Produze, a startup for agricultural exports, raised $2.6 million in funding sponsored by Accel Partners. All In Capital and other angel investors from startups, including the creators of Ninjacart and Citymall, took part in the round as well.

Ben Mathew, Gaurav Agrawal, Rakesh Sasidharan, and Emil Soman launched Produze, which has been in business for six months. The management group at Walmart-backed Ninjacart included Mathew and Agrawal.

The startup says it will make it possible for farmers to sell directly to stores overseas, benefiting farmers with greater margin international distribution and aiding retailers with better quality, more affordable prices, and more readily available products.

The startup's existing setup, which involves several middlemen, results in variable quality and cost.

The startup manages source logistics, quality control, export and import processes, and creates this inventory at the destination for clients to purchase on behalf of the agricultural farmers.

According to the startup, there are currently at least four separate intermediaries—exporters, importers, and distributors—between the producer and final merchants. Due to these middlemen, there will now be inconsistent quality; 25 percent of the time, they won't receive the produce with the desired quality.

The startup claims that since each player chooses an average of five percent, the margin pricing becomes 25 percent less efficient. The producer receives lower profits, and the retailer ultimately pays more.

It claims that every task is done manually. Orders are placed through email, orders are queried for prices, and inventory is followed up on email. Essentially, that is what it simplifies. By creating this digital supply chain, the startup is facilitating seamless commerce between agro producers and retailers.

Produze is expected to deliver multiple agri produce categories in multiple countries across North America, Europe and Middle East, serving a $143B market. Today, the startup is welcoming applications for participating retailers and agri producers. It currently only operates in the UAE but will eventually expand to 18 countries.

Accel expressed that it is delighted to partner with the Produze team to help digitize the global agri-trade. Since it believes that Produze technology and supply chain capabilities can help improve selection of fresh farm produce for customers at more affordable prices while compensating the producers fairly.