*Update: Strider has disclosed the participation of Qualcomm Ventures and the size of its $3 million Series B funding round. This article was originally published on May 5, 2016.
Brazilian Big Data Startup Strider Closes Series B – exclusive
Strider, a decision support tool offering data aggregation and pest management, has closed a $3 million Series B round of funding with Brazilian venture firm Monashees, and Qualcomm Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of tech giant Qualcomm. This is the first agtech investment for Monashees, according to Ed Siatti, VP of sales. Strider will use the proceeds to expand into the US, expand the platform to whole crop management, and reach 5 million acres of land in Brazil; it’s currently on 2 million. Siatti sees a lot of clients coming from the sugarcane business, he told AgFunderNews. Strider’s Scouting Program has also been adopted by Texas A&M Agrilife for this coming season.
Indian Drone Startup Airwood Aerostructures Closes Seed Round
Airwood Aerostructures has completed an undisclosed seed round with Indian seed-stage investment firm StartupXseed Ventures. The company’s patent-pending drones include multispectral cameras that capture real-time data and weather information for plantations. They also assess water availability, advanced nutrient testing, and soil measurement. In 2014, Airwood participated in an incubator in Madras. StartupXseed invests the Aaruha Technology Fund, which manages a total of $10 million in capital.
Microbial Ag Products Company Raises $5m Series A
BiOWiSH Technologies, a company using microorganisms to increase the efficiency of fertilizers; promote drought resistance in crops; and extend the shelf-life of fresh fruit and vegetables, has raised $5m in Series B funding. The funding came from existing investors, and will be used to commercialize its range of products. Find out more on AgFunderNews.
Meal Kit Delivery Service Home Chef Raises $10m Series A
Providing customers with a home delivered meal kit, Home Chef has raised $10 million in a Series A round with global venture investors Guild Capital and Hong Kong-based charitable asset management company Shining Capital. Customers select their men from a list of 13 weekly options. The company uses a “taste algorithm” to suggest which items the user may prefer based on prior selections. Based in Chicago, the company claims to serve more than 540,000 meals each month and boasts 400 employees. The new capital will be used to open a distribution center on the West Coast.
Snack Box Delivery Service BoxGreen Raises $335k Seed Round
On a mission to discourage snackers from choosing junk food, BoxGreen has recently raised $335,000 in seed capital in a round led by Southeast Asia investment firm Expara Ventures and global startup accelerator 500 Startups along with an undisclosed angel investor. Founded in late 2014, subscribers receive a box of healthy snacks on a regular basis selected from a menu of 30 nutritionist-approved items. The snacks, like assorted nuts, granola, and dried fruit, come sealed in single-serving packs. According to the company, it has already delivered 75,000 snack packs to its 2,000-member strong subscription base.
And from last week…
Aquaculture Sensor Startup Raises $2.5m from Bosch
Tasmanian agtech company The Yield has closed a $2.5 million investment led by global technology and services provider Bosch Group. Existing shareholders are providing an additional $1 million in this round, which closes at the end of May. The Yield offers sensors, data management platforms, and mobile apps to producers in the agriculture and aquaculture industries. To learn more about how The Yield will use this funding, check out our recent interview with founder Ros Harvey.
Drone Sensor Startup Slantrange Raises $5m Series A
A drone sensor startup and analytics company Slantrange has raised $5 million in Series A funding from a broad range of investors including The Investor Group, a San-Diego-based investor group, a large family-owned agriculture company in the Mid-West and a Silicon Valley VC Motus Ventures. This continues a trend from the company’s seed round, which was funded by a farming group from Nebraska that played a major role in assisting the startup’s development, according to Slantrange CEO Mike Ritter. Check out AgFunderNews’ recent interview with Ritter and learn more about the funding.
M&A
Neogen Acquires Preserve International and Tetradyne
Neogen Corporation has acquired Preserve International and Tetradyne, sister companies owned and operated by the private Nevada-based Preserve International Corporation. Founded in 1991, Preserve and Tetradyne offer the livestock and food processing industries cleaners, disinfectants, and associated products. Preserve has focused primarily on the swine, poultry, and food processing markets, and Tetradyne’s major focus has been on the dairy industry. The company holds patents on innovative disinfectant technologies and more than 100 EPA/FDA registered products. Neogen will now operate Preserve’s manufacturing facilities in Memphis, Tennessee, and Turlock, California. Neogen Corporation develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety. The company’s Food Safety Division markets dehydrated culture media, and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases and sanitation concerns.
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