Nabaco
1 known investors
Texas agtech company making NatuWrap, an edible coating that extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Also known as Nabaco Inc. · Nabaco® Inc.
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Nabaco Inc. is a San Marcos, Texas-based agricultural technology company that develops and manufactures an edible coating for fresh fruits and vegetables. Its flagship product, NatuWrap, is a patented coating described as GRAS approved, transparent, odorless, colorless and tasteless, which retains moisture in produce while keeping oxygen and microorganisms out, thereby extending shelf life and preserving quality.
The company positions NatuWrap as addressing losses in the produce supply chain that account for billions of dollars annually, with stated benefits for growers, packers, retailers and consumers, including improved yields and storage quality. The company frames its mission around reducing food waste, addressing food insecurity and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Its team is composed of scientists, entrepreneurs, produce industry experts and researchers.
Founding story
Nabaco was founded in 2018. Dr. Gary Beall, who holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, spent 21 years in industry roles before becoming a professor and associate dean at Texas State University, where he launched a commercialization program (MSEC) and an entrepreneurial boot camp and competed seven times in the Rice Business Plan Competition with student teams. Dr. Rusty Phillips, who holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of New Mexico, has over 40 years of industry experience and is a founder and VP of Technology of cardiovascular implant device startup BioStable Science & Engineering, as well as an advisor, Entrepreneur in Residence and Texas State Development Foundation board member at Texas State University. The two met at Texas State University and teamed up with produce industry experts to build Nabaco, with Beall serving as CEO, Founder and Chair of the Board.
Business model
Nabaco manufactures and supplies its NatuWrap edible coating to participants in the fresh produce supply chain, positioning the product as a cost-effective way for growers, packers and retailers to reduce spoilage losses. Aggregated company data classifies its revenue as a mix of recurring, software and transactional and its ownership as venture capital backed.
Nabaco supplies its NatuWrap coating to produce growers, packers and retailers as a paid product intended to reduce spoilage losses; aggregated data characterizes revenue as recurring, software and transactional.
Traction
Aggregated third-party data reports 12 employees as of February 2024 and cites trials demonstrating shelf-life extension and adoption by produce distributors. The company's research team is described as award-winning.
Latest developments
In August 2022, produce industry expert Brenton Field was promoted to Vice President of Operations. Aggregated company data reports 12 employees as of February 2024.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Nabaco operates in the produce shelf-life extension and edible coatings segment of agtech and cleantech, where aggregated data lists comparable companies including Apeel, Akorn, BluWrap and GreenLifeTech.
Nabaco describes NatuWrap as a patented, GRAS approved edible coating that is odorless, colorless and tasteless, is versatile to apply, and is presented as combining superior technology with ease of implementation relative to other preservation approaches. The founding team holds numerous US patents in materials and biosciences (48 held by Beall and 15 by Phillips) and prior startup experience.
Technology
NatuWrap is a patented, GRAS approved edible coating applied to fruits and vegetables. It forms a barrier that retains moisture while blocking oxygen and unwanted microorganisms, and is odorless, colorless, transparent and tasteless. The founders' research backgrounds include clay nanoparticles, nanocomposites and graphene materials.
Go-to-market
The company sells into the fresh produce supply chain, targeting growers, packers, distributors and retailers, and has used press releases and produce trade media to publicize its technology and leadership. It has also publicly invited inquiries about investment opportunities through its website.
Growers, packers, produce distributors and retailers in the fresh produce supply chain, with end benefits for consumers; aggregated data lists enterprise and government customer categories.
Geography
Headquartered in San Marcos, Texas, United States, with geographic exposure characterized as global in aggregated company data.
History
The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in San Marcos, Texas. Co-founder Gary Beall's work as a professor and associate dean at Texas State University led him to start a commercialization program (MSEC) at the university, through which research was directed toward marketability; the NatuWrap discovery emerged from the company's research team. In June 2022, Beall and Rusty Phillips publicly announced they had teamed up with produce industry experts to accelerate Nabaco's growth. In August 2022, Brenton Field was promoted to Vice President of Operations. Aggregated data lists 12 employees as of February 2024.
Compiled by commissioned research from 4 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsProduce industry expert Brenton Field was promoted to Vice President of Operations at Nabaco Inc.
Dr. Gary Beall and Dr. Rusty Phillips announced they had teamed up with produce industry experts to accelerate the growth of Nabaco Inc., which manufactures the edible NatuWrap coating for extending produce shelf life.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 4
primary sources listed
- Nabaco - aVenture Company Researchaventure.vc · web
4 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Nabaco do?
- Texas agtech company making NatuWrap, an edible coating that extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
- Who are Nabaco's investors?
- Nabaco's investors include Alsop Louie Partners.