# Ryp Labs

> Ryp Labs is a Bothell, Washington biotechnology company that turns plant-defense chemistry into stickers, labels, and packaging inserts designed to slow mold and spoilage in fresh produce. Its B2B products, led by StixFresh, fit into existing packing and retail workflows without capital equipment, giving growers, distributors, and retailers a way to protect saleable fruit and reach farther markets. The company's harder-won advantage is commercial rather than cosmetic: it learned to target customers whose weak or unpredictable cold chains make every extra day of shelf life economically urgent.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** Bothell, United States
- **Founders:** Moody Soliman (CEO and Co-founder), Steve Hulteng (COO and Co-founder), Zhafri Zainudin (Inventor and Co-founder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 15 employees; LinkedIn lists the company in the 11-50 employee range.
- **Products:** StixFresh, Shelf Defense, StixFresh+, Shelf Defense+, Private-label freshness stickers
- **Notable:** Raised an $8.1 million Series A in November 2023., Won Lineage's 2024 Global Food Chain Innovation Challenge and its $50,000 grand prize plus incubator access., Received a $996,291 NSF SBIR Phase II award in 2024 following a $255,044 Phase I award in 2021.

## Products & services

- **StixFresh** — A food-safe sticker carrying a patented, plant-inspired formulation that releases protective volatile compounds near produce to slow mold and spoilage. It can be placed directly on suitable fruit or inside packaging.
- **Shelf Defense** — A label or sheet-format application of Ryp Labs' controlled-release formulation for produce packaging and shipping environments.
- **StixFresh+** — An OMRI-listed version for specified post-harvest handling uses in organic operations, subject to the use restrictions in its OMRI listing.
- **Shelf Defense+** — An OMRI-listed Shelf Defense product for specified post-harvest handling uses in organic operations, subject to listing restrictions.
- **Private-label freshness stickers** — Custom-branded stickers that pair a produce company's visual identity with Ryp Labs' shelf-life technology.
- **Customer pilot studies** — Site-specific trials that establish the target produce, placement, storage conditions, and commercial value before broader deployment.

## Achievements

- Raised an $8.1 million Series A in November 2023.
- Won Lineage's 2024 Global Food Chain Innovation Challenge and its $50,000 grand prize plus incubator access.
- Received a $996,291 NSF SBIR Phase II award in 2024 following a $255,044 Phase I award in 2021.
- Received U.S. patent 12,082,593 in September 2024 for an anti-spoilage freshness-preservation formulation and manufacturing method.
- Earned OMRI listings for StixFresh+ and Shelf Defense+ for specified post-harvest handling uses.
- Established a Japanese distribution agreement with Sanyo Trading in January 2025.
- Named a 2026 FoodTech 500 finalist.
- Named to the 2026 Change100 list of impact startups.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Ryp Labs was named to the Change100 list of impact startups to watch in 2026.
- **2026-02** — The company announced it was a FoodTech 500 finalist and exhibited at Fruit Logistica in Berlin.
- **2025-09** — Ryp Labs received a $169,099 USDA SBIR Phase I grant for humidity-responsive packaging research and attended Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong.
- **2025-02** — Sanyo Trading began commercial distribution of StixFresh in Japan under a January 2025 agreement.
- **2024-12** — Ryp Labs won Lineage's global Food Chain Innovation Challenge, receiving $50,000 and a place in an executive-led incubator.
- **2024-09** — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the company's anti-spoilage formulation patent.
- **2024-08** — The NSF awarded Ryp Labs a $996,291 Phase II SBIR grant for controlled-release shelf-life tools.
- **2023-11** — Ryp Labs announced an $8.1 million Series A to expand commercialization and R&D.

## Links

- Website: https://ryplabs.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stixfresh
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/stixfresh
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZsY1LwWMSA
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stixfresh

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ryp-labs
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-22