Food Loss Is a Big Problem
Every year, over 20 million tons of fresh fruits and vegetables are lost due to spoilage in the US alone. That's revenue disappearing for growers, distributors, and wasted food for communities.
1. SPOILAGE AND MICROBIAL DECAY
Produce begins to break down as soon as it’s harvested. Microbial growth accelerates losses, making fresh inventory unpredictable and hard to manage.
2. WEIGHT LOSS AND SHRINKAGE
Fruits and vegetables lose moisture during storage and transit, leading to lighter loads, lower revenue, and a direct hit to profit margins.
3. SHORT SHELF-LIFE AND RIPENING WINDOW
Without protection, produce ripens too fast or too unevenly, limiting travel range, shelf stability, and marketing opportunities.
4. COSTLY COLD CHAINS AND PACKAGING
Maintaining freshness often requires expensive refrigeration, specialized packaging, and overpacking, all of which add cost and complexity.
5. Inventory Waste and Lost Sales
Spoilage during shipping and storage makes it harder to plan, forcing growers and distributors to absorb losses or miss key sales windows.
OUR SOLUTION
Seaweed That Works Harder Than Plastic
We believe the best work comes from working together. Our process is built on open communication, shared ideas, and mutual respect.
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A food-safe coating
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Custom Sprayer System
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Full-Service Coating Model
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Green Biorefinery + Validation Pipeline
Food Loss Is a Big Problem
Every year, over 20 million tons of fresh fruits and vegetables are lost due to spoilage in the US alone. That's revenue disappearing for growers, distributors, and wasted food for communities.
01
Spoilage and Microbial Decay
Produce begins to break down as soon as it’s harvested. Microbial growth accelerates losses, making fresh inventory unpredictable and hard to manage.
02
Weight Loss and Shrinkage
Fruits and vegetables lose moisture during storage and transit, leading to lighter loads, lower revenue, and a direct hit to profit margins.
03
Short Shelf-Life and Ripening Window
Without protection, produce ripens too fast or too unevenly — limiting travel range, shelf stability, and marketing opportunities.
04
Costly Cold Chains and Packaging
Maintaining freshness often requires expensive refrigeration, specialized packaging, and overpacking — all of which add cost and complexity.
05
Inventory Waste and Lost Sales
Spoilage during shipping and storage makes it harder to plan, forcing growers and distributors to absorb losses or miss key sales windows.
Food Loss Is a Big Problem
Every year, over 20 million tons of fresh fruits and vegetables are lost due to spoilage in the US alone. That's revenue disappearing for growers, distributors, and wasted food for communities.
1. Spoilage and Microbial Decay
Produce begins to break down as soon as it’s harvested. Microbial growth accelerates losses, making fresh inventory unpredictable and hard to manage.
2. Weight Loss and Shrinkage
Fruits and vegetables lose moisture during storage and transit, leading to lighter loads, lower revenue, and a direct hit to profit margins.
3. Short Shelf-Life and Ripening Window
Without protection, produce ripens too fast or too unevenly — limiting travel range, shelf stability, and marketing opportunities.
4. Costly Cold Chains and Packaging
Maintaining freshness often requires expensive refrigeration, specialized packaging, and overpacking — all of which add cost and complexity.
5. Inventory Waste and Lost Sales
Spoilage during shipping and storage makes it harder to plan, forcing growers and distributors to absorb losses or miss key sales windows.
6. TBD
Spoilage during shipping and storage makes it harder to plan, forcing growers and distributors to absorb losses or miss key sales windows.
OUR SOLUTION
Seaweed That Works Harder Than Plastic
We’re developing a patent-pending, edible coating made from seaweed that forms a natural barrier on fresh produce. It’s invisible, flavorless, and organic-certifiable — and it can double shelf life while cutting spoilage by more than 50%.
This tech is designed to solve real-world problems for growers and distributors — without the high cost or environmental toll of current solutions.
01
A seaweed-based coating
We’re creating an edible, invisible coating made from seaweed that extends the shelf life of fresh produce while being organic-certifiable, flavorless, and safe to eat. It’s designed to reduce food loss by over 50% without adding complexity to the supply chain.
02
Custom Sprayer System
Our specialty sprayer delivers a fast-drying, uniform coating with minimal disruption to existing workflows. It’s engineered for speed, consistency, and scalability — from indoor berry growers to large distribution centers.
03
Full-Service Coating Model
For high-volume customers, we’ll offer a bundled service that includes our coating, the sprayer, and a trained technician to apply it on-site. This reduces barriers to adoption and helps clients see immediate impact without heavy investment.
04
Green Biorefinery + Validation Pipeline
We’re building a carbon-negative production process that transforms abundant seaweed into a low-cost, scalable solution. With SBIR support, field trials, and a clear regulatory path, we’re de-risking the product before launch.
WHY IT MATTERS
A Win for Growers, a Win for the Planet
$50B
POSTHARVEST REVENUE LOST EVERY YEAR
Growers lose billions to spoilage and short shelf life.
>20M TONS
FRESH PRODUCE WASTED ANNUALLY
Massive amounts of fruits and veggies never make it to shelves.
50%
REDUCTION IN FOOD LOSS WITH OUR TECH
Our coating can cut spoilage by half while staying carbon negative.
4%
OF GLOBAL EMISSIONS FROM FOOD LOSS
Food waste is a bigger emitter than the entire airline industry.
Built for Impact. Backed by Science.
Atlas is a science-driven startup on a mission to reduce postharvest food loss through sustainable engineering. We’re rethinking shelf life using seaweed -- an abundant, land-agnostic raw material to create a smarter, cleaner way to protect fresh produce. Our approach combines patented green manufacturing, scalable delivery systems, and deep industry insight to solve a $50B global problem.
The Team Behind the Technology
Anuj Purohit, PhD
CEO
Product, process development, food safety expert, multiple patents
Matthew Cleaver
CBO
Fifteen plus years in food and agriculture industry, operations, finance, and strategy
Mingyu Qiao, PhD
President
Former founder and CTO in chemical manufacturing, University faculty, multiple patents
Greg Bertsch, PhD
Board Director
Biotech founder and executive with deep experience in automotive and venture-backed growth, University faculty
The Future of Fresh Starts Here
We’re building smarter, sustainable solutions to help fresh food last longer and go farther — with less waste and more impact. If you’re ready to change how the world handles produce, we’d love to hear from you.