AI-powered leather quality assessment company Mindhive Global has secured Series A funding led by agritech venture capital firm Cultivate Ventures, with strong support from existing investors.

The funding raise will accelerate deployment of Mindhive’s comprehensive suite of leather intelligence solutions across key global markets, including expanding its technology in Brazil, Europe and Asia. It will also enable Mindhive to scale after a year of rapid growth, expanding its team from eight to 37 across four countries, establishing operations in nine countries and partnering with industry leaders like JBS Couros.

Mindhive Global Board chair Debra Hall says: “We’ve successfully secured our Series A round to fuel further growth. 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 capitalise on the momentum we’ve built with industry leaders worldwide and establish Mindhive as the global standard for leather quality intelligence.”

Ready for further growth

Mindhive’s technology transforms leather quality assessment from manual inspection 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. It generates comprehensive quality data that enables manufacturers to optimise production, reduce waste and make strategic decisions based on verified information rather than subjective assessment.

Marcus Henderson, investment director at Cultivate Ventures, says: “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. We’re excited to support their next phase of growth as they become the global standard for leather quality assessment,” Henderson adds.

Power the future of leather manufacturing

CEO of Mindhive Global James Bayly says: “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. This investment enables us to deliver on that vision and establish Mindhive as the intelligence layer powering the future of leather manufacturing.”

Global expansion

Nicholas Muirhead, CEO of Scottish Leather Group, Mindhive’s first FinishSelect customer, adds: “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, optimised 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,” Muirhead adds.