Katherine Sizov

Post-pitch story

Katherine Sizov pitched Strella Biotech while she was at the University of Pennsylvania. Her idea was sensors that sniff out ethylene, the gas fruit gives off as it ripens, so grocers can stop throwing away fruit that spoils too soon. The idea has taken off. In October 2024 Strella raised a $14 million Series A led by Decibel Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners. In 2025 it partnered with Thermal Technologies to roll out fully automated, AI-assisted banana-ripening rooms, and it now monitors ripeness for several leading U.S. grocery chains. Sizov is still CEO. A student pitch about wasted apples has become a serious food-supply business, one of the season's strongest success stories.