Even as inflation starts to ease, Canada’s independent restaurants, caterers, and small grocers are still feeling squeezed. Food prices rose another 2.2% in 2024, keeping margins tight and making accurate produce buying more critical than ever. But ordering fresh produce remains a frustrating process, tangled in phone calls, vague quotes, and multiple layers of middlemen—all adding hidden costs along the way.
Ontario-based startup Jitto thinks it’s time to simplify. Since receiving $50,000 in Innovation Booster funding from CFIN in late 2024, Jitto has been rolling out an AI-driven platform that directly connects farmers, buyers, and transporters through a streamlined digital marketplace.
How Jitto makes produce smarter
Jitto collects real-time pricing and inventory data directly from growers, then translates it into clear, personalized buying options. Buyers open the app and immediately see exactly what fits their needs—relevant products, ideal pack sizes, accurate pricing, and specific delivery windows—without endless scrolling or multiple phone calls.
Behind the scenes, Jitto’s AI builds precise customer personas based on each buyer’s previous purchases, seasonal trends, and local demand patterns. The system automatically updates and refines itself, anticipating needs and offering suggestions in real-time, keeping restaurants and stores ahead of fluctuating prices.
Less friction, fewer costs, better food
By connecting buyers straight to growers, Jitto cuts out at least one or two layers of traditional brokerage markups. For smaller communities and independent businesses that don’t have leverage with major distributors, those savings matter—often determining whether they turn a profit or struggle to break even.
But it’s not just about cost. Real-time, accurate ordering reduces waste: farms pick exactly what buyers want, while restaurants get the quality and freshness they expect. Fewer surprises and fewer rejected deliveries also mean lower carbon emissions and less food ending up in compost bins.
What the CFIN funding is making possible
The Innovation Booster funding is supporting two significant enhancements to Jitto’s platform:
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Dynamic customer profiling that continually fine-tunes itself, learning from order histories, menu shifts, seasonal spikes, or unexpected local events.
These improvements directly target smaller and mid-sized businesses, especially in rural areas, which are often the hardest-hit by price volatility.
What’s coming next for Jitto
Jitto’s first pilot projects are underway, linking growers in Ontario’s Niagara Greenbelt with independent restaurants and retailers across southwestern Ontario. By early 2026, the company plans to expand to the Prairies, aiming to create a national platform accessible to any Canadian produce buyer or grower, no matter their size or location.
Ultimately, Jitto envisions itself as a digital backbone for the produce industry—simplifying logistics, trimming unnecessary costs, and making fresh food easier and more affordable for everyone involved. In an industry known for complexity, Jitto’s approach is refreshingly clear: better communication means better business.