Ten years ago, Michael Dean and Rob Leclerc incorporated AgFunder, AgFunderNews’ parent company, with the mission to bring more investment and innovation to the agriculture and food sectors.
This was the same year Monsanto acquired Climate Corporation in what remains the most pivotal deal of agrifoodtech history.
At the time, Climate Corp. founder Dave Friedberg wrote a lengthy letter to his staff explaining why he had decided to sell to Monsanto, then considered one of the most “evil” companies in the world. At the heart of his letter was a message that also sits at the core of what we do at AgFunder and AgFunderNews.
“There are so many articles (some are repeatedly published) that are wholly inaccurate, based in half-science, extrapolation, innuendo, and out-of-context rhetoric,” says Freidberg’s letter. “When I did my own research [on Monsanto]—to the source and in the science—I was amazed at how far these inaccurate statements had gone and how wrong so many people were, thinking they were right because they repeated the same things others did.”
For the last decade, AgFunder has striven to make decisions based on objectivity, accuracy, science, and context. That’s as true for our investment team as it is for our editorial crew (who are rigorously kept separate from any AgFunder deal happenings before they’re public).
As Friedberg wrote, “Eventually, you can inform; but make sure you take the time first to be informed.”
The hope is that our special report — an 83-page dive into the last decade in agrifoodtech — showcases our commitment to the industry and the principles we need to keep intact to make the next decade a success for the planet.
It’s also a celebration of the astounding growth of the agrifoodtech community and the countless startups, researchers, academics, entrepreneurs, investors and others that have helped make this community what it is over the last 10 years.
It’s impossible to provide an exhaustive look at what’s happened over the past 10 years — even in 83 pages — but we’ve attempted to provide a mix of data, interviews, and analysis to give you a taste of some of the key developments in agrifoodtech.
You can download our e-zine here, but below are some highlights to whet your appetite:
- 10 years on from Climate Corp’s $1bn acquisition – David Friedberg reflects p10
- A 10-year look at funding p12
- Top 30 agrifoodtech deals 2013-2023 p16
- Top agrifoodtech exits since 2013 p24
- Indoor ag: approaching ‘the plateau of enlightenment?’ p36
- Crunch time for cultivated meat? p45
- 10 years of Farmers Business Network (FBN) p57
- Eat Just – visionary foodtech pioneer or ‘a “house of cards built on one individual’s ability to separate people from their money?’ p67
- Impossible Foods CEO: ‘We kind of insulted the very people we wanted to try our product: meat eaters’ p75
Sit back and enjoy the ride – we certainly did!
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