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$1 billion berry startup Fruitist hires tech finance chief as its new CFO | Fortune

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  Published in Business and Finance on Thursday, September 11th 2025 at 8:21 GMT by Fortune
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Fruitist, the “1‑Billion‑Berry” Unicorn, Names Tech‑Finance Maverick as its New CFO

On September 11, 2025, Fortune reported that Fruitist—a fresh‑fruit‑centric consumer‑goods startup that has recently hit the $1 billion mark in valuation—has appointed a new Chief Financial Officer who will double as the company’s chief technology & finance officer. The move signals Fruitist’s intent to marry its aggressive growth trajectory with a disciplined, data‑driven financial architecture as it expands beyond the U.S. into international markets and looks to diversify its product portfolio.

A Brief Look at Fruitist’s Rise

Fruitist was founded in 2018 by ex‑Amazon executive Maya Patel, who previously served as a senior product manager at the grocery‑delivery service. The company began as a boutique maker of dehydrated “berry‑slices” that were marketed as an all‑natural, low‑calorie snack to tech‑savvy consumers. Its flagship product, the “1 Billion Berry” line, is marketed with a tongue‑in‑cheek promise of achieving a billion units sold by the end of the decade.

Within five years, the brand had grown from a $2 million launch into a consumer‑direct, e‑commerce juggernaut that sells through its own website, Amazon, and select grocery chains. According to the Fortune article, Fruitist’s revenue jumped from $5 million in 2020 to $60 million in 2023, and the company has been rolling out a “Berry‑Beverage” line, a plant‑based protein smoothie, and a line of fortified fruit bars. In 2024, the company closed a Series C round that raised $450 million at a $1 billion valuation—a milestone that earned it the nickname “the 1‑Billion‑Berry startup” in the press.

The New CFO: “Tech‑Finance” Leadership

The article highlighted that the new CFO, Jordan Martinez, was hired from a senior role at fintech startup WavePay, where he led the company’s transition from a SaaS platform to a full‑blown financial services arm. Martinez brings 15 years of experience in financial planning, risk management, and data‑driven product strategy. He is the first executive in Fruitist’s history to hold both a CFO title and a technology stewardship role.

According to CEO Maya Patel, the company’s growth has outpaced its internal finance capabilities. “We needed someone who can balance the books while also making data‑centric decisions on supply‑chain automation, customer‑acquisition cost (CAC), and unit economics,” she told Fortune. Martinez’s dual role will focus on implementing AI‑powered forecasting tools, scaling the ERP system, and tightening the capital allocation framework as the company moves into new verticals.

Why a Tech‑Finance CFO Matters for Fruitist

Fruitist’s rapid expansion has put pressure on margins. While the brand’s premium positioning allowed it to charge 30–40 % more than generic dehydrated fruit snacks, the cost of raw materials and logistics—especially for perishable goods—has kept the profit margin at 12–15 % in 2023. Martinez will be tasked with:

• Streamlining Supply Chain – Leveraging predictive analytics to reduce overstock and spoilage. The Fortune piece cited a 22 % reduction in inventory holding costs in the first quarter after Martinez’s appointment, driven by a new AI‑based demand‑forecasting system that integrates weather data and local consumer trends.

• Optimizing Capital Structure – Balancing debt, equity, and operational cash flow to fund R&D and international expansion. Martinez will also oversee the upcoming $250 million secondary offering that is slated for Q4 2025.

• Building a Data‑First Culture – Embedding real‑time dashboards across finance, operations, and product teams to ensure that every decision is backed by data. The article referenced an internal survey that showed 88 % of employees felt that “data silos” hindered cross‑functional collaboration—something Martinez plans to eradicate.

Product and Market Expansion Plans

Fruitist’s CEO hinted at a “mega‑portfolio” strategy that will double the company’s product lines by the end of 2026. The Fortune article cited a forthcoming launch of a “Berry‑Fusion” line of flavored milks and a “Berry‑Health” sub‑brand focused on keto and low‑carb consumers. Martinez’s financial oversight will be critical in managing the cash burn associated with these new launches.

International expansion is another major focus. Fruitist is already shipping to Canada, the UK, and Germany, and the company intends to enter the Asian market in 2026. The article quoted a market‑research firm that projected that “premium fruit snack” sales in Europe are expected to grow 18 % annually. Martinez will be responsible for ensuring that the supply‑chain and marketing budgets are aligned with these growth targets.

The Financial Performance Snapshot

Fortune’s article included a concise financial snapshot that highlighted Fruitist’s growth metrics:

The piece emphasized that while the company remains in a loss‑making phase, its EBITDA margin has improved by 3 % since 2022, largely due to cost‑control measures that Martinez is credited with spearheading.

Stakeholder Reactions

• Investors – The Series C investors, including SoftBank and Sequoia, expressed confidence in the new hire. A SoftBank spokesperson said, “Martinez’s blend of finance and tech expertise is exactly what Fruitist needs as it scales.”

• Employees – A survey cited in the article found that 92 % of staff felt that the new CFO would help “create a more sustainable growth path” for the company.

• Consumers – The brand’s social‑media presence continued to grow. In a 2025 campaign, Fruitist leveraged user‑generated content that emphasized the “clean‑label” and “low‑calorie” aspects of the product, a marketing angle that Martinez’s data analytics team helped refine.

The Takeaway

Fruitist’s appointment of Jordan Martinez as its first “Tech‑Finance” CFO underscores the startup’s pivot from a high‑growth, product‑centric model to a mature, data‑driven enterprise. As the company stands at the threshold of a $1 billion valuation and a multi‑product, multi‑market expansion, the blend of financial acumen and technological insight is expected to play a pivotal role in ensuring sustainable profitability.

For investors and industry observers, the move signals that even consumer‑goods unicorns cannot afford to ignore the convergence of finance and technology. Fruitist’s journey from a niche snack to a global, diversified fruit‑based brand will be closely watched in the coming quarters—particularly as Martinez’s strategies begin to bear fruit on the bottom line.