Global agtech leader Hectre to welcome fruit industry executives from 10 countries in Chile tour

This week, New Zealand-based agtech company Hectre will host more than a dozen senior fruit industry leaders from 10 countries on a week-long tour of Chile's leading packhouse operations. 

With this visit, they seek to demonstrate the true impact of the firm’s technology in some of the world's largest commercial fruit businesses. 

"Hectre delivers technology and innovation that makes the food supply system fairer, more efficient, and less wasteful,” said Matty Blomfield, Hectre co-founder and CEO. “This tour brings the world's leading industry figures together for an experience that is both culturally rich and commercially beneficial.” 

The executive emphasized that by building genuine relationships with producers around the world, Hectare can help create a food system that is stronger, smarter, and more equitable for everyone. 

By invitation only, the delegation includes CEOs, directors, and commercial leaders from major fruit companies across South Africa, Spain, Italy, Germany, Türkiye, Poland, Brazil, the United States, Mexico, New Zealand, and Chile. 

The tour is immersed in Chilean culture and will visit several of the country's leading packhouse operations, including facilities operated by Verfrut, Frusan, Unifrutti, Fruttita, Garce, and San Clemente. The visitors will be hosted by an 8-strong Hectre team, and enjoy hospitality from the New Zealand Embassy. 

Hectre: Groundbreaking tech that makes a difference in the field

The tour reflects Hectre's growing international position. Backed by New Zealand venture capital firm Punakaiki Fund along with global investors, the company is currently growing at about 100 percent annually. 

Hectre works with packhouses and growers across multiple continents, providing software and hardware solutions designed to improve efficiency, traceability, and quality outcomes in commercial fruit production. 

Its groundbreaking Arc camera delivers near 99 percent accuracy in fruit size and color grading, and it is currently building world-leading capacity to assess internal and external fruit defects.

Days of culture, fruit, and camaraderie

The tour opens on Sunday, May 10, with a welcome dinner in Santiago, followed on Monday by a workshop at the New Zealand Embassy, hosted by NZTE and facilitated by Rodrigo Mudez. Attendees will participate in presentations, interactive workshops, and guided tours, followed by a traditional Chilean barbecue hosted by Verfrut. 

The program continues across the week with further packhouse visits in Santiago and Talca, formal dinners, and lunches at Casa Silva and VIK wineries. The tour concludes with a visit to the UNESCO-listed coastal city of Valparaíso, including a tour of the Pablo Neruda Museum "La Sebastiana", a harbor boat tour, a walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage district, and a farewell lunch at Cafe Turri overlooking the harbor. 

Blomfield said the tour is an annual event, with benefits to all involved. 

"Fruit production is a global industry, but the relationships that make it work are deeply personal,” he emphasized. “For Hectre, being on the ground with our customers, seeing their operations and understanding their challenges, is fundamental to how we build technology that works in the real world. The benefits flow in every direction." 

*All images courtesy of Hectre. 

Related stories

Hectre celebrates its AI-powered orchard and packing solutions' explosive growth in Chile

Hectre secures $12 million Series A investment to accelerate AI innovation