The News

• Chipotle announced today that it was forming Cultivate Next, a new venture fund that will invest in “seed to Series B stage companies that can accelerate the Company's strategic priorities such as running great restaurants, amplifying technology and innovation, further advancing its Food With Integrity mission, and expanding access and convenience for consumers.”

• Cultivate Next will have an initial fund of $50 million, and will be financed solely by Chipotle.

• Chipotle is already dabbling in food robotics, having announced a pilot program to use Miso Robotics Flippy platform to make tortilla chips.

The Story

I’m sure Cultivate Next is filled with a bunch of smart folks who know what they are doing. But if they are looking for an unsolicited opinion, here are three companies I think make a lot of sense for Cultivate Next to invest in.