AgFunder Network Partners

Category: Opinion

The Case for Open Innovation in Agriculture

October 27, 2016

The first in a three-part series from Syngenta’s Joseph Byrum is about the importance of open innovation in agriculture.

Larta’s Shukla Discusses Ag Innovation Showcase 2016 and a New Partnership with Bioenterprise

October 21, 2016

Two key features of the conference this year were a panel discussion about gene editing and the issue of public acceptance and innovating around food waste.

The Most Successful Agtech Startup You’ve Never Heard Of

October 19, 2016

Agworld, a farm management software company out of Western Australia, has been on the agtech scene since 2012 and has 65 million paid acres under management.

Why the ‘Subscription Economy’ is Set to Shake Up Agriculture

October 18, 2016

Farmers have limited cash to spend on their operations at the moment, but there is opportunity for them to address their needs throughout the year through leasing, argues Tristan Watkins, CEO of BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions.

How GODAN Wants to Empower the World’s Farmers Through Big Data Sharing

October 17, 2016

On World Food Day, AgFunderNews caught up with Andre Laperriere, the executive director of the GODAN secretariat, to find out how the initiative hopes to use open data to reduce hunger worldwide.

IntelinAir CEO Al Eisaian on the Future of Aerial Imagery in Agriculture

October 10, 2016

IntelinAir, the aerial imagery analysis company for the agriculture industry, yesterday announced the addition of two board members and some agronomy and robotics experts to its advisory committee.

How Consumer Preferences and the Role of Women are Informing Food & Ag Innovation

October 7, 2016

The idea for this week’s podcast came from Sanjeev Krishnan, founding partner at S2G Ventures, the Chicago-based food and agtech venture capital firm.

Connecting the Dots: Trends in Crop Protection and Animal Health

October 5, 2016

Kevin Zussman writes about the similarities of the crop protection and animal health industries, and how new technologies are disrupting these markets.

How Does Agtech Fit an Impact Investing Thesis?

October 5, 2016

Agriculture technology has emerged as a new destination for investors, but it still lacks definition. Here are five ways to think about it.

How Can CRISPR in Agriculture Earn Public Trust & Acceptance?

October 4, 2016

CRISPR has been lauded as the cheapest, fastest, and most precise gene-editing tool on the market, and it’s not subjected to the tainted GMO label, but for how much longer?

Agri-Tech East’s Clarke Discusses The Growing Potential of Open Innovation in Agriculture

September 30, 2016

Ahead of a speaking slot at CropWorld in Amsterdam next month, the founder of Agri-Tech East discusses open innovation in agriculture and the trends around it.

BrightFarms Funding Success: It’s All In The Business Model

September 29, 2016

Last week, greenhouse operator BrightFarms announced it raised $30 million in Series C funding, the largest US-based controlled environment agriculture investment round on record. But how did it get there?

What is the Cybersecurity Threat in Agriculture?

September 28, 2016

Dale Meyerrose, the retired US Air Force Major General, is asking an important question: what about cybersecurity in agriculture?

Robotics Startups Find Renewed Opportunity In California’s Farmworker Overtime Law

September 26, 2016

The developing farm labor dynamic in California, where Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed historic farmworker overtime pay legislation, spells good news for agriculture robotics startups.

Five Trends in Horticulture Technology

September 26, 2016

Ahead of the PrecisionAg Vision Conference in Phoenix, Arizona next month, James Sulecki writes about five key trends in horticulture technology.

Indoor Farms: Where Venture Capital Doesn’t Always Make Sense

September 22, 2016

Indoor agriculture is one of agtech’s smallest subsectors by venture capital funding, but has had some of the market’s biggest deals to-date. What does this say about access to funding?

Agritech Accelerators: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

September 21, 2016

In an effort to help startups navigate the growing number of agritech accelerators on offer, we surveyed 13 program graduates to get their feedback.

How Bayer Stands to Reinvent GMO with CRISPR and Monsanto Acquisition

September 19, 2016

The gene-editing powerhouse the merger between Bayer and Monsanto could produce has been less discussed in media and investment circles, but is a major part of the transaction, writes Emma Cowan.

John Deere’s Technology Innovation Strategy Manager in Europe Talks Partnerships and Decision Support Tech

September 19, 2016

Ahead of a speaking slot at the World Agri-Tech Investment Summit in London in November, we caught up with Dr. Thomas Engel, manager of John Deere’s Technology Innovation Strategy in Europe

How to Optimize Biofuel Production Through Plant Genetics and Alternative Ingredients

September 7, 2016

Ahead of International BioFest2016 in October, AusBiotech gives us a snapshot of how some of its members and partners are innovating in the biofuel space.