Mindhive Global, the award-winning AI-powered leather quality assessment company, today announced it has secured Series A funding led by agritech venture capital firm Cultivate Ventures, with strong participation from existing shareholders. The company explains in a press release that “the raise will accelerate deployment of Mindhive’s comprehensive suite of leather intelligence solutions across key global markets. The capital raise positions Mindhive to scale following a year of exceptional growth that saw the company’s team expand from 8 to 37 people across four countries, establish operations in nine countries, and secure partnerships with industry leaders including JBS Couros, the world’s largest leather processor”.
Mindhive’s technology transforms leather quality assessment from manual inspection—a process unchanged for millennia—into precision AI-driven grading that delivers verified hide data within seconds. The company’s expanding product portfolio spans the entire leather production process, from wet-blue grading through finished leather selection, creating comprehensive quality data that enables manufacturers to optimize production, reduce waste, and make strategic decisions based on verified information rather than subjective assessment.
Debra Hall, Chair of Mindhive Global’s Board, said: “We’ve successfully secured our Series A round to fuel further growth, and we’re delighted to welcome agritech specialist Cultivate Ventures as our lead investor. The strong support from our existing shareholders in this round reflects their confidence in both our technology and the exceptional market opportunity ahead. This funding enables us to capitalize on the momentum we’ve built with industry leaders worldwide and establish Mindhive as the global standard for leather quality intelligence.”
Marcus Henderson, Investment Director at Cultivate Ventures, commented: “Mindhive represents exactly the type of transformative agritech investment we seek—deep technology solving fundamental problems in a traditional global industry. Leather processing is a significant part of the meat production value chain, and Mindhive’s AI-powered quality intelligence delivers measurable efficiency gains, waste reduction, and operational insights that were previously impossible. The team’s execution has been exceptional, and we’re excited to support their next phase of growth as they become the global standard for leather quality assessment.”
James Bayly, CEO of Mindhive Global, concluded: “This Series A funding arrives at a pivotal moment. The leather industry is undergoing its most significant transformation in centuries, driven by sustainability demands, market consolidation, and the need for verified quality data throughout supply chains. Our recent launch of Mindhive FinishSelect™ at SIMAC 2025 demonstrated that our vision of comprehensive leather intelligence resonates across the entire manufacturing process—from wet-blue to finished leather. This investment enables us to deliver on that vision and establish Mindhive as the intelligence layer powering the future of leather manufacturing.”
The timing of the raise follows Mindhive’s standout presence at SIMAC Tanning Tech 2025 in Milan, where the company’s newly launched Mindhive FinishSelect™ system generated significant industry attention.
Nicholas Muirhead, CEO of Scottish Leather Group, Mindhive’s first FinishSelect™ customer, added: “Mindhive FinishSelect™ is transformational for finished leather production. The system’s ability to detect defects down to hair follicle level across more than 20 defect classes gives us unprecedented precision in quality assessment—catching issues that even experienced inspectors miss. As part of the Dectura unified workflow with Zünd cutting systems and Mind software, we’re seeing the complete picture: intelligent defect detection and mapping from Mindhive, optimized material planning, and precision digital cutting all working together. This integration dramatically improves our quality consistency while reducing waste and recuts. Mindhive has been an exceptional partner—responsive, innovative, and deeply committed to solving real production challenges. Their technology is exactly what modern leather manufacturing needs.”
Mindhive’s growth trajectory has earned recognition as a New Zealand technology leader, winning two NZ Hi-Tech Awards in 2025 and reaching finalist status in two NZ International Business Awards categories. The company is a FernMark Licence Programme holder, representing authentic New Zealand innovation on the global stage.
The Series A funding will support expanded deployment of Mindhive’s technology across key markets including Brazil, Europe, and strategic opportunities in Asia, while accelerating product development and strengthening the company’s position as the leather industry transitions toward data-driven manufacturing.
