simple for everyone to eat well. Founder Luke Saunders was frustratedwith the lack of healthy, affordable options available on the road so he worked with the best in the business to create a user-friendly smart Fridge that puts chef-curated meals in your hands, in seconds.It was founded in 2013 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Farmer's Fridge Contacts
| Name | Phone | Socials | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Arama Kukutai
Board Observer
|
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Jess Martin
Chief Operating Officer
|
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Luke Saunders
Founder and CEO
|
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Mike Brennan
Advisor, President
|
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Sean Daley
Head of New Channels
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FAQ
What does Arama Kukutai invest in?
Arama Kukutai invests primarily in AgTech, Agriculture and Biotechnology startups, most often at Series A and Series B stage. Most of the 14 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United States. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.
When did Arama Kukutai last invest?
The most recent investment recorded for Arama Kukutai closed in Jun 2022. Shizune tracks 14 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.
Is Shizune's investor data accurate?
Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.
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