BluWrap

Founded in 2006 and formerly known as Global Fresh Foods, Inc., BluWrap was a San Francisco-based company focused on the food-tech and agri-tech sectors. The firm provided a patented technology solution to extend the shelf-life of perishable proteins like seafood and pork. This was achieved through an oxygen management technique that created a controlled, all-natural atmosphere, effectively suspending the aging process of fresh proteins. The system was designed to allow suppliers to ship fresh products via ocean freight as a viable alternative to more expensive airfreight, thus reaching previously inaccessible markets.

The company's core product, the BluBuoy, was a device that regulated temperature and managed oxygen levels within shipping containers. It utilized a fuel cell to convert oxygen and hydrogen into water vapor, maintaining a consistent atmosphere. Integrated sensors continually tracked temperature and oxygen, offering transparency throughout the supply chain, with data accessible to distributors via phone or tablet. This approach eliminated the need for ice and environmentally harmful polystyrene packaging, reducing CO2 emissions significantly compared to air transport. The service targeted seafood and protein ocean-logistics and processing companies.

BluWrap secured a total of $12.6 million in funding over three rounds, with its first recorded round in November 2014 and its latest, a Series D, in June 2018. Key investors included Wheatsheaf Group, Anterra Capital, Firelake Capital, and Rabo Ventures. Throughout its operation, the company achieved several milestones, including receiving the Rabobank Emerging Leader in Innovation Award in 2016 for its impact on the fresh protein supply chain. Leadership included CEO Mark Barnekow and later Ola Strand, former CEO of Scandinavian Airlines Norway, who was appointed in March 2018 to drive European expansion. Despite its developments and funding, the company is now considered deadpooled.

Keywords: food preservation technology, seafood supply chain, controlled atmosphere packaging, fresh protein logistics, ocean freight shipping, shelf-life extension, oxygen management, sustainable food transport, perishable goods technology, BluBuoy, food tech, agri-tech, cold chain logistics, protein shipping, food waste reduction, sustainable packaging, fresh fish transport, pork logistics, supply chain monitoring