Food porn? Ugly fruit & veggie startup gets hefty investment from basketball star Kevin Durant

A California-based food startup selling funny-looking agricultural produce has received a generous financial boost from one of the greatest basketball players of all time, NBA all-star Kevin Durant.

The firm, named Imperfect Produce, was launched just three years ago with the key mission of reducing food waste in the United States. Imperfect Produce is currently operating in 11 cities across the country, including Los-Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Milwaukee, San Diego, and Austin.

Details on the exact size of investment made by Durant’s company Thirty Five Media were not provided. However, Imperfect will reportedly be able to expand its operations throughout the East Coast.

Before moving on to additional East Coast markets, Imperfect is planning to launch its service in Washington, DC by the beginning of next year.

The key activity of the young company is delivering fruit and vegetables that are rejected by grocery stores due to their visual imperfection. Imperfect Produce sells products that are misshapen, bruised, or scarred.

“A lot of our customers have drawn the connection between the produce and the same cult of perfection that, as a society, we apply to ourselves,” CEO Ben Simon said, as quoted by Business Insider.

Imperfect’s ugly produce costs around 30 percent less than it would at a grocery store — and is delivered straight to the customer’s door, according to the company’s website.

Since its founding, the startup has reportedly saved 30 million pounds of food, while customers have saved $12 million on groceries.

With a massive financial boost from Durant, the firm may reportedly launch delivery of some other goods, including baked goods, pickles, and jams, which can be made using its old ugly friends.

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