Tesco commits £20 million to new food-focused venture fund

Tesco, the United Kingdom's leading retailer, has pledged £20 million to a newly established food-focused venture fund spearheaded by Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby. The grocery giant is taking the role of anchor investor as it looks to support companies creating food-related technologies. The investment marks Tesco as the biggest supporter of Bramble Fund I, a fund that will offer between £1 million and £5 million in growth capital to businesses developing food innovations.

Through a separate collaboration, Tesco and Bramble will establish a joint innovation board and enable chosen companies to trial their products and technologies throughout Tesco's supply chain. Bramble's initial investment is KluraLabs, a British technology company that has developed packaging designed to prolong food shelf life and lower the use of artificial additives.

The fund is also looking into investments in technologies that could diminish farms' dependence on chemical fertilizers and medical devices for tracking digestive health.

Henry Dimbleby, who authored the government-backed National Food Strategy, co-founded Bramble in 2024 alongside Omar Habbal, Mark Hudson, and Chris Mitchell. The fund targets UK and European food businesses with the potential to scale commercially on a global stage.