What Hazel Technologies does

Hazel Technologies is a Chicago-based agricultural biotechnology company founded in 2015 that develops post-harvest interventions to extend the shelf-life of fresh produce. Its core technology is built around 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an ethylene-inhibiting small molecule, delivered through proprietary formats including the flagship Hazel 100™ slow-release sachet and the Hazel Breatheway® modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) membrane product line. Additional SKUs include Hazel Root™ (insets for potatoes and onions), Hazel® CA (controlled-atmosphere applications for apples), and region-specific variants Hazel Datica (European Union) and Hazel Pēk (Chile). The technology has accompanied over five billion pounds of produce across 15+ categories and is reported to have eliminated approximately 400 million pounds of food waste, with adoption spanning North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Africa/Middle East.

The company's revenue model is centered on unit sales of physical consumable products — sachets, membrane packaging, and crop-specific inserts — sold to growers, packers, and distributors in the fresh-produce supply chain. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise accounts (Sysco, Zespri International, Avocados From Mexico, Brooks Tropicals, Vanguard International) with a layered regional channel partner network that includes Grower Alliance, PureFresh Sales, Oppy, Farmlands Co-operative, Seeka, Apata, and Symms Fruit. The company has secured multiple funding rounds totaling approximately $95 million, including a $70 million Series C in 2021 and an $8.16 million raise in November 2024, along with cumulative USDA SBIR grants of $900K–$1.5M. External validation includes Fast Company Top 5 Most Innovative Companies in Agriculture (2024) and two consecutive years on the Global Cleantech 100. On May 27, 2026, Hazel was acquired by TransFRESH Corporation, a subsidiary of Chiquita, transitioning the business from independent operation to integration within a global cold-chain and ripening services platform. Leadership includes CEO Parker Booth (appointed 2023), CRO Jeff Leshuk, co-founder and CTO Adam Preslar, and VP Marketing Kellen Stailey Martin, with a headcount of 51–100.

Name

Hazel Technologies

Legal name

Hazel Technologies, Inc.

Website

https://hazeltechnologies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hazel Technologies is a Chicago-based agtech company founded in 2015 that develops 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) sachets and modified atmosphere packaging membranes to extend the shelf-life of fresh produce for growers, packers, and distributors across 15+ categories worldwide, now operating as part of TransFRESH (a Chiquita subsidiary) since May 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Sachet and packaging product sales: Sells physical post-harvest products (Hazel 100™ sachets, Hazel Breatheway® membranes, Hazel Root™ inserts, Hazel CA technology) to growers, packer/shippers, distributors, foodservice operators, and retailers; products are dropped into existing supply chains rather than sold as recurring software, functioning as consumable/unit hardware.

Go-to-market motion5 records

Core offering

Hazel Technologies develops and sells post-harvest biotechnology packaging products that extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Its core offering is a portfolio of physical packaging inputs — primarily Hazel 100™ 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) slow-release sachets, Hazel Breatheway® modified atmosphere packaging membranes, Hazel Root™ sprout-suppression inserts, and Hazel® CA Technology for apples — sold to commercial produce growers, packer/shippers, distributors, foodservice operators, and retailers.

Product overview

Hazel Technologies is a post-harvest freshness preservation technology company that operates a portfolio of physical packaging products rather than a unified software platform. Its flagship is the Hazel 100™ sachet, which slowly releases 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) gas inside produce boxes to block ethylene receptors and extend shelf-life. The portfolio is extended by Hazel Breatheway®, a membrane-based modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) solution now integrated into TransFRESH's Tectrol® pallet bag systems following the 2026 acquisition by TransFRESH/Chiquita, Hazel Root™ packaging inserts that prevent sprouting in potatoes and onions (USDA SBIR-funded), and Hazel® CA Technology tailored to apples. Together these sachet, membrane, and insert offerings support more than 15 produce categories and have accompanied an estimated 5 billion pounds of produce in transit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hazel 100™: Flagship 1-MCP sachet technology for produce shelf-life extension (commercialized since 2016); used across produce categories including apples, table grapes, kiwifruit, cherries, avocados, mangoes, melons, limes, tomatoes and more.
• Hazel Breatheway®
• Hazel Root™
• Hazel® CA

