Fundings in Brief : A Rare Agriculture Fund of Funds, Aquaculture PE and Farmers Edge Funding

Farmers Edge Receives Funding from Real Estate Company Osmington

Data Management Services Provider Farmers Edge has closed an investment deal with private commercial real estate company Osmington, it’s fourth investment partner. The company’s technology offers farmers a variety of data collection and analytics services, including high resolution satellite imagery, in-field telematics, and field-specific weather monitoring. Osmington’s undisclosed investment will enable Farmers Edge to pursue continued diversification in its reach and network; expand its big data analytics services across global markets; and promote the growth of its data analytics team.

Stafford Capital Partners Launches Rare Agriculture Fund of Funds 

Building on its expertise and capabilities in timberland investing, where it currently manages and advises $2.1 billion of assets on behalf of institutional investors, U.K. fund of funds house Stafford Capital Partners announced the launch of a global agriculture investment strategy last week. Teaming with EBG Capital, a Swiss environmental investment firm, Stafford will invest in a range of agriculture investment managers, hoping to pursue a similar strategy to its timberland funds. Fund of funds have rarely been used in the agriculture investment market due to concerns about double fee structures damaging returns. But there are calls from first time agriculture investors for more globally diversified options in the sector; most agriculture or farmland funds focus on one geography and or one commodity.

Aqua Capital Lives Up to Name with Brazilian Tilapia Producer GeneSeas Investment

South American agribusiness private equity fund Aqua Capital has acquired a controlling stock in GeneSeas, one of the leading producers of tilapia fish in Brazil, in the firm’s first aquaculture deal. The acquisition will help GeneSeas complete its already planned expansion and modernization, including a new packing plant and fattening unit. Aqua has been looking at deals in the fisheries sector for many years as an appealing sector in terms of consumer demand. But the practicalities of investing in teh sector have made things more complicated, Sebastian Popik, founder of Aqua told AgFunderNews. “It’s a high promise sector but there are a lot of issues around regulation, disease and getting to scale in local markets,” he said. Aqua has mainly invested in agriculture supply chain, logistics and storage companies in Brazil.

Jolly Food Fellow Closes $300k in Angel Investment to Expand Company Footprint

Indian food startup Jolly Food Fellow recently secured a $300,000 investment in angel funding from a new startup incubator called The 1947. The company focuses on assisting food and beverage industry entrepreneurs with performing customer analytics. Founded in March 2015, the company is now setting its sights on expanding into the metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Bangalore over the next three months.

Dave’s Killer Bread Sells for Killer Price of $275m to Flower Foods, Inc.

Originating in Milwaukie, Oregon, Dave’s Killer Bread recently sold to the nation’s second largest baking company, Flower Foods, for $275 million. Originally launching under the company name Nature Bake in 1955, the company now has 300 employees and hopes to expand its operations following completion of the sale.

Brazilian Fertilizer Developer Aguia Resources Closes $6.8m Private Placement

Aguia Resources, a Brazilian fertilizer company listed on the Australia stock exchange, has raised A$9.5 million ($6.8 million) in equity capital. The placement of 55.88 million ordinary shares to institutional and sophisticated investors was sold at $0.17 per share. The company will use this funding to pursue environmental baseline studies and a Bankable Feasibility Study at its flagship location in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in addition to aggressive drill programs at adjacent targets Joca Tavares and Cerro Preto.

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