In a bid to position its brand as more tech-forward — and, in the process, foster new culinary innovations — Chipotle today announced the launch of Cultivate Next, a venture fund run by Curt Garner, the restaurant chain’s chief technology officer. Chipotle says that Cultivate Next, which will be financed solely by Chipotle to start, will offer a tranche of $50 million and focus on tech companies in the “seed to Series B” stages.
“We are looking to make investments that will increase guest access to Chipotle as well as elevate the human experience for our teams,” Garner told TechCrunch in an email interview. “[Cultivate Next will give] early stage ventures great visibility and experience in the restaurant category to work with alongside a large scale operation with domestic and international growth ahead.”
Cultivate Next’s debut comes as quick-service restaurants, particularly large chains, increase their investments in technologies that promise to streamline operations while bolstering revenue. Events over the past several years including the pandemic (and subsequent labor shortages) have forced operators to explore technological solutions to longstanding industry challenges, whether contactless point-of-sales systems or — in Chipotle’s case — chip-frying robots.
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