Products and services

• Hazel 100™ Sugar-packet-sized sachet that slowly releases 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) gas inside produce boxes during routine packaging and shipping, temporarily blocking ethylene receptors and regulating O2/CO2 exchange to keep produce dormant. Applied across more than 15 produce categories including apples, avocados, berries, cherries, grapes, kiwifruit, leafy greens, tomatoes, melons, mangoes, and figs for growers, packer/shippers, distributors, foodservice operators, and retailers.
• Hazel Breatheway® Proprietary membrane-based modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) technology that regulates oxygen and carbon dioxide levels around produce to extend shelf life across berries, bananas, tropical fruits, melons, cucumbers, and broccoli. Following the 2026 TransFRESH/Chiquita acquisition, the membrane is integrated into Tectrol® pallet bag solutions for the berry industry with broader applications to bananas and tropical fruits.
• Hazel Root™ Packaging insert placed in bulk containers or boxes of potatoes (with potential onion applications) during storage, slowly releasing biological ingredients to prevent premature sprouting. Applicable to both conventional and organic varieties; funded through the USDA SBIR program.
• Hazel® CA Technology Controlled-atmosphere shelf-life extension technology specialized for the apple category, an extension of the Hazel 100™ sachet line tailored to apple packer/shippers and storage operators.

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AgroFresh Solutions: AgroFresh is the dominant incumbent in post-harvest produce freshness, commercializing 1-MCP under the SmartFresh brand for apples, pears, and other fruits. It is the closest direct competitor to Hazel's sachet-based 1-MCP technology and shares the same target customer base of packers and retailers.
• Pace International: Pace International (a Sumitomo Chemical subsidiary) supplies post-harvest coatings, fungicides, and storage treatments for fruits and vegetables. It competes directly with Hazel in pome fruit, citrus, and stone fruit categories with overlapping produce-industry customer relationships.
• Apeel Sciences: Apeel Sciences develops plant-derived edible coatings that extend the shelf life of fresh produce. Like Hazel, it targets growers, packers, and retailers seeking to reduce food waste; Apeel's coating-based approach competes head-to-head with Hazel's sachet and membrane packaging solutions.
• Xeda International: Xeda International develops and markets post-harvest treatments, coatings, and sanitizing products for fruits and vegetables in Europe and globally. It is comparable to Hazel in serving the same produce freshness and shelf-life extension use cases across the supply chain.

Others

• TOMRA Food: TOMRA provides sorting, grading, and processing equipment for fresh produce. While focused on optical sorting rather than freshness chemistry, TOMRA serves the same packer-shipper customers and is a complementary/adjacent player in the post-harvest value chain.

Emerging players

• BioSafe Systems: BioSafe Systems provides post-harvest sanitizing and disease control products for produce operations. It competes with Hazel's sanitizing mist products and addresses adjacent use cases (food safety, decay control) for packer-shippers and processors.

Broad incumbents

• JBT Corporation: JBT Corporation is a large food processing and air transportation equipment provider with post-harvest fresh produce processing systems. It serves overlapping produce industry customers and competes in adjacent parts of the post-harvest handling value chain.
• Sealed Air Corporation: Sealed Air is a global packaging company with food packaging solutions including modified atmosphere packaging for fresh produce and proteins. Its broader portfolio competes with Hazel's Breatheway membranes across multiple food categories.
• Bayer Crop Science: Bayer Crop Science (the agribusiness division of Bayer) supplies crop protection, seeds, and digital farming tools globally. Through its vegetable seed and crop protection lines it serves the same produce value chain as Hazel, with broad R&D and distribution resources.
• Syngenta Crop Protection: Syngenta is a global crop protection and seed company that includes post-harvest treatments in its portfolio. While not focused exclusively on freshness packaging like Hazel, it sells competing post-harvest fungicides and storage products to the same grower and packer customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hazeltechusa
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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hazel-technologies
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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors16 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hazel Technologies