Tag: impact investing

Why impact investor Astanor Ventures backed MiiMOSA’s ag financing platform

June 14, 2021

MiiMOSA recently raised $9 million in venture funding from Astanor and other investors in an effort to expand its market reach.

After closing $27m maiden fund, Tenacious Ventures seeks to scale-up Australian agrifoodtech

June 4, 2021

Tenacious Ventures has invested $11.5 million in six startups so far, with a further 10 or so deals expected out of its newly closed fund.

McDonald's and Burger King signs side by side

Fast food brands are getting better on sustainability, but still falling short: FAIRR report

May 19, 2021

Five major fast food brands have – or will – set “science-based” targets after interventions led by sustainability advocates FAIRR and Ceres.

GROW Impact Accelerator launches second cohort to advance new frontiers in food & agriculture

May 6, 2021

The GROW Impact Accelerator’s new cohort has been picked from over 270 applicants hailing from 58 countries. Seven out of the 10 teams have female founders.

Brief: Danone recertifies B Corp status, posts ‘even higher’ impact scores

April 20, 2021

Danone subsidiary Nutricia North America, a specialized nutrition brand, also recently achieved Certified B Corp status.

From IQ, to EQ, to RQ – the regenerative quotient

April 2, 2021

We need entrepreneurs and thought leaders in regenerative food and agriculture to have a high RQ. Logan Yonavjak and Adrian Rodrigues tell us why.

Brief: Temasek invests $500m into impact fund LeapFrog

March 10, 2021

LeapFrog primarily invests in African and Asian companies, with a focus on improving access to financial services and healthcare for low-income consumers.

The Nature Conservancy invests in 5 soil health startups

March 9, 2021

The Nature Conservancy has made a major commitment around advancing soil-smart farming – and it has realized that technology is key to achieving its goal.

Provivi raises $10m from Gates Foundation to bring insect pheromone tech to smallholder farmers

February 24, 2021

Provivi will use the funds to sell its pheremone-based pest control products to smallholder farmers in Kenya, Bangladesh, and India at cost.

Agtech CVC: Leaps by Bayer on adopting an impact lens for corporate venturing

January 26, 2021

The agrifood industry wondered how Bayer would approach venture investing after its acquisition of Monsanto. Derek Norman talks with AFN about the company’s turn to impact investing.

Arya banks $21m in Quona-led Series B to boost financial inclusion for India’s farmers

December 15, 2020

Delhi-based Arya, which provides grain storage and loans to smallholders, is fintech investor Quona Capital’s second ag finance deal.

EXCLUSIVE: Colorado’s Meati secures $28m for whole-cut alternative meats

October 29, 2020

It’s developing a line of alternative meat products made from the protein-rich ‘root’ networks of fungi.

3 Singapore Food Bowl startups strengthening the supply chain after Covid-19

October 5, 2020

AFN meets 3 startups bringing more efficiency and sustainability to the agrifood supply chain, with blockchain, coconut husks, and cold storage in the mix.

How to unleash agtech in the fight against climate change

September 11, 2020

Prime Impact Fund is entering the world of agtech with the goal of wringing out emissions that are unlikely to be addressed by today’s class of startups.

Farm automation, urban ag & alt-protein will be key to Asia’s food security, says UNDP advisor

September 11, 2020

The UN Development Program’s Armen Harutyunyan was speaking at NURTURE, a new series of events presented by AgFunder-backed impact accelerator GROW.

Tune in to NURTURE, our upcoming series of talks on the future of Asia’s agrifood system

August 27, 2020

Starting next week, NURTURE by GROW will feature talks from Asia-Pacific thought leaders on tech’s role in creating a more secure and sustainable food system.

Cheap food fuelled the Covid death toll. Now it’s time to tackle the obesity epidemic

July 9, 2020

Of all the reports on the tragic and rising death toll resulting from Covid-19, there’s one underlying health condition that has been largely overlooked: obesity.

Clean Crop Technologies raises $3m to curb post-harvest food waste

June 10, 2020

Prime Impact Fund led the company’s seed round to support its safe, chemical-free approach to killing crop mold and toxins.

AgFunder Digitalk #4: The implications of Covid-19 on ESG and impact investing in agrifood

May 28, 2020

Before Covid-19 hit, ESG was fast becoming the phrase of 2020 when it came to investment. Where does agri-foodtech fit and what happens to sustainability priorities and impact investing in our space when a pandemic hits?

‘Grain bank’ Ergos gets $4.6m more from existing investor Aavishkaar. Here’s why

April 23, 2020

Ergos allows farmers to deposit their grain at a local micro-warehouse so that it can be ‘withdrawn’ at a different location, Aavishkaar’s Vineet Rai explains.