In 2023, Calgary.tech reported that agtech-focused venture capital fund Carrot Ventures launched its second company, Cellar Insights.
Cellar Insights uses a combination of sensors and cloud-based algorithms to remotely monitor potato health during long-term storage with an aim to reduce food loss and optimize the quality of crops post-harvest.
Their system detects rot-risk signals and tracks key storage conditions such as temperature, humidity, and CO₂ to enable earlier intervention and improved outcomes.
“Storage is where crop value is protected or lost,” says chief executive officer Terry Sydoryk. “Our system delivers early warnings and clear insights so operators can act sooner to reduce shrink and spoilage risk.”
Last year, Cellar Insights closed an oversubscribed seed round to scale its AI-powered storage platform, with investment from Tall Grass Ventures, the University of Alberta Innovation Fund, UCeed, and others.
“This investment validates our vision and technology,” Sydoryk remarked in September. “With the backing of these top-tier AgTech investors, we’re ready to scale faster, expand into new markets, and give growers unprecedented clarity and control over storage.”
This month, startup-to-watch Cellar snagged another $500,000.
This time, the capital hails from SVG Ventures THRIVE through the form’s Ventures Pioneer Fund.
The funding will support Cellar’s continued growth and commercialization, according to a statement from the company.
The investment, says Sydoryk, enables Cellar to scale “impact across North America.”
SVG is no stranger to Cellar: the Calgary upstart’s journey was accelerated through SVG Ventures’ accelerator in Alberta, delivered in partnership with Alberta Innovates’ Scaleup Gap Program.
“We first met the Cellar Insights team through our accelerator in Alberta, delivered in partnership with Alberta Innovates’ Scaleup Gap Program, and that engagement gave us an early window into both the problem they were solving and how the company was executing,” explains John Cassidy, who serves Managing Director Canada of SVG Ventures THRIVE.
“We stayed closely connected as they validated the technology, expanded deployments, and built momentum beyond Alberta,” he said, noting “that continued progress is what ultimately led us to invest through the Pioneer Fund.”
Cellar Insights, according to Alberta Innovates chief executive officer Mike Mahon, “is a textbook example of how grower‑driven innovation, when paired with the right commercialization supports and global partners like SVG Ventures, can move from pilot to investment and market traction.”
“Seeing this company attract follow‑on capital and deploy in places like Manitoba demonstrates the impact of a clear pathway from innovation to adoption,” Mahon stated.
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, SVG Ventures THRIVE boasts a community of 15,000 startups across 100 countries.
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